One of the things Rick suggests doing in Trim is a evening stroll. In his book there is no indication as to how far or how long this stroll might be. Is it a brisk 5 minute walk that turns out to be more of a 45 minute death march? I want to leave myself time so that I don't have this scheduled so that I end up doing it in the dark. I am probably micro managing parts of my trip but my brain is stuck on this particular detail and I would like an estimate so I can move on.
Your situation may be different, but last September we’d stayed at a B&B on the south end of town for 3 nights, and drove our rental car in for dinner. We’d been out seeing sights all day, and it got rainy, dark, and cool, and we were headed in to eat, so didn’t do a walk either night as we’ve often done elsewhere, whether recommended by Rick or not. The castle was dramatically lit up so it was visible, even though we didn’t stroll by for a closer look.
You could do a quick 5 minute out-and-back walk, but the layout of the overall city could turn into a 45 minute or longer slog if you tried to cover it all on foot. We’ll maybe get in a walk next time we’re in Trim, hunger, energy, and weather permitting. The Bombay Kitchen Indian restaurant is so good, we had dinner there twice - a change from pub food!
I haven’t read that portion of the RS guidebook but I have done a “nice evening stroll” in Trim. And it is lovely. It is a stroll. And you will not find yourself benighted. Assuming you are staying near the castle, you can take a walk around the green to the Yellow Steeple and along the Boyne River. At the far end of the path there are ruins of an old priory. The walk is paved or graveled and flat.
From Trim Castle, it is a short walk (5 – 6 minutes) to several interesting sights (St. Mary’s Abbey, Sheep Gate).
You can also start at the Castle to walk along the river walk. The entire walk takes about 30 minutes if you go to the end, but even if you only have 5 – 10 minutes for a short stroll along the river, it’s worth it. There are interpretive panels along the way. It’s well marked.
There are several good places to eat in the Trim Castle/St. Mary's Abbey area as well.
http://www.discoverboynevalley.ie/plan-your-visit/things-to-do/trim-castle-river-walk
http://timetravelireland.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-river-walk-trim-county-meath.html
All the best,
Raymond
Seems like a personal choice and how motivated you are to get out an walk. There is a path along the river by the castle that provides a good view of it. I’m sure Rick just meant to get out and enjoy a leisurely stroll, whether it be by the castle or just wandering through town. Don’t do it just because Rick’s book says you should, do it because you want to. Wandering the streets at night provides a different perspective than ones gets during the day, so strolling at night might not be a bad thing.