The day began at the home of our warm-showers host, Gordon. We greatly enjoyed our previous evening over dinner with him. There is always joy in getting to know someone during travels, especially when there is a comfortable, friendly, and warm atmosphere through the visit. I think these feelings or 'vibes' exude out into these social situations and help build a relationship and a trust between the two parties. This combined with peoples inclination to help and meet others leads to awesome situations.
For us, it translated into someone trusting us completely and granting us to be apart of their home. We were able to leave our bikes for a day in his garage; this was very generous with the effect of granting us with wings for a 24 hour period - by way of tracks. We decided to get to our noonish train by foot in order to give us a feel of Glasgow. On the way to our train's station, Queens St, we stopped for tea, explored outdoor stores, and walked the streets. We made it to the station with plenty of time to spare. The upper tracks of the station were closed, so the lower tracks were incredibly busy. This bustle caused us to think our train would arrive at 12:19...unfortunately that is when it left...bye bye train. We all three were confused and missed it so we will blame them. Luckily, our tickets were valid for the day so we would be able to catch the evening train. Though we were all pretty aggravated from our mistake, it worked out for the best. The result was getting to go North West through the Scottish Highlands during a setting sun; beautiful. The views from the car windows were stunning. Got to see Ben Nevis during our approach to Fort William - none of us knew what we were looking at at that time. We arrived to a quiet, twilight Fort William and walked the streets on our way to the hostel. The town was very enjoyable in this setting. Soon settled in, we researched our activities for the next day learning a little more about Ben Nevis and reading of a steam train (The Jacobite) that would depart at 10:30. A plan for the morning was made! A Joint Effort -Skye and Charlie
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--- DAY 41 ---
We knew there was an off-of-roads bike path almost all the way to Belfast but didn't know the best way to intersect or enter this route. Edwin, our warmshowers host, helped us figure this out the night before; he showed me the town we would need to route to and then the point in that town that would be most efficient for connecting to the path. The path was an old towpath for a canal system that ran from Lough Neagh to Belfast. The path was used by mules to pull coal by barge from a mine across the Neagh all the way to the hungry customer of Belfast. What this route added for in distance was made up by its complete lack of any hills...we were following a canal after all. A few segments required us to enter roadways and navigate off-canal routes through town centers, but a majority of the day was spent next to the water. The routes are all numbered with the UK's National Cycle Route numbers so theoretically the route should be navigable using the turn by turn signs provided on the path. Unfortunately there are points where these signs visibility is lackluster due to vandalism, poor location, or who knows what. Either way we had a few occasions where we either had to backtrack or cross navigate back to the path. Without to much trouble, we completed our 30 mile day to wind up at our planned accommodation in Belfast - a cost effective, converted B&B town home operated by a few Portuguese men. The manager, Joa, was extremely helpful and welcoming. The place was old and tired but had everything we wanted, especially alongside the ideal location near the center of Belfast - the guys were making it work. We went out that evening and enjoyed a healthy portioned and cost effective meal at a local 'diner' adding milkshakes for the walk home - it was the perfect find fitting the stereotype of joints near a college campus. With a good place to ditch the bikes (the B&B), we would spend the next full day exploring the town by foot. --- DAY 42 --- As a day off deserves, we started slow with the plan to go explore the nearby municipal gardens and museum. A refreshing part of their local exhibitions is that they have been entirely free to enter with boxes scattered about encouraging donations; from the looks of the contents of these boxes, this method works well - human nature seems to prefer charity over forced fees. These exhibits were also not lacking; they showed obvious thought, planning, and execution to deliver an effective presentation to the public. All very impressive. So impressive that we spent the remainder of our morning and early afternoon wondering these two sites. From there it was time to hunt down some calories, eating at a restaurant with a focus on local micro-brews. They had a 'brew bot' in their entrance. It was a glorified box that they claimed self sufficiently made micro-brews...there first batch was due in a few days so we didn't get to check the quality of the bot beer. Interesting thing to see though; created and developed in Belfast - we were a bit far to go check out the pub of the Brew Bot owners where all served beer was from bots. With the milk shake joint on the way home we stopped through to get some more SUPER calories. With the day sufficiently spent with activity, we headed back to the beds to get some needed R&R. First big travel day by ferry set for Day 43. - Charlie We left Eden Villa after a tour of their awesome woodworking shop (behind the B&B) followed with a picture with our great hosts, Peter and Mary. The planned day was a long one as there was not much between us and the next good option; two towns sandwiched between two lakes, representing our first boarder of the trip - between Ireland and the UK.
