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Hey Gene, Neda,
Have you gone back to work? No posts for a while. Been following your travels from the start, hope you're ok. |
Hi gene & neda , we haven't heard from ye in a long while
Hope all is well , did ye make it over to Ireland ? |
Updated from Sep 01 2016: The Lake District
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map356-L.jpg With Scotland under our belts - literally... I'm carrying an extra 15lbs worth of haggis and ale around my waistline - we are passing through the Lake District on our way back south through England. This is supposed to be one of the most scenic places in the country. Quote:
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN1657-XL.jpg Green all around us at the Lake District The sky is sprinkling water on our helmets, which is not unusual for the UK. I think about the last couple of weeks we have spent in Scotland and how unusual it was not to have rain every day! Especially for us. We really lucked out! But now it seems that it's back to business as usual with the wet weather. After a couple of hours of slabbing it on the main M6 roadway, we exit at Penrith. There are quite a few cars accompanying us as we dive wheel-first into the Lake District. First order of business is to find a place to sleep. Neda's scoped out a couple of campsites on the map and we're routing straight there to set up our tent. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1641-L.jpg Traffic jam on Kirkstone Pass Kirkstone Pass is the highest pass in the Lake District. Low stone walls line the roadway as we slowly crawl up and down the pass, hampered by heavy traffic. And then we hit our first major town in the Lake District. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1651-L.jpg Crowds galore at Bowness-on-Windermere! We crept through traffic in the light drizzle. The holiday crowd around us seemed oblivious to the damp weather and seemed to be enjoying themselves, ducking in and out of the thick mass of shops and restaurants that line the town's streets. They must be locals. |
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The campsites that Neda found are on the other side of Lake Windermere. We take a short ferry ride across instead of riding around in the rain Oh dog, you look so warm and dry in front of us! So jelly! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1662-L.jpg We're on our way. Riding at 30 down these country lanes. We arrive at the campsite and Neda gets off the bike to grab us a site. She returns shortly with a forlorn look on her face. "No space. All booked up." Oh no! At least the rain has temporarily let up as we hop back on the bikes to head to the next campsite on Neda's list. I'm so thankful she's done all this research! Fifteen minutes later we're knocking on the door of another campsite. But once again, no vacancy! Neda informs me, "Apparently we're here on the busiest weekend of high season. The last summer weekend before kids go back to school..." What a change from Scotland. Up in the Highlands, campsites are all empty and about to close because the season is winding down. But just a few hours south, we're unable to find a place to sleep. Just to add insult to injury, it starts to drizzle once again... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1670-L.jpg We asked around for vacant campsites and this lead us to a farm just outside of a tiny town called Coniston https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1668-L.jpg Once again, I wait outside while Neda goes in to secure accommodations. Not sure if the peacock is a good omen... |
Neda comes out of the office with a big smile and a thumbs up. Yay, we have somewhere to sleep tonight!
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1671-L.jpg The farm where we are staying. Sheep are our neighbours https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1672-L.jpg Lots of holidayers too The campground is crowded! Our tires squish the wet grass as we ride around looking for a clear spot to set up camp. The sun is peeking out from behind rain clouds, which gives us a window of dry weather to pitch our tent. Kids everywhere emerge from campers and tents to savour every last bit of dry weather before they have to go back to school next week. This is the way vacationing is done in the UK! I know this small window of dry weather will be short, so as soon as we get the tent up, we walk into the tiny hamlet of Coniston to find a warm and dry place to sit down, grab a cold pint of some local Cumbrian ale and some Internet. At least the weather looks good tomorrow. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1679-L.jpg And it is! We head out into the sunshine of the Lake District the next morning. |
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Why do they call it the Lake District? There are twenty-one large bodies of water here, a lot of other smaller ones But only one of them is actually called a "lake". The Brits have other names for these, like meres, tarns and waters. That lake we crossed yesterday wasn't Lake Windermere, it's just Windermere. Very pretty here. Neda says it reminds her of a Thomas Kinkade painting. I have to Google who Thomas Kinkade is. Nice! I can see why this is such a popular place for hiking and camping. But that's not the reason we are here. We're motorcyclists and we like riding roads. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1702-L.jpg Heading up the single track road of Hardknott Pass The weather is cooperating beautifully with us as we twist and wind our way around the Duddon Valley. There's still a little bit of the holiday traffic on the roads, but everyone is polite and pulls over to let us pass at the next pullover. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1711-L.jpg Twisty tarmac as far as the eye can see on the Hardknott Pass |
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We get held up at a series of hairpin bends. No room for the cars ahead of us to pullover! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1731-L.jpg Whee! We like hairpins! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1733-L.jpg Such beautiful scenery! While nowhere near as scenic as the Scottish Highlands, the Lake District does offer up some great views without having to travel the distance to the northern-most reaches of the island. Onwards, we march! |
welcome back Gene & Neda :thumbup1:
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Great to see the stories back on line
Hope you guys are good Gino & Fiona |
Enjoying this. Hope you're coming to the Cotswolds soon. We've got some great roads and beautiful villages to enjoy
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Thanks guys! :thumbup1:
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Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/357.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map357-L.jpg Liverpool. Liverpool.... This city is famous for something. I can't quite remember what it is. I think somebody well-known was born here. Or maybe it was a band that came from here. Pretty sure it was Nirvana. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1740-L.jpg We arrive into Liverpool in the late afternoon after another quick drive on the British motorways Despite the short jaunt, we are exhausted. Maybe not physically, but mentally. I feel like we should be sleeping like a log. It's been over half a year of non-stop travel since our last long break and we're suffering from intense travel fatigue. Travel fatigue has to be one of the least sympathetic ailments on the planet. So why on earth should I moan, when it seems to everyone that we're on a permanent vacation, it's not like we've been working like a dog. Neda found us a great AirBnB just across the River Mersey from the downtown core. We can literally ride across the bridge and visit Liverpool anytime we want. Maybe tomorrow though. Or the next day. Or the next... Oh well, nothing to get hung about. Our AirBnB host is very friendly. She showed me our room, isn't it good? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0930-L.jpg Neda gets busy with her cross-stitching. See the scissors in front of her? She named them Billy Shears. |
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From our top-floor window, we can see Liverpool across the river. Nice skyline. We don't leave our little apartment at all for the first two days. Just waiting at the window all day, wearing the face that I keep in a jar at the door. Just watching the tides of the river go in and out twice a day. Every day the same: woke up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head. Nothing else. I really needed this. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0955-L.jpg The river at high tide. There beneath the blue (and grey) suburban skies, they sit https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0927-L.jpg The river at low tide. That's the famous Royal Liver Building across the river in the background. It's a UNESCO site. |
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Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my opened mind Our AirBnB host must think we're nuts. We only leave our room to come down and make meals. I guess we've very much unlike her regular tourist guests who spend most of the day out sightseeing around the city. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...IMG_3224-L.jpg One of our meal breaks. We found our way downstairs and had a cup (or two) One of our favorite beers is Hobgoblin Ruby Ale. Hard to find in Canada, but it's made right here in England! We also noticed some other beers from the same brewery that never made it across the pond. King Goblin, a more stronger ale and Black Wych, a stout. So delicious! On Day Three, we left the AirBnB. Partly because we wanted to explore. But also because we noticed a bug infestation in our room! Beetles everywhere! Some of them were silver. We just spent the afternoon walking down the boardwalk along the river. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0957-L.jpg Looks like he got muddy water. He said: 1 + 1 + 1 = 3 |
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Salt water waves crash against the walls beneath the boardwalk at high tide https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0967-L.jpg Picture yourself in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Full stream ahead, Mr. Boatswain! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0997-L.jpg A crowd of people stood and stared. He must have been a local. They'd seen his face before. Probably from the House of Lords. |
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A four of fish and finger pies. Hungry for fish and chips now! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0937-L.jpg Just a lazy day walking up and down these rocks. They get to the bottom and they go back to the top, turn around and go back https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0928-L.jpg Cap off the day at our local pub (there is no shortage around here) to have a pint of dark ale. Loving England! Although I'm already missing haggis. Haggis and dark ale would go very good together. Tres bien ensemble. Oh haggis, I love you, I love you, I love you! That's all I want to say. |
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Sky of blue, and sea of green. Couple walking along the river bed during low tide https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0017-L.jpg Bright are the stars that shine, dark is the sky Turns out that bug infestation is not just in our room. It's all over the city. It's been a good four day's worth of rest and now all our troubles seem so far away. I think we're ready to resume our tour of the UK. We were only waiting for this moment to be free. Just have to hop online and buy some tickets to ride. I just hope that we've staved off the worst of the travel fatigue moving forward. Oh well. Don't you know it's gonna be... alright. |
I don't think anyone else could have hidden so many lyrics in there - it really made my day!
