Sat - Tudor cars at 7:30. Long queues at Aer Lingus desk, so much for online checking speeding up the process. Now at Cork Airport waiting for tour bus with othe Bike Adventure clients. Have met Edwin who is from Chorleywood, what an amazing (Gill thinks) coincidence.
Now here the tale of our tour from Mrs M:
Day 1 Sat. Flew to Cork. Arrived 11 30 and met by Chris (female) and Graham of Bike Adventures. Minibus to beyond Schull and lovely b and b with giggly smiley Violet to greet us at Fort View guest house.
Walked to the north of the peninsular to Dunmanus bay with an old fort keep ruin about a mile down the road.
Taken out in Jim's minibus to Schull for dinner in pub, where we had (another) amazing coincidence of meeting Mary and anaesthetist from Dublin who we had met before at Val d'Isere. She has a 2nd home in Schull on the sea front, and we went there for coffee
Day 2 Sun Woke to Sunshine! Amazing breakfast with scones and croissant.
Cycled to other b and b from ours then off to the west along the peninsula. To the Mizen Head bridge and light house - amazing coastal route.
Headed back from the most SW point. Gorgeous ride along coast.
Climb up to view over Bantry Bay.
Down to Bantry then slow haul to Glengarriff with good views and still wonderful sunshine. Eccles Hotel with beautiful view over the bay.
Walked into town and sat and listened to guitar and banjo duo with a drink outside in the sunshine seafood supper at Rainbow cafe.
Early night 9pm! 55 miles
Day 3 Monday. Raining!
Set off to Kenmare. Very long up in cloud. But lovely down into Kenmare - annual horse fair incredibly busy.
Found a lovely bakery for a coffee.
Up to Molls Gap then amazing switch backs down into little valley with beautiful river rocks and water.
Then switch backs up to Dunloe gap - beautiful down past lakes and trotting horse carriages.
Lunch at Kathy Kearney cottage.
A down and up then a "scenic route" to end the day which was diabolical had to walk half a mile up ridiculous gradient. Hail and cloud at top. Difficult down with loose chippings down to Tralee which is a thriving town port railway capital of Kerry still pouring with rain.
Great meal in the bar. 60 miles.
Day 4 Tues. Slight rain but stopped as we set off then sunny intervals clearing to blue skies.
Easy climb out of Tralee (which was about to have the annual rose of Tralee festival - like a beauty competiton but more high brow!?)
Then a steep left and a bit of breathy cycling to the top of climb with windmills and view. Long jolty down across open fields. Undulating across wide open fields with hills in distance. Really clear day. then steep descent into Listowel for coffee at cafe with statue of John B Keane outside - a famous writer - not to me!
Continued undulating across peat bogs 12 miles to the ferry.
The Shannon 2 miles wide ferry every half hour. We caught the 1.30
Cup of tea and Stu wine gums then a cross country tiny lane route with almost no traffic. Very up and down with lots of puffs and head wind past lots of little farms.
Eventually joined the coast road. Still glorious sunshine and fabulous views of rocky coastline and occassional rocky beach with lots of surfers. Another 10 miles to Lahinche with rocky surfing beach and huge bay. Stayed at the L. lodge.
Ate at O'looneys Waves restaurant with views over the bay. Stu one guiness only, seafood chowder and fish and chips
Mr whippy ice cream while walking along the front.
Early night. 63 miles tiring!
Day 5 Wed. sunny skies. Average brekka. Took out Robs stitches needed my glasses on! Set off along the coast and a bit of a climb to the Cliffs of Moher where we stopped for a walk and view then sweep down along the coast to Doolin along a river mouth. Headed inland to Lisdoonvanagh for mediocre coffee at Nellis bar
Onward up into the Burren - interesting limestone plateau with megalithic stones and very varied flora so the book says.
Climbed up to high point then wonderful down to the coast for lunch at the T junction cafe at Ballyvaughn. Excellent soup and sandwich on the roadside.
On along the coast of Galway bay in lovely sunshine witnessed birth of calf in a field by the roadside.
Amazing - then long chat to the local farmer - am now minor expert on cow pregnancy and delivery. Did you know rate of twin pregnancy has increased in recent years with great risk of death to mother.