To compound on the distance, the route had a large climb 2/3 of the way through. Climbs are incredibly rewarding for their views at the top which always require a break to enjoy. It also means the remainder of the day is a nice ride with Mr. Gravity finally on our side. Drop into town! Bite to eat. Run through the grocery store. Onto our Caravan Park for the night. By far one of the cleanest, most well kept caravan parks. The attitude of the host and owner who greeted us complemented this. We enjoyed a nice evening with a view across the lake. Long day done! Shorter day to come! -Charlie Sorry we haven't had a post in more than 3 weeks....the last blog ended with preparation for unplanned events. Below, I will share with you a note from Pops about this. From there, we will share Skye and I's outline of our travels while Dad journeyed home. The end of the outline will be the completion of our circle and the rejoining of the group with Dad's return from 5 days gone. -Charlie Chuck, My friend Chuck Jones died. I received the notice from Perry. Joyce sent me a message “call Perry”. We were in Ireland on our way to a town called Castlebar. Charlie and I looked at each other..”I gotta go”...he said “of course, we will make it happen”. Surprisingly convenient and scenic bus rides over narrow Irish roads with the local people, then a night in a hotel outside the Shannon airport and some long flights and I was home. Sort of bitter sweet. Lots of people loved Chuck, me included. I have been enveloped in the Jones clan for nearly 30 years. Never was there a more kind hearted, clear thinking man than Chuck. Boy, he loved Amy and her girls. As expected, his funeral was a gathering of my favorite people in Albany (and beyond). We celebrated his life and lamented his death. I will not forget this time. Back on the airplanes and buses and back with Charlie and Skye. I also had the great joy of seeing my sweet spouse for a few days and Ned and Perry. Got to pat Buddy..dogs are really good at welcoming people home. -Mark Castlebar - Westbrook House (6.17.16) - Rode The Great Western Way - Camped at Westbrook House - Receptions area felt like jousting arena - Went into town for dinner - clean and crisp 'happening' town - Ate at a reasonable priced pub/nightclub - Watched soccer match (Croatian fans threw flares - ref added extra time allowing Czech to have a chance to equalize - awesome to watch) - Charlie really had to pee during the search for a whippy (ice cream) - Found a centra / charlie relieved himself - in the baby poop bathroom from nightmares / got the biggest whippy ever - Home to tent to prepare for big planned next day Westbrook House - Crough Patrick (6.18.16) - Planned to wake up early and Summit Crough Patrick (this summit had been brought up by locals in conversation a few times) - When we got there everyone was dressed in Yellow for a charity event - EMTs on deck (they called them 'Civil Defense') - Rocks all the way up - Part of top with path of loose rocks at intense grade - People walking barefoot for 'penance' - "I dont know how many people they have murdered but... said the guy next to us" - After, stopped at pub for soccer match (Ireland: they lost) - Enormous projector to ourselves - Went back to Westbrook house and took a "nap" - woke up at 20:00 and snacked on food - Rain had started - Went back to bed Westbrook House - Achill(ish) Island (6.19.16) - Rain all morning making packing a pain in the arse - Rode on the Great Western Way towards Achill island.(Ireland's largest island - lots of mountains on Island to0) - It was raining all day - we were soaked - creeks = rapids - water coming from everywhere - Stopped at a pub in Mulranny -Met some locals (Tommy, Franky, Pat, and Chris) -Chris offered for us to stay at his house -B&B's were expensive -After getting to know the group we decided to stay with Chris -OUR ADVENTURE BEGAN -with throwing our gear into a bus the guys knew (knowledgeable , nice guy - his bus info is shared on our facebook page) -Chris, Pat, Charlie, and Skye rode all the way onto Achill island -Cool bridge -Pub with a session happening -Skye serenaded by band (the sixteen year old from Arizona) -Rounds of drinks (Jameson) continued -Ate at HotSpot - spiciest curry ever (Skye's fault) -Went back to pub and....continued drinking -Charlie began to weaken (Puke?) -Back to Chris's house and to bed Mulranny - Achill Island (6.20.16) - Woke up