13 - 21 August Ireland, Mizen to Malin Head

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.

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 !

9 - 12 August: Busy week

Sun - Off ferry at 8am, nipped into MacD for a take out coffee, and into London to drop bikes off at Kenington.  Home by 11:30.  Washing on, out to Lunch at Sach's (Fiona's 21st), then popped into G&P's for cuppa.

Mon -Mrs M back to work, I tidied up and sorted out gear, cleaned bikes, loaded in Lulu's car for her to take back to Newbury that morning.

Tue - Waitrose shopping for dinner party tomorrow night.  Baked chocolate cake and prepared cooked mushrooms and peppers for eschalavida type starter.  Out to Biggles for dinner with Eddie & Shirley.

Wed - Took tandem down to Bike Adventures to load in their van to go to Ireland.  Rest of day spent on domestic dinner party prep with 6 guests tonight, usual Thai beef salad.

Thu - Coffee with G&P at Rootz in morning, packed for Ireland.  Bought X-Plane flight simulator and 360 Panorama apps for iPad, both very cool.  In evening went to Crazy for You at Open Air Theatre in Regents Park.  Though it had poured for much of the day, the evening was clear even with some sun.  Had picnic with Caroline & Jeremy, the show was great, very energetic and enjoyable.  Good drive home and to bed by 11:30.

Fri - Mowed lawn, how exciting is that?  Bought RAM holder for iPad in car (after the success of the mapping app MotionX during the London to Paris trip).

4 - 8 August: London to Paris in 48 hours

They did it in 46 hours!!!!!!!!!!!

(with thanks to Donald Hirsch's route)


Thu - Up to Kenington with Lulu and bikes, to meet up with Amie.  It was raining hard.  They set off to Trafalgar Square at 11:30, with it raining harder, to meet up with Elle, but she was delayed by traffic so they didn't set off till 12:20, in the rain.

I waited along Whitehall to see them go by, then leapt in the car to catch up with them at Clapham

Met them at Windmill Pub, then they were off across Clapham and Wandsworth Common to Earlsfield where they started on the Wandle Trail.  This is a traffic free route out of London, but wiggly and lots of barriers and back and forth on side roads as it tries to keep to the river.  I drove to Carshalton where they emerge onto normal side roads.  

Cherry phone up to say "I have fallen off the bike and it is too damaged to ride, so come and pick me up, the girls were riding on".  She had squeezed through a chicane and hit a bump and gone over the handlebars at zero speed, bending and twisting them, but luckily only bruising her thighs and not breaking anything.  A few minutes later she called to say she had managed to use the tools to align the bars, but though bent it was ridable, so she was going on.....but the Garmin had stopped (with the rain I found later) so she had to follow the intermittent signs and went a little offroute and ended up at Carshalton Station where I met her, straightened the bars by that useful tool brute force, loaded the bike up, and we drove along the route to pass the girls and offload her to re-join them after about 5 miles after Chipstead.

It was then up and down and along quiet country roads, crossing M25 then to east side of M23 to stop for east at a pub on a roundabout near Copthorne.  After this the traffic got busy for a while with people driving home from work, then nicer down to Lewes.  The final run into Newhaven was fast and flat, to arrive at docks at 7:45

They warmed up and dried off and changed in the "ferry terminal", a shed right on dock with a great cafe (the Haven Cafe)  where a "tea lady" in her pinny made us fish and chips, fishfinger burgers, jacket potatoes and lots of cups of tea.  We boarded the ferry at 10pm for the 10:30 sailing, found some quiet seats and tried to settle down for a sleep with covers over our heads to cut out the lights.  Seasoned travellers brought on mats and sleeping bags and just lay down in corners to sleep.  We managed a few hours.

66 Miles (route below is from Clapham)

Fri  - The rout they were to follow was:

Ferry docked at 3:30 and we sorted ourselves out at the roundabout, changing out of sleep clothes, get bike lights on.  It wasn't raining though (yet!)