Steep up after this then flat along the bay to Kinvarra for a tea stop just before the little harbour.
Then inland for last 20 miles along tiny lanes with hegderows and fields and some very affluent looking new houses. Mainly flat but lots of twists and turns and scant sunshine.
Arrived Athenry at 5ish, town has ruined abbey and castle.
Through town waited at manned crossing for train to go
by then big modern hotel Raheen Woods - pool swim hot tub meal happy! Sirloin steak yum!
Day 6 Thurs. Comfy modern hotel. Buffet brekka at 7.30. Long day ahead 72 miles. Grey skies. Flatish boglands for first few miles. Coffee at The Village Shop in Castleblakeneyat 18 miles
Sat outside and chomped mini pastries from brekka. On through farmland undulating to Baghar(?) at 30 miles for another coffee at the Coffee Drop with rest of group.
On to Rosscommon at 40 miles through more farmland with some sunny intervals. Lunch outside at Gleesons soup and brown soda bread.
Throug more bogland farmland and forest and rain to Carrick on Shannon with marinas and motor boats - some modern hotels around the one way system to the Bush Hotel- old facade with modern extension.
Spacious room and just avoided another downpour. Showered then walk around town, in pleasant evening sunshine to Country Kitchen for good meal - lambs liver and shepherds pie.
A long day in the saddle (too long!) Early to bed - knackerood!
Day 7 Friday
Raining. Early brekka. Good fruit salad and melon and smoked salmon. Buttered a scone for the road. Set off before 9 am from the Bush Hotel - walked to join the 2 way road towards Drumbshambo. Then along the side of Lough Allen -huge lake - nice views - in rain and cloud. To Dowra at 18 for coffee in a pub - dried out a bit and met the crew. Cycled on via a "Kevin" route very up and down with nice views of hills and cloud and rain.
Joined the main road and on towards Glenfarne and beyond with another byway with good whizz down to the Lough Melvin right by the water - no one around -too wet. Through Garrison and final haul to Belleek to the Thatched Cottage for lunch at about 2 pm.
Only 45 miles today
Visit to Belleek Pottery - world reknowned. Mug purchased.
Wild west weekend in Belleek - sherriff to be voted in this evening on the banks of the River Erne on hotel lawns.
We are in Northern Ireland with the Republic facing us across the other side of the river. So we are back in pounds not euros and we have internet on our phones again!
Sitting reading looking at the river and the sun is out now. Looking good for tomorrow.
Day 8 Sat
Grey but clearing.
Country lanes out and up to moorland then view to the sea and down to Donegal for coffee in town square The Diamond. Market stalls bought coffee and sat outside.
Set off towards Ballboffy through the Bourne Gap long straight haul along the main road then large Guiness ad
and on main road to Letterkenny bought strawberries and ate by road side.
Huge down into Letterkenny 47.2 mph. Then off the routr avoided letterkenny centre. On coast to Ramonth for late lunch by the harbour with an abandoned boat
Final 5 mile to Rathmullan for the ferry. Sunny and icecreams then half hour ferry to Buncranan Ishowan Gate Hotel.
Wedding on. Walk to wonderful long beach and golf course.
Walk to italian restaurant with group.
Day 9 Sunday. Grey with some blue patches. Boring buffet brekka. Off at 9 am to scale the final hills of the Inishown pwninsula. Up onto quite wild moorland then rained hard during a slow up and then good descent. Saw some local cyclists. Take out coffe at Carndonagh at news agent sat in town sort of square guy in shop a local who told us of good coffee at Malin head.
Out of town long beautiful shore then inland to Malin head with mega hill detour even more off road then Kevin!
Arrived at the top of Ireland at about 12 o'clock.
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| 77 and still cycling strong! |
Sunout and lovely views and the mobile coffe man appeared a manchester guy married to a local girl. Good business and good coffee and lemon drizzle and lots of photos and congrats to fellow bicyclists.
Group photo - cycle summer dress despite cold wind.
Could see the off shore islands but not Scotland. Cycled back in sunshine to lovley hotel in Malin on the green.
Huge thanks to Chris and Graham for their support.
Packed up bikes, and had tea in front of hotel.
Ate and supped well only 42 miles today. Total 455 for end 2end. The end !
