Exploring Europe’s biggest urban park

Dec. 28 provided us a respite from the cold clutches of winter chill. The bright sun drew us out of our somber moods and sent us out with thousands of Dubliners to explore the sights and thrills of Phoenix Park, reportedly Europe’s biggest urban park.

This was also where the late Pope John Paul II held the World Youth Day, drawing to Ireland hundreds of thousands of the world’s Catholic youth. A giant white cross marks the site.

It was not the first time we had gone to the park. Right smack in the middle is a major road, which we need to cross going to the city center. But it was the first occasion for us to explore the sprawling urban forest that boasts several acres of trees and an imposing spread of grazing ground.

My daughter Mate asked her brother how come there were already hundreds of cars when we reached the park.

Jun-jun said the Dubliners must have had the same idea to visit the park and take advantage of the sun after cloudy and windy days. Of course, it did not relieve us of the chill but at least it alleviated the situation a bit.

It was exhilarating to see groups of people marching in the early morning sun, many of them just in shorts and shirts, jogging around the park or playing ball.

Sometimes, entire families walked their way across the park. It was fun watching small children bundled up in their coats and sweaters, trying to keep up with the pace of the older ones.

Before we reached the area near the Presidential Palace, Jun-jun surprised us when he swerved to the right to an area which we had never passed through before.

Soon, we espied hidden lakes and glens. And often, we caught sight of small animals playing hide and seek with us.

Later, from a distance, we saw a vast herd of deer. We decided to get off and hike toward the animals about a thousand yards away from where we parked. It was a bit hard given that the grasses had been marched down by the deer. But surprisingly, I literally had to forego the use of my cane, except in very risky instances such as dodging branches.

This was another revelation. How God had gradually eased my pain and enabled me to walk quite a distance without discomfort.

Mate was skeptical about my assertion — "You don’t have to worry about me." So with Jun-jun who never failed to rush toward me whenever he felt I was in danger of falling on my face.

Both my children failed to realize that I had noticed the healing process that had gradually taken place in my physique.

I alone moved closer to the herd. A couple with three kids also joined us nearby. From the opposite distance, there were two groups of people as well watching carefully and cautiously the grazing herd.

Jun-jun exuberantly rushed forward, wanting to see whether the deer would scamper away. They dismissed his antics with disdain. I approached again slowly and noticed the leader still resting.

My daughter warned me that the leader might get alarmed and spear me with his antlers, which were massive. But I went ahead thinking that these deer must have become immune to the sight of humans and most likely don’t consider us a threat.

I was just 10 yards away when the leader stood up and started shepherding the flock to the other half of the herd which was about a hundred yards away. But this was done calmly with no perceptible tension.

We stayed longer in the area, admiring the discipline of the herd.

Later, we moved on toward the impressive government-operated retirement homes and exciting sights of development across the park’s domain.

Much later, we espied a towering obelisk. There was no one around from whom we could ask questions for what it stood for. But we noticed that it was a tribute to victories in Waterloo.

To be able to reach the base of the monument, one must negotiate slanting steps. I wanted to clamber up but my children dissuaded me, lest they be forced to bring me down, literally.

We left shortly and the roads were clogged with vehicles of visitors to the zoo which is also housed within the park. It was late in the afternoon and there was no time to get into the area and appreciate the entire zoo which my daughter, who visited it two years ago, described as quite sprawling.

It was a whole day which we enjoyed with a bright sun. Unfortunately, the weather turned chilly again. The zoo visit would have to be done another day.