Leaving just before 4:30, they went along the D1 to join the Avenue Vertes, a paved ex-railway line all the way to Forges-Les-Eaux where I was sleeping in the car in the town square.  It started raining about 6am, and they woke me up at 7:30, rather cold, very wet and slightly despondent. Nothing was open but the slightly off smelling St Denis Hotel served us a coffee, then by 8 the shops started to open, and we bought pastries then had omelettes and hot chocolates at a cafe next to the boulangere on the corner of the square.  All the girls lay down for a snooze, but I cracked the whip and got them going about 9:15, with the rain gently coming down (it rained for pretty much all the day more on than off so I'll stop talking about this), saying I'd meet them at the next town, Gournay-en-Bray.

In Gournay there was a market and I bought some nectarines and waited, the girls called to say they didn't want to stop, but Cherry came into the centre for a loo stop, then rejoined them at the outskirts.  I bought some sandwiches for their lunch as I suspected shops etc would be closed when they wanted eats, and there were no big towns on the route.

I rejoined them at La Houssouye where they had found a small cafe for drinks and to eat the sandwiches.  They said the ride had some ups and downs, but they were feeling good and with the end in sight for the day wanted to finish.  It had just about stopped raining by now.

Next meeting was in Marines where I slept by the Church.  We couldn't find a boulangere open, so they pressed on.

Eglise and Hotel de Ville in Marines, opposite Kingston Cafe

We then deviated slightly from the route to go to Cergy for our lodging as I hadn't been able to find anything enroute near here.  After a long uphill we entered the outskirts of Cergy business district and to the Formula1 motel, opposite Carrefour at 3:30 Budget to put it mildly (33 euro for a triple room) with shared showers and loos, but adequate for their needs to wash and crash.  After a nap I explored the environs (a grid of retail parks) to find the Campamile restaurant was closed but the lady there directed me to a Coutepaille Grill next door.  Adjacent was a Decathlon where I bought some rear lights to replace the ones that had got waterlogged.  Went back and we went out at 6:30 for an excellent meal, most had steak, with unlimited veg.  Oh, and of course wine.  In bed by 9:30.

86 miles.

Sat - Alarm went off at 5:45, and they set off at 6:30 in a light mist and dawn about to break.

Faithfully rejoining Donald Hirsch's route took them into Paris via forest tracks and paths, with a puncture to mend on Amie's bike, then a tyre replacement because of a bulging sidewall.  The Garmin route worked well as I had to drive away from them on normal roads, with just one foot crossing of a main road because they didn't read the instructions in time.  I panicked them a little by getting the hour change the wrong way round and claiming that Phileas Fogg style they had too little time to make it in 48 hours, but they soon worked out I was wrong.

I headed into Paris and parked by the Eiffel Tower.............. but meanwhile the girls had a view of their destination over the Seine footbridge:

..here they come, on the final few metres... at 11:20 local time i.e. 46 hours total elapsed time.  What an achievment

With the support team

Trying to get the top of the Eiffel Tour in the shot

Not on a tandem for a change - well done the Stoker for the solo 189 miles!

36 miles today, 189 in total according to the Garmin.

We met their friend Helen, loaded the bikes on the car, then went back to her flat near the Pompidou Centre for a shower and change, and out to a brassiere for an excellent lunch....and wine!

We left around 5 to drive back to Dieppe, leaving the girls to play in Paris.  I let the satnav select the shortest distance route, and it took us delightful D roads south of where they had cycled, in fact I think better than the Avenue Vertes, so thats for next time.  As we got to the coast the sky cleared and the sun came out for the first time in 3 days!

Quayside in Dieppe

 Got to Dieppe in 3 hours, had meal and lots to drink on quayside, then to the ferry terminal where we sort-of-slept in the car till 5am when we were let on the ferry.  We went to the same seats as before and I reckon we got 3ish hours sleep on the boat