Glad to see you're still going after the long silence. :D |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/358.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map358-L.jpg We never did make it into Liverpool to sightsee. Just savoured the luxury of lazing around our apartment across the Mersey River doing absolutely nothing, except drinking dark ale and eating fish and chips. And now we're about to depart the big island for a much smaller island! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1742-L.jpg The Steam Packet Ferry is a familiar fixture for Isle of Man visitors The Steam Packet Company has a monopoly on all ferries going in and out of the Isle of Man. If you're coming in to see any of the motorcycle races on the island, you've got to book your tickets well in advance. We actually purchased ferry tickets online for last year's TT -- 8 months before the races! But, as usual, we couldn't predict where we'd be in 8 days (a week), much less 8 months! We ended up flying back to Toronto that summer, so in the end, we had to forfeit the tickets. :( So this is our second attempt at the Isle of Man! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1744-L.jpg We got in! Normally the hold is full to the brim with motorcycles, but the reason why it's empty and we were able to purchase tickets just the day before is that we are visiting the Isle of Man a couple of days after the Classic TT races. Even when we arrived in the UK a few weeks ago, I knew we'd be in the vicinity around this time, but there was absolutely no chance of securing a ferry reservation for the race days on such short notice. No sour grapes at all, though. I've watched TT races on TV and I truly do not believe we could've dealt with all the crowds in our fragile, travel-exhausted state. Still, we've heard the island is really beautiful, so we're looking forward to just poking our heads around without loud motorcycles and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds everywhere. Honestly. |
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It takes just under three hours to cross from Liverpool to Douglas, the eastern port on the Isle of Man. Not only are there few motorcycles on the ferry during our mid-week sailing, but there's not many cars or passengers either. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...69ferry745.jpg This is what the ferry normally looks like during race week, with several crossings per day! Picture from the Internet We rolled off the ferry in the early afternoon and made a bee-line through the middle of the island to the other side. We've been told by many people that there's a good campsite just outside of Peel, on the west coast. Coast to coast on the Isle of Man is really not that far - 17 kms! The island is small! I can't imagine tens of thousands of motorcycle spectators on this tiny island on race weeks! Well, I can imagine it. I've seen the videos... So glad we're not fighting all those crowds. And all those bikes. Really. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0021-L.jpg Our campsite in Peel. This was the only other tent in sight Numerous light patches of grass marked all the spots where campers had set up their tents last week. Feeling neighbourly, we unpacked our new home up beside a large RV and a German woman came out to greet us. "You've just missed the races!", she exclaimed in absolute dismay. She said this in the same tone that you'd use to describe a huge natural disaster, like an earthquake or hurricane. "Yes, we know. We're just here to see the island." She seemed not to hear me. "The races were just a couple of days ago. It was so good! We come every year. I cannot believe you just missed the races!" Now her fevered voice reached the pitch reserved for mourning the loss of a family pet. This woman was getting annoying. I thought about moving the tent. "Yes, that's too bad we missed the races. We're just going to continue setting up. Nice talking to you." Her husband came out. She wailed to him: "They just arrived. They missed *ALL* the races!" It sounded like her entire family just disappeared in a plane crash. "Okay, bye." |
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Having an early supper at our campsite. Neda is making her single-pot stirfry specialty. Mmmmm! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0049-L.jpg After dinner, we walked into Peel to do some sight-seeing https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0051-L.jpg Like most sea-side towns, Peel is a fishing port The most popular tourist attraction is Peel Castle, in the background above. The town of Peel is a popular vacation spot not just for tourists, but local Isle of Man residents as well. However, the town is deserted. This is the first week of school and we wander around the streets and shores of Peel, devoid of people, cars and motorcycles. It's kind of nice having the place to ourselves, and not having to fight any crowds. Most of the businesses here have also shuttered their doors for the season, with only some restaurants open during the weekends. Glad we had dinner at our campsite. |
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Peel Beach, one of two in the town https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0059-XL.jpg A statue of Fenella, a character in a book called "Peveril of the Peak" Although the book was written in 1823, and the statue looks old, it was made just a few years ago by a local artist, Nick Barlow, who carves these sculptures out of wood. With a chainsaw! Parts of the book were set on the Isle of Man, hence the connection. Apart from the motorcycle races, the Isle of Man is also notable for having a large community of artists. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0061-L.jpg The fortress of Peel Castle overlooks the harbour |
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Gingerly scootering up to the edge of the harbour https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0075-L.jpg Peel Harbour https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0092-L.jpg Fenella Beach, named after the character in the book. It's a sheltered cove right beside Peel Castle. Peel Beach in the background |
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After wandering through the castle, we climb around the rocks outside of it, braving the strong winds coming off the Irish Sea https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0113-L.jpg Rocky landscape outside of Peel Castle https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0122-XL.jpg Town of Peel |
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We were told that there is an amazing view from the top of Peel Hill, beside the castle. We weren't the only ones walking up. It's a long climb, so there are benches at various points along the way... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0137-L.jpg Neda's wind-swept look https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0152-L.jpg Peel Castle from half-way up Peel Hill |
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Proof that I was there too https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0156-L.jpg It was super-windy up on Peel Hill! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0163-XL.jpg At the top of the hill: a marvelous view of the Irish Sea 500 feet below us! |
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Back down the hill, we ventured into town None of the local vehicles have a UK plate. I did some research and while the Isle of Man is not technically a country, neither is it part of the UK. Nor is it part of the EU, pre or post-Brexit. It's a British Crown dependency, so it belongs to the Crown, but can pass it's own laws. Not sure what that means exactly, but if we're not in the UK, then to me we're in a new country! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl..._collage-L.jpg Peel Collage The flag of the Isle of Man is a triskelion - three armored legs with golden spurs against a red background. It's very similar to the flag of Sicily, when we passed through a couple of years ago. Wow, this trip has legs. The Isle of Man triskelion was first used in the 13th century around the time of the Scottish takeover of the island. You can see the symbol alongside the Royal Banner of Scotland on the back of a van in the top left. We saw the three-armored legs everywhere on the island, not just on flags. The origin of the design is unknown, but the triskelion has traditionally been used to represent the spokes of a wheel. The flag was around long before the motorcycle races were held here, but it was a nice two-wheeled Segway. The bottom right you'll see a blue British hovercraft. Actually, it's a three-wheeled car (one in the front, two in the back. Shocker!) called a Reliant Robin, built in England. The Peel Engineering Company put out its own three-wheeled car called the Peel Microcar back in the 60s, manufactured right here in the Isle of Man! That was a three-wheeled segue. |
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One of the buildings in town was a little museum dedicated to the TT races Of course it was closed, since the races were over. We peered inside at all the motorcycle memorabilia. I thought back to all the videos I watched of the sound and fury of Superbikes hurtling at (literally) break-neck speed through the tiny villages of the island; defying death on every lap by zooming inches past buildings, curbs and spectators. The triumphs and spectacle. The horrific crashes and the heart-breaking defeats. Hmmm. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0169-L.jpg Vintage Honda two-stroke RC race-bike. #35! 35 just happens to be English MotoGP racer Cal Crutchlow's race number. Coincidentally, he currently rides a Honda in this year's championship. Slightly more power than this one above... Neda also informed me that he now lives on the Isle of Man. Another coincidence. We should try to find his house and ring the doorbell... I love motorcycle racing! We called it an evening and slowly wandered out of Peel. As we were walking back to our campsite, I mused out loud, "Maybe I am a little bummed that we missed the Classic TT..." When we arrived to our tent, I glanced at our motorcycles parked patiently on the patchwork grass. I turned to Neda: "We're going to have to fix this." |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/359.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map359-L.jpg The Isle of Man the week after the races is like Times Square on New Years Day. Everywhere, there's evidence that there were a lot of people here very recently - signs, barricades, etc., but the place is quiet, save for the locals going about their routine, commuting to work or buying groceries. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1783-L.jpg Weather is damp. The cold of the north has followed us from Scotland! From Peel, we head north-east on the A4. This is part of the ring road that makes up the Snaefell Mountain Course, the circuit that all the motorcycle racers run for the TT. The route is entirely on public roads, different than the closed circuits of the races that we normally watch. Given that there are buildings and spectators lining both sides of the road in close proximity, the 60.75 km loop is run at insane speeds - over 200 km/h *AVERAGE*. Along the Sulby Straight, racers can reach a top speed of over 330 kms/h! The outright lap record is just under 17 minutes. I wonder what kind of lap-time the slow riding team of RideDOT.com will post. I mentally make note of the clock on my dashboard, as we enter the course. I actually just make note of the hour, not the minutes... :) We thread our way through light traffic on the road as the A4 skirts the edge of the Irish Sea. In every video of the TT that I've seen, a wall of spectators would line the road on either side, at a close and very unsafe distance away from the speeding motorcycles flying a few feet away from their noses. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1784-L.jpg Neda rounds the corner on the Snaefell Mountain Course We round the top of the island at Ramsay, keeping up with the speed of traffic. Although there are no speed limits here - the residents steadfastly cling to their freedoms and rights here - the locals still putter around the roads in normal fashion. Ramsay looks like any small English town, pubs and shops line the both sides of the race course. |
Exiting the town and heading south, we're now about half-way through the course and traveling along the most unpopulated part of the route; wide open, barren and windy countryside greets us. It's marvelous!
