On the glorious morning of 14 May 2016
twelve members of the Irish-Austrian Society – all of them Austrians except
Rosemary and Ursula - met outside the National Sea Life Centre in Bray in order
to complete the classic cliff walk from Bray to Greystones. We were told by
Ulrike to be there at 10:30 am “sharp”, however the Austrians (most of whom
have been living on the Green Island for many years) have apparently been
infected by the Irish sense of time, so we left close to 11 am.
Gerhard, our
leader, suggested that we take the higher route via Bray Head, but he found
little support so we stuck to the lower route. The only one who wanted to go
via Bray Head was little Konstantin, Christopher’s son. However, his protests
were ignored. He was consoled when we later came across an ice cream van which
he would have missed had we gone via Bray Head. All the world was on the way
from Bray to Greystones and back. No wonder as it was what the Irish call a “pet
day”. The sky was blue, the sun heated up the earth to mighty 15 degrees
celsius which makes most inhabitants of Ireland think that they are in Spain,
the bird were singing in praise of the Weather God and the seals were popping
up from the deep blue sea looking in amazement at the hords of walkers.
By one o clock,
shortly after we made our way through the Greystones Marina we arrived at the
Beach House Pub in Greystones. I had been there 10 years ago when it was a
small and ordinary pub. It now is a formidable establishment with a nice back
garden and good food. Obviously, those Russian oligarchs who moor their yachts
in the Marina bring good business to Greystones.
After having
eaten and drunk sufficiently most of the group took the DART back to Bray.
Reinhard the Younger was more upmarket: he had arranged
to be picked up by car. Konstantin expressed no wish to climb Bray Head. Once
he was told that there was no ice cream van up there his enthusiasm for
conquering heights evaporated.
Gerhard the
Leader had thus only three followers on the way back via Bray Head: Rosemary,
Ursula and myself. Wonderful as the walk
from Bray to Greystones had been, the walk back from Greystones to Bray via
Bray Head was even more wonderful. I have no words to describe it, all I can
say is that we four felt very sorry for the eight who had decided not to come
with us. But maybe they do not need our sympathy because they will never know
what they missed.
A big “thank you” to Roseymary and Reinhard
Dutter for setting it all up and to Gerhard who led us. Do it again soon!
Herbert Herzmann