Another well-known National Park asks to be explored, thick fog and towering rain clouds or not: Glenveagh NP, with its rugged mountains lining Lough Beagh on one hand, and the outwardly bleak Glenveagh Castle with its luxurious gardens and interior on the other. As a result I get so thoroughly drenched from the waist down (- should've worn my pull-ups... Just wear the cow shit stains with pride, or pretend to be colourblind!), my boots for one won't ever really "dehydrate" till the end of my journey... With Donegal's coastline clouded as well I eventually decide to make a run for the northernmost (as well as cosiest and cheapest!) Irish hostel, the Sandrock Hostel @ Malin Head, where I even get to enjoy a colourful sunset.
Waking to a bright day with a breathtaking view across the White Strand Bay and the rest of Inishowen, I am strongly tempted to abandon my travel plans for the day and leisurely explore this evidently sunniest part of Ireland instead. I leave Malin Head late enough, and heading down to Derry I mark it in my memory as the one other favourite beside Connemara. The 1st thing to be recognised about NI (Northern Ireland) are the roads: in general way better maintained and marked. The 2nd is the money - and I don't mean the fact that they use British Pounds, no: their banks actually issue their own bank notes! Well, and No.3 of course is the presence of any sort of pro-Ulster movements (esp. in Londonderry)... Apart from that, people in NI are just as friendly or not - and have a remarkable accent ;-). Plus, nature doesn't recognise borders anyway, and of course I had to check out Giant's Causeway and the like!