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0231-L.jpg Snaefell Mountain boasts the highest point on the Isle of Man As soon as Neda saw how high the mouintain was, we abandoned the race course for a hike. :( The lap timer is still going as we step off our motorcycles... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0238-L.jpg Near the Snaefell Mountain Tram Station, there's a statue of Joey Dunlop Joey Dunlop is a legend of the TT, having amassed the most wins on this circuit in his long career in motorcycle racing. At the bottom of the statue is a makeshift shrine to a young motorcycle rider who died in an an accident in England. His mates must have set up this memorial in this place so sacred to motorcycles. Speaking of which, the TT is the most dangerous motorcycle race on Earth. Over 260 deaths have been recorded here. 14 of them were spectators and non-racing officials... And still, the Manx residents cling to their right to die any which way they please. It makes for the most thrilling and exciting racing on the planet. For the riders and the people watching! I watched an interview with Valentino Rossi, who they've been trying to get to race the circuit for years. He's always turned them down saying that riders who race here are crazy! On GP race tracks, safety standards dictate that at the high speed corners there must be a hundred of feet of gravel runoff in case a motorcycle goes down. A hundred feet to slow and stop and sliding motorcycle and rider. At the Isle of Man, there's curbs, buildings and stone walls a few feet away from the road. And spectators... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0176-L.jpg At Snaefell Mountain, we meet a motorcycle rider who stayed after the races to do laps around the course Since this is the most unpopulated part of the course, many riders will do runs between Ramsay and Douglas, taking in the beautiful scenery as they zoom down the road, visions of past races playing against the inside of their visors. This guy showed us his official TT race suit. A true fan! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0185-L.jpg We watched him as he rode back and forth, rounding the corners at speeds a lot less than 200 km/h |
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"Hey Neda, this tram goes all the way up to the summit of Snaefell Mountain!" As you probably guessed, we end up climbing the mountain on foot instead. :( https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0222-L.jpg The view of the Isle of Man countryside from half-way up https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0205-L.jpg NatureGirl is just breathing in the scenery like air. I am breathing in the air. Barely. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1749-L.jpg And doing what I normally do |
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This guy is wondering why we didn't take the tram up to the top. So am I, Mr Ram. So am I... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0225-L.jpg I found a quicker way up There's a little restaurant up at the top of the summit. They sell very expensive food, so we walked back down again towards our bikes. The lap timer is still going on my dashboard... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1756-L.jpg Back on the course. Little reminders of the races last weekend These signs alert the racers to which way the upcoming corners go. It would be very difficult to memorize all of them - there are over 200+ corners on the TT course, only 60 of them are named. Mostly after people that have died on the course... |
We round the finish line in Douglas and our elapsed time for the loop so far is 4 hours. A far cry from the 17 minute lap record. And we haven't even done a complete loop all the way back to Peel yet! That hike up Snafell Mountain didn't help!
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0269-L.jpg Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0260-L.jpg Tower of Refuge on St Mary's Isle. Just off the shores of Douglas This mini castle was built in 1832 after many ships crashed into the submerged reefs of the small island. The tower is meant for the survivors of the ship wrecks to wait until a rescue party was sent out. How hospitable! After killing time in Douglas, we headed over to the Tramode Estate, just outside of town. The Isle of Man Film Festival is on this week and we scanned the itinerary looking for interesting (and free) things to do. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...IMG_3229-L.jpg Lynda Reiss, Prop Master of the TV show Stranger Things was doing a talk We tend to fill our time in between travels by reading books and watching TV shows and films on our laptops. We're huge fans of the program, Stranger Things (poor Barb). Mainly because it's set in the 80s, which we remember fondly. It was really interesting hearing Lynda talking about scouring eBay looking for period-specific clothing and paraphernalia to put on the show. And it all had to be correct, otherwise the Internet Sherlocks would be all over it: "That model Casio watch came out two years after the time the show was was set!" <insert eye roll here> Although Stranger Things wasn't filmed here - Lynda is a resident of the Isle of Man - they have shot a lot of films on the island as a stand-in for other places in the UK. While doing research for our ride through the Scottish Highlands, I watched a movie called Decoy Bride (yes, Doctor Who is in it). It's set in the Outer Hebrides and we were originally planning to take a ferry over there. Turns out the movie was actually shot here, on the Isle of Man. Cheaper than traveling all the way to northern hinterlands, more infrastructure here, and very generous tax breaks. |
The night air is cold as it seeps into our vented gear on the ride back to our campsite in Peel. The temperatures are a constant reminder that although we'd just like to set up camp for longer than a few days, it'll have to wait till we get ourselves to warmer climates. And there's still so much more to see in the British Isles.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0275-L.jpg Next day, we venture off the TT road course and visit the southern section of the island. We stop for a scenic break at Port Erin https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0281-L.jpg Chilly and windy at the cliffs overlooking the circular bay of Port Erin https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1775-L.jpg Further south we venture |
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To the southern tip - the National Folk Museum of Craigneash Craigneash is a traditional Manx village preserved to show the way of life in the 19th century. The Manx people are the local indigenous ethnic population, descended from the Celts. Farm animals traipse around backyard pens, enticing Neda to pet them. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0298-L.jpg The horns on these guys look menacing. Not petting material... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0286-L.jpg Neda finds one that's more suitable to petting and feeding https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0313-L.jpg It's so beautiful and peaceful here! |
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Manx countryside https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0957-L.jpg Thatched roofs of the Manx cottages https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0311-L.jpg Unpettable https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0961-L.jpg Wandering around the village |
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Back in our homebase of Peel, getting hungry https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN1788-XL.jpg Cheap eats - fish and chips with curry sauce, overlooking Peel Beach And now a short video of our time at the Isle of Man: The current lap record around the Snaefell Mountain Course is 17 minutes. We completed the circuit in just over 8 hours! LOL! We ride slow. |
Good to see you guys are still updating the blog......