Monday at Chris's at 0700 and we were both crunchy - Pat was suppose to pick us up at 0730 - Chris ended up driving us back to the bike - sat in back with gear - drives like a maniac - Neither one of us felt like riding today but were determined to see the island from a cyclists view - Got on the bike and headed out to island - stopped at centra on the way in (Electrolytes required) - Valley House (highly recommended was booked) -"Its all worth it once we get to this part of the day" -Charlie "Well maybe not, we are booked" -Valley House Owner - Went to the caravan park, it was not appealing and we truly needed a warm bed - Finally found a B&B that would be home by seven - Ate food (slowly) - Went to B&B and set up the tent / took a nap till she got home - made us tea, washed our clothes - had a nice night inside Achill Island - Castlebar (6.21.16) - Breakfast Smoothie, Irish Breakfast, Fresh clothes - Most windy day...ever. - rode out to north point of island before heading off - Met cyclists that spend a week riding 300km a day, 2-3 hours of sleep - 1 Canadian, 1 Irishman, 1 Australian (all super loopy) - Made it off the Island and the wind slowed down - Opposite of ride to the Island (sunny and clear) - Took Green way all the way back (same way we came but different from the change in weather and direction) - 70km day - Had lunch on greenway (apples, cheese) - met hiker from Italy; he wanted to do Appalachian trail one day (mentioned this when we said we were from GA; gave our contact info - Stopped in Newport for a bite to eat (Charlie had a beer) - decided to go on to Castlebar - checked in with Ronnen (awesome dude who helped us store Dad's bike and figure out logistics for his trip the many days before that we stayed at the same site in Castlebar) - Went into town and split a burger at a pub while watching football matches - Saw what we suspect to be secret service in plain cloths enjoying off-time and a meal (Biden was in town) - back to camp to bed Castlebar (6.22.16) The next day marked the reunion of the group. Dad jet-lagged - took the day off. Met him at bus. Went to eat. We surprised him with a fully set up site for him to go straight to sleep; it was right after fathers day after all (he was so stoked to see that tent after eating) While in Cong, we read of a town named The Neale that had some interesting items in it; temples, a well, and a pyramid. Since it was relatively on the way, contained the alternatively spelled version of my mothers maiden name, and had weird things - we pinned it as the first destination of the day.
The history and story of these things is a strange one and not completely clear to me. What I did note, is relative to many things in Ireland, they were not incredibly old (18th to 19th century?). At the same time, there were some ancient cairns and ring-forts in the area. In conclusion, I do not know how much relation the name of the town and my mothers maiden name has, but it got us to poke around in the area and see some very interesting 'follies' From there we road to the larger village of, Ballinrobe, to utilize there bike shop to load up on some tubes for the new skinny (1-1/8") tire that was working well on the front of the tandem [still have the 2" on the back]. In town we had a fork/choice: the more direct, busy road or the more winding back roads - the options being separated by a lake. The group choice in Ireland has now historically been to do the back roads (as buses and lorries on skinny 100 kph roads is no fun) - the only caveat to them seems to be that you do a little more elevation as the roads are more up and down compared to their more congested counterparts. These up and downs always prove worth it for the views provided. The wonderful and not to hilly back-roads ride was perfect for us and put us into Castlebar by early evening. We would be camping in a 'holiday village' where the night shift attendant, Ronin, settled us in and gave us great advice on a pub to grab a pint and bite. The town of Castlebar would now be the home setting for adventures for a few days as dad would soon be splitting way from Skye and I for ~5 days. With this unplanned event ahead of us, we settled down for a busy start the next morning. -Charlie The area around the village of Cong was heavily wooded and sandwiched between two lakes. This blend of forest and waterways combined with protected public lands gave us plenty to find and do.
