Woke early the next day with the sun coming up in the small hours of the morning and the birdies singing from 5am. Lay on for a while, then got up at a more reasonable hour, had breakfast, packed up the tent and dragged everything back up to the canal for launching into day two!
Back on the water and it was going to be another glorious day. Blue sky, sunshine and warm. Ahhh so nice just cruising on the water with the sound of birds and the water dripping off my paddle.
The canal skirts around Leixlip and the train line runs along side the water. Probably a novel sight for the commuters making their way into work. First lock I came to was Lock 13. Tied up the board and walked up and over the bridge to the other side to see it there was a good place to put in. Had to haul my big kit bag off the board and carry it to the other side, then come back for the board. This was going to be hot work in this weather portaging around each lock.
Coming into Maynooth the sun was starting to get hot. There were a few people walking and jogging along the towpath and everyone wanted to have a chat. That's the great thing about Ireland, people still talk to strangers like they're friends. This was the main reason for my slow progress on this trip. Too much chatting, not enough paddling, but sure, it's all about the craic!!
Now, just the other side of Maynooth, little brown floating clusters started to become frequent in the water. I had a mini freak out thinking it was floaty-poos and was trying not to let the water off my paddle drip on my board, or me, every time I changed sides. Arrghh, blurghh!!!
At the next lock, hauled my kit and board out and over the bridge to the other side. Here there were a couple of the Waterways Ireland guys doing some weed clearing. I stopped to chat with them and asked them about the floaters in Maynooth and they assured me it was just the weed that had been churned up from them clearing the canal in their weed boat. Relief!! They said the only place that there is sometimes a problem with water quality is Kilcock and usually only in the winter time.
Paddling on to Kilcock, I was starting to boil. The factor 30 was reapplied several times. At Kilcock it was lunchtime, Everyone was out sitting on the grassy banks, fishing and sitting outside the pubs and cafes. I tied the board up at the long boardwalk at the train station side of the canal and headed over the bridge to Thomas O'Keeffes pub for lunch, I sat outside to keep an eye on my board over the other side of the canal and enjoyed the summer vibes and my refreshments!!
Back to it and asked a couple of young lads walking down the street to help me carry my stuff over the bridge to the other side of the lock. It is a bit of an awkward lock to cross, as you have to bring your stuff up from the canal, across the busy road, over the bridge and up a bit on the other side before putting in again. There was also a huge amount of weed collected at the back of the top lock gate.
Anyway, sorted out my kit, back on the water and on my way. The rest of the day I paddled on through the countryside. At Ferrans Lock I spoke to a girl who was out walking her dogs. I asked where she reckoned the best place to camp would be. She said her family owned the land on one side of the canal on down a bit and I'd be welcome to pitch my tent anywhere there if I wanted to.
Evening drawing in and I couldn't really find a suitable place to pull in. Either it was far too overgrown, or the nice grassy bit I thought would be suitable turned out to have a bull grazing on it!
Looking at my map on my phone, I saw there should be a suitable bit of ground at the corner of the canal, where the Old Bog Road ends. It also seemed far enough away from both Kilcock and Enfield, that there would be less chance of people being about. Turned out it was the perfect place. Signs of a few previous campfires, so it must be a place people have camped at before.
Got off the water, pitched my tent and got my dinner on just in time to watch the beautiful pink sunset across the sky.
DAY 1 HERE
DAY 3 HERE
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