Hope all is good Gino & Fiona |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/360.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map360-L.jpg We're going to Ireland today! Well... Northern Ireland. Big distinction, as we'd soon find out. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1790-L.jpg Parking the bikes in the line-up at the ferry docks. We're basically island hopping through the British Isles! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1791-L.jpg While waiting inside the lounge, I notice that all the cars have to go through some kind of separate security check The inspector slid a mirror underneath each car. OMG, they were checking for car bombs! I thought the Irish Car Bomb was just a drink these days. Is this really still a thing?!?! The only other time I've ever seen vehicles checked for car bombs was when we were riding through India! A bit concerned about our safety now... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1794-L.jpg No, the ferry worker is not checking my panniers for a bomb. If he was, he'd be inspecting the shaft drive... #funnybutnotfunny |
It's a three hour crossing between Douglas and Belfast, and because of our late departure, we arrive on Northern Ireland's shores in darkness. The roads are empty as I route our way towards the AirBnB we booked. We're sleeping under a roof tonight! It's almost midnight when we ring the doorbell and it takes some time before our elderly host opens the door in her nightrobe. It's obvious we've woken her up, but she's hospitable and she's got the most charming Irish accent. She sounds like a leprechaun! :)
She shows us our room and expresses surprise that we are arriving so late. "... since you've got to be leavin' so early tomorrow". Huh? Was there some mistake? We booked this room for two days! She told us that in her AirBnB listing, the checkout time was 9AM. Everyday. Regardless of how many days we've booked the room. She explained that she babysits her grandkids so she didn't want guests to be in the house during the day. What an unusual arrangement. I've never heard of that before, but we checked the listing again, and sure enough, it did state that. We had just misunderstood because no other AirBnB place had that kind of stipulation. Well, that was quite a kick to the groin. We were really looking forward to spending a whole lazy day under a warm roof instead of inside a cold tent. No wonder her AirBnB was the cheapest listing in Belfast! She noticed our disappointment and offered us a compromise, "I'll let you stay till 10 tomorrow. Have a good night!" Her Irish accent didn't sound quite as charming anymore. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1798-L.jpg 10AM comes around way too soon and we're turfed out of our AirBnB room :( https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1799-L.jpg Where to now? We've got a whole day to kill before we're allowed back into our room. So we do a Google search for some good breakfast places. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0337-L.jpg St George's Market is a popular place in the city not just to get fresh produce, but also to grab a meal. We find parking (very) close by. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0341-L.jpg There's a ton of selection inside. I decide on a falafel breakfast. Yes, I traveled all the way to Northern Ireland for Middle Eastern food... The dark-skinned guy at the falafel booth took my order. To my surprise, he had the thickest Irish accent I've ever heard! I was dumbstruck. It was like watching a movie that was dubbed. I sat down next to Neda with my falafels and exclaimed to her, "OMG, that Middle-Eastern guy over there has an Irish accent!" She shot me a WTF look and that's when I realized... this Asian guy sitting right here has a pretty thick Canadian accent (or so I've been told)... Holy hypocrisy, Batman. |
Over breakfast, we search the Internet for things to do in Belfast. I was really only interested in seeing one thing, and that would only take an hour or two at the most. And now we had to find a whole day's worth of activities!
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0976-L.jpg Okay, first stop: The Titanic museum just down the street from the market. I spy with my big I, a Neda I had no idea the Titanic was built in Belfast. The museum only opened recently, in 2012 (the year we left home), and is designed to look like the prow of a ship. Belfast has a rich history of ship building. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0350-XL.jpg Statue of Titanica, made to look like the figureheads on the front of sailing ships https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0351-L.jpg This is Nedica, the figurehead on the back of a BMW motorcycle We didn't actually go inside the museum. £9 each was too expensive for us, considering we actually weren't that interested in the Titanic. We're just killing time. So we hop back on the bikes and ride to our next tourist destination. |
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Belfast Castle! Basically checking off the "Top 10 things to do in Belfast" Just an average run-of-the-mill castle within the city limits. But we quickly discovered the garden was full of cats! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0989-XL.jpg Some are in plain sight, some are hidden. Some are in the form of sculptures, others in mosaic. Some are even in the form of shrubbery! These are my favorite kinds of cats. The ones I'm not allergic to! We only found out after our visit that there are nine cats in total hiding in the garden. We weren't really looking for them at the time and managed to find five. Legend has it that visitors to the castle will have good luck if there's a white cat living there. So to celebrate the legend, the garden full of hidden cats was created. Good fun for kids and motorcycle riders looking to kill time! |
But now it's off to see what I was really interested in. We rode out of the city and into the suburbs of Belfast.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...O/Belfast1.png Belfast is a divided city, with English Protestants and Irish Catholics clustered in self-contained neighbourhoods. Violence between the two factions have been ongoing for over a century now, ever since war broke out between Irish separatists in 1919, leading to Ireland leaving Great Britain in 1922. I became aware of "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland when I was barely a teen. U2 was on the radio and the most popular song at the time was, "Sunday, Bloody Sunday". Bono wrote the song about the Bloody Sunday massacre of unarmed civil rights protesters by British troops in 1972 in Derry, near the Irish border. I was only a kid at the time, but that song made me realize that there was a whole world full of stuff happening outside of my suddenly much smaller existence. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0365-L.jpg Walls were erected in some of the more problematic neighbourhoods where Catholic neighbourhoods butted up against Protestant neighborhoods We visited a park where children were playing soccer, joggers were running on the paths, and barbed wire tipped the fences that separated Catholics from Protestants. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0357-L.jpg It floored me to realize this was not a historical remnant. This is present day life in Belfast. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0371-L.jpg Every night, the gates would close and be locked up, to prevent night-time violence between the two communities |
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We rode out to one of the Protestant subdivisions. The flags on all the houses left no doubt which neighbourhood you were in A group of young men were gathered outside of one of the houses and watched as we rode by. Despite our Canadian-plated motorcycles (and a British passport tucked somewhere deep inside one of my panniers), I still felt a bit uneasy. All of this nationalist imagery surrounding us made everything a bit more menacing. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0029-L.jpg Murals cover the sides of many of the houses, depicting violent events in the history of "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland 1969 marked the peak of the violence, when British troops were sent in to Northern Ireland to quell the violence. This lead to the resuscitation of the nascent Irish Republican Army (IRA) in retaliation. Although there was supposed to be a ceasefire in 1994, some of the murals disturbingly commemorate deaths much later than that date - neighbours that had been killed in the local skirmishes between Catholics and Protestants. I saw little kids playing among the buildings, with these murals watching over them. It was very sad to think that they were being indoctrinated into this ceaseless cycle of hate and revenge. I always thought these paintings were Belfast's scars. But they're not. They're clamps holding the wound open so the city never heals. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0032-L.jpg A lone mural called, "The Women's Quilt" celebrates Love and Forgiveness amidst all the hatred and vengeance |
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We rode to one of the Peace Walls on Shankill Road Erected in 1969, a number of Peace Walls were built along public roads to contain the violence between the Irish and English communities. They were only supposed to be a temporary measure at the time, and were due to be torn down within 6 months. They are still standing today. And the gates close every night. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0066-XL.jpg More murals adorn the Peace Wall https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0069-L.jpg The murals on the Irish side depict the usual Irish-flag waving rebels and... African-American historical figures, Frederick Douglass and Barack Obama?!? A large part of the Irish struggle is against the systemic racism by the British. There is a close identification with African-Americans and the abolitionist movement to end slavery in America. Obama is *very* popular in Ireland. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0070-L.jpg The wall and its murals really reminded us of when we visited the Berlin Wall |
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Heading over to the Catholic neighbourhoods https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0086-XL.jpg Very different imagery on the Irish side. Lot more greens. Suddenly, that British passport seems to be burning a hole in my pannier. I'm doing a lot of nervous gulping around here. Then it dawned on me: Northern Ireland is still a part of Great Britain. *Everybody* here, Catholics and Protestants, have British passports... And that's the root of the problem for half the population here. Duh. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0087-L.jpg IRA mural painted above a store |
We stopped so I could take more pictures of the murals. When I returned, I saw a group of kids talking to Neda about her motorcycle. She let the kids sit on her bike. Over the intercom, I heard one of them ask her, "Can you turn the bike on?"
Alarmed, I spoke into her ear, "DO NOT PUT THE KEY IN THE BIKE! They'll ride off with it!" She came back over the intercom, "I've worked with kids before. I'm not an idiot, you know." https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0093-XL.jpg Some of the kids are fiddling around with the switches on the bike. I hear Neda gently admonish them, "No no, don't do that" She said it in the exact same way she talked to the kids at her old job. As we rode away, I mimicked her tone of voice over the comms: "No no, don't do that". We had a good laugh. They were good kids. But they would have totally rode away with her bike if she had left the key in. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1814-L.jpg Back across one of the other Peace Walls What a long friggin' day. Is it 4PM yet? Are we allowed back into our AirBnB room now? |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/361.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map361-L.jpg Leaving Belfast today. Not entirely rested. We're going to book a proper AirBnB place tonight where we can actually stay indoors for the entire day. And we're going to be sleeping in a new country tonight. Or at least that's the plan. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1819-L.jpg Outta the house before 9AM. We know the rules... Unlike the sunny weather we enjoyed on our day off yesterday, it's looking pretty dismal for our ride out of town. Low clouds hang above our heads, thick and grey, expectant with water. So we leave with our rainsuits on. The mornings are getting too chilly to ride without them anyway. We head towards a stretch of road called the A2, otherwise known as the Antrim Coast Road. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1859-L.jpg It's a delicious stretch of pavement that follows Northern Ireland's north shore and gives us stunning views of the North Channel |
Not even an hour out of Belfast, Neda comes in over the comminicator, "We need to stop. I don't feel very well."