And so instead of pushing forward we chose to stay a day in this rich area. By late morning we were out on the walking paths West of Cong enjoying the stroll through the forest; finding all the little treasures and sites to be found. Afternoon, we were on the bikes again in hunt for a nice spot Dad had read about that would put us on the tip of the larger Southern lake. After one back track and route re-looking at, we had found it! Luckily for us, this location had a path that ran behind the Ashford estate so we were able to sneak through the back (once again)! They had staff members at many points of the estate trying to collect money to enter the estate - we had been advised by locals that there were many ways to get in without paying...verified twice. This rolled us out into Cong with some kilometers saved where we packed the calories back in...ready to head back to camp for some R&R. Cong - a great place for a day off from pulling gear. -Charlie We started this day with two options:
So, we went into the decision making process with the mindset to avoid things we did not like, completely ignorant to the fact that our choice was about to take us through one of the most amazing places of our trip. In short, we chose the 'mountain' path because we: hate the tourist buses, had already seen the coast for the last few days, and did not want to add more miles; even if the alternate meant more climbing. As we left Doolin we cut through, what has become to us, pretty standard Irish countryside. Grass, hills, grass, and things eating the grass. Pretty and always appreciated in alternate to tour buses on tinny roads. As we road what felt like a standard day, we slowly climbed up ~600 feet; we were all unaware of this up to the point in which the scenery all changed rapidly within a few kilometers. Rolling grass fields gave way to forest on top of fluid highlands. The ascent was so gradual we were in it and done with it before we had realized we had already completed our first climb of the day. As we stood on top of this point, the change in scenery was refreshing as we looked out over the landscape. The smells and sights were fresh, crisp, and alive; very different from the salty bite of the coast. With the moral boost of completing your first climb of the day in ignorance, we sallied forth with a wonderful descent into this new setting. As we road, we started seeing more signs of change and the landscape to come. The fields began to become speckled with stone and the rolling hills around us became more sharp, exposing the rocky frame underneath. As we approached and rounded a large rock wall, we entered what Skye described as 'it is like we just walked through the wardrobe into Narnia'. The pictures and words won't do this setting justice. We were in a grass filled flat that was surrounded on both sides by sharp rock cliffs. The setting was remote with no noise except for the animals grazing the lush grass blanketed ground between the strong natural stone structures. I have never much understood the saying 'it was like time stood still'. I guess it is because I don't have the sensation. This moment was the closest I have felt to it as the three of us stopped riding in the middle of this landscape and simply looked around. As I look through our photos of the area, I realize they do not capture but a fraction of what it looked and felt like. This seems just, as it emphasizes the experience of the journey over the stories and pictures we can share of it. Through this geological cut, we entered into our lowest but steepest climb of the day topping out at a 20% and averaging 15% grade. I consider 10% steep. This thing was a monster. We literally had to climb out of the beauty we were in. At the top, we rested and recovered, giving us the opportunity to meet and talk to a local cyclist on his long Sunday ride. He exclaimed short of breath, 'How on Earth did you get up that with all that stuff!' We responded, 'With many stops!' - Skye is, justifiably, a proponent of the 'Granny Stop' (Erin gets the kudos for this intelligent advice). After a short chat we were rewarded with a drop into a small village to enjoy a meal at the one pub. From there we had our last climb of the day. It was the highest point of the day, but with much more manageable grades. From this point we were able to look out over 'The Burren'; a 250 km^2 karst region formed mainly of limestone. I encourage all to go check out the wiki page linked here - The Burren, as it will give you an idea of the setting we were in. From this point, the rest of the day was a descent back down to the coast. The drop through the Burren was exhilarating as we passed through the many bio-mes that this unique area is home to. After a few stops, we were out and back on a busy N rode. With the tour buses back and in force, the majesty of the day seemed far away. Soon dad called it and said, 'Next B&B we see is home for the night'. There were no objections. We settled in and ate a poor mans dinner from our stockpile of bread, cheese, and sauces of sorts; we were not about to get back out on that road to find food! With the promise of a full Irish breakfast the next morning, we all settled in comfortably for the end of our day. -Charlie Quick last breakfast with Mom - she was off to catch a bus around 8. By Mom! Love you!
