![\"DSCN2065\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cartrongarrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/DSCN2065.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIt was fairly quiet around Longford, it being 9:45 on a Sunday morning. The icy conditions and low sunshine made for very scenic views but it was somewhat challenging for the camera.<\/p>\n
This cat was looking at all the dogs out for a walk with a mixture of pity and disgust I reckon.<\/p>\n As I rounded the first bend, what water there was in the canal was frozen over and the ducks were walking across it. I suppose it’s better than bathing in almost freezing water.<\/p>\n A couple of dog-walkers having a nice little chat on near the first bridge.<\/p>\n At this point I was beginning to settle into the walk as I passed along the back of the various retail units. The path here is newly developed and has a good surface and excellent street-lighting. There area also lots of signs banning\u00a0alcohol which are probably about as effective as the ones about keeping dogs on a lead and cleaning up after them.<\/p>\n After crossing the Athlone road, the canal gets properly out into the countryside and the frozen landscape looked fabulous. It wasn’t even beginning to thaw.<\/p>\n At this point, I was about half-way to the main-line which itself marks the half-way point of the journey. Despite being out of use for half a century, the remaining canal bridges are holding together pretty well.<\/p>\n The next few kilometers were much of the same really – walking quickly along a frozen path beside a frozen ditch. In some places, there are fairly substantial trees growing out of \u00a0the canal bed.<\/p>\n Anyway, I got to the junction pretty quickly from here and it was looking fantastic. I stopped here for a bit and had some coffee and chocolate and a 5 minute rest.<\/p>\n Amazingly, the main line itself was frozen over in parts and when I poked it through with my stick, you could see it was 7 or 8 mm thick in places.<\/p>\n As I passed Kilashee I got to a spot where two swans had been overnight, and you could see the track where they been swimming through the ice.<\/p>\n From here on, I just put my head down to make some time and walked the next 4 or 5 k without pausing for much at all. I stopped\u00a0for another cup of coffee by the lifting bridge a couple of kilometres out of Clondra.<\/p>\n From here on it was only about another 3 km and I quickly put paid to that. It was beginning to thaw a bit but there was still plenty of ice about. There is a lovely view of Sliabh B\u00e1n across the bog here.<\/p>\n It is nice to descend into Clondra from the 45th lock.<\/p>\n I ended up making pretty good time with the 18km completed in a little over 3 and a half hours. I didn’t have as big a load as usual which helped matters but it ended up being a morning very well spent.<\/p>\n I had planned on a half-day’s walking over the Christmas break and due to it being a fantastic crisp winter’s morning, I got my act together and set off from Longford towards Clondra along the canal for a distance of almost 18km. As I was leaving the car I realised I’d forgotten my phone but … Continue reading Of Frozen Canals & Forgotten Phones<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"