Oh no. As we slowed to pull over on the shoulder, I was going to ask her what exactly was wrong. But then I saw her reach into her backpack, grab a roll of toilet paper, climb over the low stone wall, and hurry quickly away from the road... Oh. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1841-L.jpg So, while Neda is taking care of business, I do what I normally do. Take pictures. But not of her though... Minutes pass. And then several more minutes later, I yell over the stone wall, "Everything ok?" "Uh huh", came the weak reply. I climb over the wall and walk over to her. She looks miserable. So I do the only thing I know that comes naturally to me. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1842-L.jpg I take a picture. "Noooo! You're not putting that on the Internet!" "Ok ok. I promise." Poor Neda. Getting the slurries while on the road really sucks. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1857-L.jpg We head out again. |
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At Cushendun Bay, we stop for a scenic break as the Glendun River opens out into the Straits of the North Channel https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0420-L.jpg Near the marina, Neda feeds the ducks. One swan is dominating her attention though. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0442-L.jpg I take some glamour shots of the bikes, Cushendun Beach in the background. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0443-L.jpg The scenery is beautiful here |
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We take a little detour off the A2 and stay closer to the coast on Tor Road, passing through a quilt-work of green farmland. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1888-L.jpg Very picturesque! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1892-L.jpg Some entertaining twists and turns in the road |
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There's a popular lookout at the end of a dead end road called Torr Head A dilapidated coast guard station stands at the top of Torr Head, and you can hike around it to get great views of the sea and shore below. There are a couple of other bikers walking around and we nod our heads to each other in acknowledgement. Their mouths are pursed when they do so, which is the International Bikers sign for: "Not a good day for a ride"... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0469-L.jpg The view from Torr Head. Spectacular! We climb back on the bikes to head west along the top of the Antrim Coast Road, and as soon as we pull out of Torr Head, the rains slam down on top of our heads. Exactly like we knew it would. Sorry, no more pictures while riding in the rain. The road is slick and winding, so it's best to keep both hands on the handlebars - instead of taking blurry pictures of water droplets on the camera's lens. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1901-L.jpg Our next stop: Ballintoy Harbour, otherwise known as The Iron Islands on the Game of Thrones Yes, another Game of Thrones shooting location. We've been all over Croatia and Spain visiting them, it's kind of become a theme for our European leg. Why stop now? Belfast is actually where one of the main production sound stages for the show is located. |
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Taking a walk around the Iron Islands, keeping an eye out for Theon Greyjoy. Still pouring buckets so we keep our helmets on. It's always funny walking around with our helmets on. We keep the comms open, so while we wander around the area, I don't even have to be within visual range of Neda and we're still talking in each other's ears. To passersby, it looks like we're talking to ourselves. In the background, I can hear the microphone pick up the *plok* *plok* *plok* of the rain hitting her helmet. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN1908-L.jpg The rain collecting on my camera lens gives this picture a neat tilt-shift look The pictures may look dreamy, but these are cold, wet and miserable conditions for both walking and riding around here. We had fairly good weather in Scotland and the Isle of Man. I figure the rains were overdue, given where we are. |
After just another 15 minutes ride westwards, we run across a huge parking lot and an even bigger visitors centre. We park the bikes and then take a 20 minute hike (too cheap to pay for a shuttle bus) towards the coast to find:
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0519-L.jpg Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland's most popular tourist attraction The Giant's Causeway is thousands of hexagonal basalt rock columns rising out from the floor of the coastline. They look totally alien and cool, and you wonder how nature could make anything look like that. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...2a97880b-L.jpg We're not the only ones who think it looks cool. Led Zeppelin did too, so they put it on the cover of their Houses of the Holy album The photoshoot for the Houses of the Holy album cover was done on a grey and rainy day (seems like there aren't any other days but these at the Giant's Causeway), so the figures were washed out. Unhappy with the way the photos turned out, the photographer sent them to an airbrush artist who accidentally tinted the photo with unintended colours. The rest is history. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...-%20font-L.jpg Too cold and wet to put on a blonde wig and crawl around these rocks butt-nekkid. If I did, I'd definitely need a lot of airbrushing... |
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I wanted to take a picture of the rocks for my web Page. I noticed there was a Plant growing between the columns! I had to Google how these patterns were formed. So unusual! You know how mud or salt dries into hexagonal shapes, like on the desert floor or the floor of a dried lake or river bed? 60 million years, basalt lava came up from below the chalk floor and dried, the surface forming hexagon shapes. But as the lava cooled, these surface cracks extended all the way down the basalt rock, forming these amazing-looking hexagonal columns that rise and fall around the landscape. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0512-L.jpg There are around 40,000 columns at the Giant's Causeway Legend has it, the Irish giant, Finn MacCool (no joke), was challenged to a duel by a Scottish giant, Benandonner, who lived across the strait. So MacCool built a causeway across the North Channel so he could fight the Scot. Since this is an Irish tale, the Irish giant wins in the story, and the Scottish giant runs back across the channel, destroying the causeway behind him so MacCool couldn't follow him back. There are similar basalt rock columns on the other side of the North Channel on the Scottish side, at Fingal's Cave. So the story must totally be true. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0117-L.jpg The columns look like 3D bar charts or those toys where you stick your face or your hand below a bed of pins and they move up to mimic the same shape |
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An estimated 1 million Led Zeppelin fans visit Giant's Causeway every year It's so crowded here, even in the pouring rain! I had to wait awhile for people to move out of my shot, so after some time, I just took pictures of tourists at the Causeway... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0530-L.jpg Here's another tourist descending down the basalt column stairway to heaven Pedestrian access to the Giant's Causeway is free (which we like). How they make money is charging you for the shuttle bus between the parking lot and the coast: £1 each way (Nah), and also entrance fee to the visitor's centre, which is £9 per person (Big Nope). https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0156-L.jpg The parking lot is only for people who paid to get into the visitors centre, so we parked just outside the lot I love that we can park our bikes pretty much anywhere in Europe and nobody cares. I hate that it is still pouring rain when we head out again. No matter. If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you. That's me, singing to my bike... |
The original plan was to keep following the Antrim Coast Road a bit south towards Londonderry before heading north again. I was very interested in seeing the Bloody Sunday memorial and some of the murals on the buildings in the town where the 1972 massacre took place. But we had done a lot of sight-seeing today and it would probably take another 3-4 hours if we took the long way down and then back up again.