The usual morning wind up - this involves trying to upload as many good pictures as possible, try and get a blog posted, 2 of the 3 S's (not currently shaving), and then pack the bags and load them up onto bike. Ready to roll! Doolin, the small village North of the Cliffs of Moher, is the destination. We planned to head back into town to do some quick things we remembered about all requiring the bike shop. We then got the best directions ever to get us out of the 1-way street maze of Ennis. Out of town and on the road! Notes of the ride: - It was hot...one of the hottest days...especially early in the ride - It was small up and downs with 2 larger climbs near the end of the day. - The first of the two climbs opened us up to the cool ocean breeze....ahhhhh, this is why we do this craziness! The contrast of all the senses! - It finished with an epic view down into Doolin.....ahhhhh...... Now home away from home preparation: - Chose between 3 camping options (over a pint of course - thanks Los!) and unloaded gear/set up camp - Figured out where grocery was - back up the darn hill that required. -_- - Used the trip up the hill to do a loop and find the entrance of the Moher trail - Back to camp for some food!!!! (Dad may tell all of his inadequacies but he ALWAYS fails to point out his abilities. One of these is ingredient combination, especially simple ones, into yumminess!) - Relaxing evening with wonderful coastal sunset - strange effect with sun through clouds...we thought it was the moon at first it was so dim. Perfect period to the day. -Sleep -Charlie This day marked Moms final day in Ireland. The day was reserved to get her gear ready for travel, shed some of the groups stuff we thought was unnecessary into her travel bag, and return her bike. Everyone, besides mom, had seen very little of Ennis during our first visit; she planned to show us around with our day off. Ennis was a wonderful town to explore with its tight, winding streets full of activity. The day was relaxed and un-rushed; highlighted by the fact that we got to use our Phase 10 cards for the first time - getting almost all the way through a game (enjoying a few pints along the way - thanks Pedro!).
After a dinner in town we all walked back to our B&B (used on our first visit). We were incredibly excited to be back to see of our wonderful host Moura. This accentuated the full circle we had done in 3 weeks time. This last day made a wonderful conclusion for this part of the trip. I am incredibly stoked my mother joined us for these three weeks. She added literally thousands of amazing photos to our 'photo reserve'. These were an invaluable tool to making this blog more 'in life'. [One day we will get the whole portfolio organized and shared.] She was the chief B&B liaison balancing location with cost; we enjoyed being spoiled for these 3 weeks! She was Dad's constant companion; it is always wonderful being able to divide into groups and conquer tasks...especially knowing Dad had someone tough at his back. She was a defining characteristic of the trip; every little thing influences a trip like this so without her who knows what stories, adventures, and sites we would have missed. Thanks for coming Mom and can't wait to see you in 2.75 months! -Charlie Plan: To spend the morning exploring the site rich area of Loch Gur. To get to Limerick mid-day and do a ride through the town to see it. Stop in Bunratty where we would be able to see the castle and 'folk village' the next morning.
We began our day riding back the way we came the day before so we could round the lake towards the Lough Gur Heritage Center. On the way we passed and saw several sites; a stone church ruin, an ancient burial tomb/wedge, and a castle among others. The area was very rich in history as the land and location were ideal; the area was highly settled over the centuries. At the heritage center, there was a multitude of paths and green space which we enjoyed for the entirety of the morning. After a quick lunch we hit the road to Limerick. The ride was a blast; we had a tail wind and did very little elevation gain on the rolling hills down into Limerick. Mom was the most thrilled for the fun, fast ride. In Limerick we stopped for a quick pint and then road the Shannon river to see some of the town. The river walkways and bike paths were well done. To Bunratty we went with a B&B reserved. The ride was a little more uphill then earlier in the day, but way less then what we had become accustom to. Soon we were settled in ready to enjoy a sunny afternoon. We went down to the town to scout out the castle for the next morning as well as get a bite to eat. We ate at the Creamery which had a great atmosphere in an old stone creamery full of old thing-a-ma-doo-hikies including an old boiler that they had built the bar around. Full bellies and a short ride home we were ready for some R&R. -Charlie |