Despite our early start, we were quickly running out of daylight. Plus it was still raining... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN1928-XL.jpg So the decision was made to call it a day and take the short, 15-minute ferry from Magilligan Point, crossing the border... ...into Ireland! Shiver me Shamrocks! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/362.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map362-L.jpg Crossing over from Northern Ireland to Ireland was trivial. At the ferry, there were no customs, no checkpoints, no security. This is not that surprising, as the 500 km border between the two countries (UK and Ireland) has always been undefended. We are still reeling from the recent Brexit vote and we're trying to figure out how this will affect the both of us on a personal level. But on a larger scale, I wonder how they will police and enforce this border when Britain cleaves itself away from the European Union, of which Ireland will still remain a part of. But really, all of these geo-political musings are secondary to our immediate concern: Getting warm, getting dry and staying indoors for longer than 24 hours. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN1932-L.jpg We are staying in another AirBnB, this time in a much smaller village on the Inishowen Peninsula https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN1930-L.jpg After the rains subside, we hang all of our wet gear out on the clothes line outside our place to dry We didn't get a chance to get some quality indoors time in Belfast, so we've booked *three whole nights* (LUXURY) in a place just outside of Carndonagh, which is a tiny town on the northern peninsula of Ireland. The first day, we just sleep and laze around the house, and Neda is happy that she can prepare a home-cooked meal in a proper kitchen. Our host has a small dog in the house and we try to make friends with it, but it is scared to death of us. So unusual, with so many AirBnBers in and out of the place, you'd think the dog would be used to strangers. Not being able to play with the dog makes Neda very sad. :( Apart from resting and relaxing, my primary chore is to bring all our drying gear indoors when it starts to rain, and then hang them up on the line when the rains stop. With the damp air, it takes forever for our stuff to dry. Riding in the rain is very familiar for the RideDOT.com team. So is drying our gear on our days off... |
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With one rest day under our belts, we venture out into the Inishowen Peninsula the next morning feeling very much refreshed We're headed to the very top of the peninsula, called Malin Head. The conditions are not optimal, the roads are still damp and the sun is nowhere to be seen. But the rain stays off our helmets, so that means it's a good day to ride. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0534-L.jpg We're not the only ones. Other two-wheeled brethren (motorized and non) also decide it's a good day to ride https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0549-L.jpg Star Wars font at Malin Head Just four months ago, Malin Head was brimming with activity. Film crews invaded this sleepy rural community to film a scene for Star Wars Episode VIII (The Last Jedi). All the roads to Malin Head were closed off for three days, and die-hard fans traveled all the way over here to catch a glimpse of what was rumoured to be the Millennium Falcon, perched on a rock just off the northern coast. A Jedi Master was posted at the start of the road. Fans who drove up were told, "This is not the movie set you're looking for. There's nothing to see here. Move along... move along..." |
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Speaking of moving along, we were told to move our bikes away from the Start/Finish line. Neda chats to some cyclists It looks like there's some kind of bicycle race underway here. Support vans are parked off to the side as groups of cyclists head down the hill to start their race. I did some research and there's some kind of race here almost every month. Just like Britain has the Land's End to John O'Groats route, this is the start (or finish) of the famous Malin Head to Mizen route, going from the very northernmost point in Ireland to the very southern tip of the island. Different organizers and charities set up races or rallies during the warm weather months. It'll take these bicyclists about three days to complete the 810 km coastal route, averaging around 270 kms/day. The record for bicycles is 19 hours. The record for runners is 4 days. The Millennium Falcon made the Malin Head/Mizen Run in less than 12 parsecs. I have a feeling these cyclists will reach Mizen a lot sooner than we will... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0540-L.jpg View of the coast from Malin Head https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0543-L.jpg From the spy pictures I found on-line, it looks like they put the Millennium Falcon on one of these rocks during the film shoot. Cool! |
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Neda Jedi Mind Tricks me into taking a hike around Malin Head. It's a trap! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0574-L.jpg Hairy caterpillar at Malin Head https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0582-L.jpg The reason why there are very few pictures of me hiking is because this is what I normally look like... Taking a break, catching my breath, trying to keep up with Neda |
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Beautiful coastline at the very northern point of Ireland. Can't wait to see that Star Wars movie now! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0591-L.jpg Waves of the Atlantic Ocean crash on the rocks below us https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN1947-L.jpg Okay, enough hiking, back on the bikes! We've got some bicyclists to pass! These thatched roofs on some of these houses remind me of the Manx cottages on the Isle of Man. |
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Zoom zoom! Through the Inishowen Peninsula There are many ways to get from Malin Head to Mizen. The most straightforward route is only about 612 kms through the interior, but over the next few days, we are going to take the longer coastal route which is called The Wild Atlantic Way. We're actually here because an Irish rider (and fellow R1200GSer) I met in Edinburgh last month recommended this route when I asked him for some good riding roads in Ireland. "Just follow the road along the west coast and you can't go wrong!", he told me. Easy enough. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN1973-L.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN1956-L.jpg Sticking to the Wild Atlantic Way takes us through Mamore Pass on the west coast of the peninsula |
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At the top of the pass, Neda makes us roadside sandwiches. Lunch with a great view of the plains below! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN1962-L.jpg The road continues through the Mamore Gap, which takes us through breathtaking scenery The rest of Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way beckons to us. I really hope the weather holds up. |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/363.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map363-L.jpg Our trip out of the Inishowen Peninsula involves a lot of interior riding, through the urban area of Letterkenny. Not very picturesque, so not a lot of photos. But Letterkenny looks to be the last major city until we hit the very southern tip of Ireland, so it's all nice, uninterrupted coastal roads and quaint seaside villages from here on. Nice! I'm on route-planning duties through the UK. Neda reminds me I have a British passport, so automatically that makes me the Ireland expert. I've never been here in my life. I think she's just lazy. Oh yeah, she also says, "I don't understand what anyone is saying here. You have to translate for me..." Yep. Lazy. From the map, I planned a route through Glenveagh National Park. But when we arrived at the gates, we discovered that the road on the map is really a hiking trail. No motorized vehicles allowed. So we have to backtrack all the way out and route around the park. That threw a monkey wrench in our plans, and with daylight slowly slipping away, we end up setting up camp somewhere north of the park, in a tiny village called Crolly. There's a small convenience store nearby, so it's a typical tent and sandwich evening for us. A light drizzle accompanies us while we set up camp and eat, so we call it an early night, disappointed at the lack of sights today and the poor weather that accompanied it. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN1978-L.jpg In the morning, we head out of Crolly, eager to see ride through some better scenery than the day before The light drizzle from yesterday continues on today. Not optimal, but we've ridden through worse downpours before, so this is really not anything that bothers us too much. Once again, not many riding pictures, but this time because of the water pelting down on my camera lens. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN1986-L.jpg Riding through County Donegal I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the lush green scenery that we're passing by. What with all the rain! |
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Neda is feeling a bit Sheepish about riding on through. She's thinking about making a Ewe-turn... I Herd that animals will jump out in front of motorcycles with little to no warning. That could have serious Ramifications on a motorcycle. You're much safer in a car. Like a Lamborghini... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0601-L.jpg Dry dock https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0611-L.jpg Neda picks up some snacks for us on the road. Literally. She's always picking stuff off trees and bushes and feeding us. You'll never go hungry when she's around. The TV show Survivorman is pretty much about Neda's life. |
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Look! I ride a motorcycle too! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN1991-L.jpg Neda is readying to make a pass on the twists and turns on the Wild Atlantic Way https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0639-L.jpg On the western tip of County Donegal, we make a turn off the route towards Slieve League Cliffs Slieve League has nothing to do with sports. It's the English approximation of the Irish name, Sliabh Liag. Yes, the "bh" is pronounced like a "V". Like the girl's name Siobhan is pronounced Shi-vawn. Oh yeah, the "Si" is pronounced "Sh"... Like Sinead O'Connor. Everytime we pass a sign with an Irish name on it, I know I am totally mangling it when I read it in my head. I feel like a real Sithead. |
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Getting off the bikes and doing a bit of hiking towards the cliffs https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0197-L.jpg Thin, cold, white clouds drift slowly across the peaks of Slieve League, the highest mountains in Ireland. These mountains plunge dramatically into the Atlantic Ocean. This is the typical place where everyone takes a picture of the cliffs. The name of this spot is called Bunglass. I'm not sure how you pronounce that in Gaelic... But it accurately describes how I feel after many hours of riding. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...0641_001-L.jpg I'm standing up on the pegs because... Bunglass |
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Sip https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0658-L.jpg Stay baaaa-ck, human! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0667-L.jpg The nice twisty road that got us to Slieve League, which we have to take to get back out again |
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Punching in our next stop in the GPS The sun is starting to make a late afternoon appearance, and it's just another couple of hours south to our final destination of the day. Someone told us about this hippy town called Sligo, famous for being the place where the poet W.B. Yeats spent his childhood summers. This town and the surround areas figure prominently in his poems and prose. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN1998-L.jpg Checking into the campsite on Strandhill, about 15 minutes outside of Sligo https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2002-L.jpg The grounds of our campsite. No Hurling! :( |
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Covering up the bikes for the day. Very windy! At least our stuff will dry quickly. If it doesn't get blown away! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0201-L.jpg Neda makes us dinner! All those ingredients in front of her, she picked them off a bush nearby... Survivorman. Our campsite is right on the coast, with an amazing view of Ben Bulbin mountain in the backdrop. Is it actually spelled Ben Bulbin in Gaelic? Nope. Binn Ghulbain. Whut? "B" is a "B", but so is "Gh"?!? I feel like someone is playing a trick on us. Been Ghullible? Yes. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0203-L.jpg About 100 metres away, the waves of the Atlantic Ocean crash on Strandhill beach. Beautiful! That night, the temperatures dip down to single digits. We shiver in our sleeping bags with the sound of the tent flapping all around us in the strong wind. It feels like the tent is going to rip itself off the stakes and fly away to Oz. We've been getting so many hints that it's almost time to wrap up riding in the British Isles. At least it's not raining. |
But the next morning it's much calmer, and we wake up to more of the glorious sunshine that the previous day left us. So after a lazy morning in the sheltered (and heated!) common area, catching up on some Internet and TV shows...
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2022-L.jpg ...we head out to Sligo for a drink and a bite to eat. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2027-L.jpg Downtown Sligo https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2025-L.jpg Street musicians busking on the streets of Sligo |
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We find a pub and order... Guinness! We love Guinness!!! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2040-L.jpg In the booth next to us, some musicians are practicing some jigs Pubs. Guinness. Jigs. You can't get any more Irish than this! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/364.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map364-L.jpg The record for bicycling from the very north of Ireland to the very south is 19 hours and 3 minutes. We're about half-way distance on the Wild Atlantic Way and it's already been 3 days! We move slowly. We leave Sligo in the morning under cover of dark clouds. Although it's not raining, we don our sausage suits anyway to ward off the chilly morning temperatures. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2057-L.jpg Continuing our journey south on the Wild Atlantic Way I'm really enjoying Ireland's west coast. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2050-L.jpg So are these guys The Internet tells me this is the annual Wolseley Car Club of Ireland Vintage Rally, Tea & Coffee break. Beautiful cars. And everyone waved to us! :) So friendly! |
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An off-shoot from the main coastal road takes us over a short bridge to Achill Island. We ride to the western tip of the island https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0206-L.jpg They've put up these little touristy signs all over the Wild Atlantic Way telling you where you are These signs are great! I don't have to caption these pictures... This leg of the Wild Atlantic Way is called the Bay Coast, boasting numerous inlets and bays, some of them have dramatic cliffs ending abruptly at the Atlantic Ocean. Others, like Keem Bay collect crescents of sand like the webbing between your fingers. We park the bikes and go exploring Keem Beach. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0212-L.jpg Hop Scotch along the wet sands |
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Oh look what we found written on the beach! Somebody must know that we've arrived in Ireland! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0248-L.jpg Having a great time on Keem Beach https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0265-L.jpg |
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"'Cuz this is Thriller! Thriller Night!" https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2102-L.jpg Well, that was a nice little break. Back on the bikes https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2103-L.jpg Heading out of Keem Bay back to the mainland |
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Not far from Keem Bay, in the town of Keel, we spot kitesufers on the lake https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0774-L.jpg Perfect place to have some lunch! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0815-L.jpg Other people have the same idea, watching the kitesurfers go back and forth, catching air on Keel Lake This cute little puppy glances nervously at us. Neda is figuring out in her head whether it would fit in her tankbag... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0806-L.jpg Just in case you think I am making things up |
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Stopping for a refill in Achill Sound, near the bridge between Achill Island and the mainland The red and green flags are the colours of County Mayo. We see them everywhere. Neda comes out of the grocery store with more food to sustain us for the next couple of days and some yummy snacks. With our supplies topped up (and my topcase and stomach feeling much heavier), we go back over the bridge and onto the mainland! The sun is peeking out a little bit from the clouds above and the weather has warmed up enough for us to shed the rainsuits. We continue on the Wild Atlantic Way route as it rounds Clew Bay. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2147-L.jpg Riding through the pretty town of Westport on Clew Bay https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2161-L.jpg The road takes us south through the spectacular Doolough Valley Despite the amazing scenery on Doolough Pass, this was the site of the Doolough Tragedy during the Great Potato Famine in the 1840s. Officials were being sent to all the villages to assess whether they were eligible for food and government support. Somehow they missed a village and all the starving people who lived there were told to meet the officials the next day in the next village 19kms away. It may not seem that far away, but hundreds of people made the journey overnight in their starved state. The next morning, the bodies of seven people were found on the road between the two villages. They died of starvation. They say many more died later because of the unnecessary trek they had to make there and back in their weakened state. Sad. |
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Kylemore Abbey in County Galway The road takes us further south and we reach the next County, Galway. On the shores of a lake, we saw a magnificent grey building called Kylemore Abbey. So we pulled in for a closer look. The Abbey was built around the time of the Great Famine. A rich politician from England came over and spent his sizeable fortune helping the locals, giving them work, shelter and building a school on the estate. There's supposed to be a beautiful garden on the grounds of Kylemore Abbey, but you had to pay an admission fee - €13.00 per person. That's a big Nope. So we hopped back on our bikes. Nice abbey, though! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SCN2191-XL.jpg Doing a route adjustment It's getting late and I originally had us stopping near Galway. The GPS said it was about three hours away, but I know we like to go slow, stop and poke around, so there was no way we were going to make it before nightfall at our current pace. So I broke out the laptop, hopped on the Internet and tried to find a closer camping spot. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SCN2203-XL.jpg Another nice little detour off the main Wild Atlantic Way You can stay on the main road that loosely follows the coastline, but the real treats are when you take these little roads that go out and back in to all the tiny fingers of land. This one is called Sky Road, and it's only a 12km loop away from the main road, but from here you can ride along the coast and the road rises up in places where you can get a view of all the tiny islets that dot the inside of the bay. |
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Rounding Aughrusbeg Lough, a small lake on the inside of the Sky Road peninsula https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0278-L.jpg Sky Road lookout, with the all the tiny islets in the background swimming in the Wild Atlantic Ocean See the squiggly line on the post above the sign for Sky Road? That's the tourist logo for the Wild Atlantic Way. You don't even need a GPS to ride the route. Just follow all the signs with the squiggly line on it, pointing you onwards. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2225-L.jpg Back on the road, we pass through the town of Clifden. There's some kind of Mexican festival going on! Spanish music playing on the speakers as we ride by! :) |
The only campsite in the area is off the main road of the Wild Atlantic Way. We ditch the squiggly line signs and venture off on another loop that follows the coastline towards Gurteen Bay, on the southern shoreline of the peninsula.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2238-L.jpg Yay, we get the tent up before the sun sets. And before the scheduled rains which are due to arrive soon! What a great day! Full of sights, riding roads, and nice little detours into beaches, bays and lakes. And best of all: no rain! We are really enjoying taking our time on the west coast of Ireland! |
just want to let you know I have been following you every since you have left toronto. Very envious of your adventures, but have marveled at the outcomes. Take care and continue your reports. Will be following your trip.
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Thanks! Appreciate the note and the well-wishes! :clap:
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Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/365.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map365-L.jpg I've woken up in the middle of the night by two sensations. The pitter-patter sound of rain pelting against the walls of the tent and the fact that my feet are freezing. I reach down to feel them. Not just freezing. But wet! ARGH! The tent is leaking! I wake up Neda and we turn on the flashlight hanging overhead to inspect the pool growing inside our home. It's a good thing we normally orient our tent so our heads are slightly on higher ground, otherwise there'd be water everywhere all over the floor! This is very frustrating to us. It's served us so well for so long. But failing while riding the rainy west coast of Ireland - the timing could not have been any worse! Well, okay, it would have been worse if it had failed in Norway... From what we can tell, there's water leaking from the seams of both the fly and the inner layer. Nothing we can fix in the middle of the night. I grab a towel and do the sop-inside/wring-outside to get most of the rainwater out, leaving the towel at the foot of our tent and then scooching my entire sleeping bag uphill so I'm pressed up against the head of the tent. It's going to be a long night. It's still raining when we wake up. The towel is soaked, but my retreat to the front of the tent has kept my feet from soaking up any more liquid. We have to pack the tent up in the rain, which is my least favorite thing to do. Like putting wet socks on and then putting your shoes on over it. Gross. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2259-L.jpg Riding in the wet again, heading back north along the coast to re-join the main route of the Wild Atlantic Way During the ride, all that's on my mind is thinking about what are we going to do tonight. If the wet weather continues when we stop, we might have to book an AirBnB. We've had luck finding cheap AirBnBs in the larger cities because of the abundance and the competition, but out in the sticks it's going to be expensive. Speaking of cities, we pass the outskirts of Galway and then around the coast of Galway Bay. Ed Sheeran takes my mind off the rain: Quote:
My pretty little Pula girl, picking up more snacks at the side of the road |
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#SkySoMoody https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0882-L.jpg While hugging the coastline, we stop at the Murrooghtoohy Discovery Point https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0306-L.jpg This is the site of a karst formation called The Burren These smooth rocks create a vast field of alien landscape all the way from the road to the lapping waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Thankfully, the rain has stopped so we park the bikes and go exploring the area, clambering over the smooth, pale rocks and the deep cracks in between them. |
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Other visitors have built little Inukshuks all over, so Neda adds hers to the collection https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0872-L.jpg We have such a fun time walking around this limestone wonderland. We have it all to ourselves... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0329-L.jpg ... until this tour bus came and spewed tourists out into The Burren. They're like insects crawling over food at a picnic. That's our cue to leave. |
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Just south of the Burren, we spy a castle on the hill. Hey, isn't that another Ed Sheeran song...? https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0330-L.jpg Doonagore Castle is just a tower with walls around it. The tower looks like it's wearing a crown Just down the street of the castle we find this funky restaurant called The Stonecutter's Kitchen. Since it was lunchtime, we decided to get some Irish food. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0335-L.jpg Drying our rainsuits in the sun https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0337-L.jpg A hearty Irish stew, chock full of meat and potatoes, is a great remedy to erase the remnants of our cold, wet ride this morning |
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And then just another couple of kms away are the grand Cliffs of Moher. There are people on the left side of the picture, for scale Ireland's most visited natural wonder. These cliffs sport a sheer vertical drop of over 700 feet all the way to the waves crashing far, far below on the rocky feet of the wall-face. There are barriers near the visitor centre that prevent people from falling over the cliffs, but if you hike far enough, the barriers just stop existing and all of a sudden there's nothing between you and 700 feet of Wile E. Coyote air. But this is after you pass a huge warning sign stating that Ireland is no longer responsible if you venture too close to the edge and the strong winds of Moher blow you off the edge of the cliff. *beep* *beep* https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0347-L.jpg Hiking past by the big warning sign to one of the cliff edges https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0905-L.jpg *Everyone* hikes past the sign. It's the whole point of coming here! There I am, in the middle of the picture |
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Not many people sit or stand right at the edge of the cliffs. They lie down to stop from being blown off the edge https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0908-L.jpg The heights are dizzying. If the winds don't blow you off, vertigo just might! There have been a few recorded deaths of people who've fallen off the edge... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0925-L.jpg Bah! I ain't afraid of no 700 foot high cliffs! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0916-L.jpg Actually I was crapping my pants... This is how I crawled out to the ledge... I also crawled back out the same way! :) Whenever I'm up so high, my toes start to tingle. And my heart starts pounding big-time! Well, enough adrenaline rush for the day, we get back on the bikes and start our final push. Our wet tent plays on my mind, but the weather looks dry enough to camp for another night. |
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Further south, we catch the Killimer Ferry. A 30 minute ferry ride to bypass the 2 hour ride around the bay between peninsulas https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2295-L.jpg Some sun and fun on the ferry ride! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2282-L.jpg So I have this problem... I've been battling zippers my whole life. It's always the first thing that fails on any piece of clothing I have. And motorcycle clothing (and gear) has a lot of zippers! Neda keeps telling me, "You pull too hard!", "Keep the two sides close together when you zip up and down!", "Zip up, not out!" She's never had a zipper failure. Ever. Anyway, my jacket zipper just failed. I got this one two years ago when we first got to Europe because my other jacket zipper failed. And then now this... I don't know why everything is falling apart on us now. The tent, my jacket... *sigh* I need velcro on everything. |
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We pass by this RV Park in Tralee. As good a place as any to stop for the night. Airing out our wet tent https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2305-L.jpg The RV park is deserted There's a phone number on the window of the laundry/washroom building, to call someone if we're going to camp. We dialed the number but no answer and no answering machine... I check the forecast and it calls for rain later on in the middle of night. I stare at our old, leaky tent drying out in the front yard... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2308-L.jpg So with nobody around, we sneakily set up the tent in the laundry room! We feel like such criminals... That night I sleep a nervous, shallow sleep, one ear open, listening to see if a security guard is going to drive up, come inside with his flashlight and kick us out (or worse) for trespassing! :( It's well past midnight when the rain hits the windows of the laundry room. My feet are dry tonight but I don't get much rest... |
Gene, Neda,
Thanks for the updates ... this is helping me plan my Ireland trip for next year. Number 1 piece of equipment: RAIN GEAR! :rain: Don't know where you are right now, but I sure hope you're enjoying the sun. :Beach: |
Quote:
They call it the Emerald Island because all that rain makes everything so green... |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/366.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map366-L.jpg So the night passed uneventfully - no security guard kicking at our sleeping bags, which are spread out all over the floor of this dusty laundry room. We awoke unmolested in this deserted campsite in a small town tucked away in County Kerry, Ireland. Glancing nervously outside at the sunshine warming up our getaway bikes, we scarf down a lightning-quick breakfast and hastily pack up everything and try to leave the room as we found it. So glad everything (especially my feet) is dry! Our route today skirts the southern shores of Tralee Bay. The morning air is so cold these days, and we once again insulate ourselves in our rainsuits, even though the clouds have exhausted their seemingly limitless supply of water. Due to all the other surprises we've found at tips of each peninsula, we're off to seek the treasure at the end of this finger of land: the Dingle Peninsula. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2313-L.jpg About half-way through the Dingle Peninsula, the road deviates from the coast and heads inland. And up... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2320-L.jpg The Conor Pass goes over the Dingle Mountain Range and at 1500 feet is one of the higest passes in Ireland The road is so close to the edge of the mountain, you can peer down into lush green fields of the valley below! |
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Not content to just watch the scenery flash by from our bikes, we dismount at the lookout point at the summit of the pass https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0947-L.jpg Beautiful! This whole landscape was carved by glaciers during the Ice Age. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0944-L.jpg Closeup of the water in one of the lakes. So still it's indistinguishable from the sky above At the bottom of Conor Pass, we ride through the town of Dingle, another one of those quaint sea-side villages. This one lies on the southern coast of the peninsula. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2331-L.jpg Dingle. There's a joke in there somewhere, but I'm not going to make it because it's just too obvious. As we ride through Dingle I wonder if Neda will stop to look for more berries. Sorry. I couldn't help myself... |
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From Dingle, we hug the shoreline of the southern coast. More scenic cliffs greet us along the way https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0366-L.jpg We do a loop around the end of the peninsula, stopping again to admire the scenery off the bikes And then it's off to explore the next peninsula! Peninsula hopping on the western coast of Ireland. What fun! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2349-L.jpg Stopping in Killarney to do some laundry Killarney is the largest city in County Kerry. We've been on the move and camping all over Ireland for over a week now so our Clean-Clothes pannier is looking pretty empty, while the Dirty-Laundry pannier is almost bursting. Whenever our bikes start to mishandle due to the weight imbalance, we know it's time to do the wash. Yes, yes, I know we slept in a laundry room last night, but we were in stealth mode and didn't want to alert anyone to our presence... Anyway, we pop our soiled skivvies in a coin-op machine and walk around town to find a place to eat while we wait out the spin and dry cycles. Life on the road. |
After Lunch'n Laundry (like Bed'n Breakfast -- hey, we should start an online business: AirLnL), we make the executive decision to stop for the day. There's a long route around this new peninsula, so we're going to leave it for tomorrow. We find a nice campsite just outside of town and set up camp. This time legally!
Also, we're stopping because we're getting so fatigued over shorter and shorter intervals on the road. I think it's time for another couple of days under a roof. But rest will have to wait. Killarney is located on the east shore of a lake, Lough Leane. The next morning, we begin our tour of the Iveragh Peninsula and ride out to the west side of the lake. We heard that there's an amazing, narrow, twisty road that snakes between two mountains. This is the Gap of Dunloe: This spot is very popular with tourists. It was so scenic that we had to go back and do it again. The other vehicles, hikers and the "jaunting car" (Irish horse-drawn carriage) were so used to us going back and forth that Neda waved to them as if to say, "Yep, we're back again..." :D https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0956-L.jpg We then rounded the southern shore of the lake back up towards Killarney. This is the viewpoint at Ladies View https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0955-L.jpg Upper Lake, just south of Killarney |
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We are now on the famous Ring of Kerry, which is a grand loop around the Iveragh Peninsula https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN2367-L.jpg Another scenic lookout, you can see the mountains of the next peninsula across the bay https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0959-L.jpg Irish countryside |
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Rounding the bend on the Ring of Kerry https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0968-L.jpg More impressive views of Atlantic cliffsides from the road At the end of the Iveragh Peninsula, we detour off the Ring of Kerry. There's another loop of road called Skellig Ring that takes us out to the very edge of the peninsula. There, we stop at the very quaint town of Portmagee to poke around and also grab some lunch. Although tourist season is winding down on the west coast of Ireland, there's still a lot of people walking around. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0999-L.jpg We met a nice couple from the US who were also doing some sightseeing. We had a great chat with them and they took a picture of us and e-mailed it to us the next day. Thanks Martha and Ed! :) |
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