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
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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 Goodby to frisky Galway
We spent the night camping in the backyard of a warm showers host. Her name was Aga or similar..young Polish immigrant, sweet, blonde, fit, reserved. Two other warmshower freeloaders like us were already there..sleeping inside. USA Mid-westerners Pete and Lydia, younger than Charlie - kinda hippieish. Idealistic and naturalistic. Pete may have been a friend of Bill. Lydia seemed like a natural fun-lover, full of laughter..also athletic. They were caffeinds, having been Starbucks employees. We all decided to set out together and find a bike store...they wanted different gearing to allow easier hill-climbing,. Charlie wanted tires and tubes. We found it with ease.. the kids with the cellphone POWER..then off to the north, all riding together. The road we took was an N road, but looked like an M road..think I75. Shortly, Charlie suffered a “puncture” and the NASCAR pit crew went into action..i think Pete and Lydia were impressed, until the tire we fixed also went flat. Take two, and on the way. We rode until their route diverged from ours then ate lunch together and sadly parted ways with hugs and well wishes. Easy rolling, Pete and Lydia! We proceeded to Cong over rolling hills and back roads. Pleasant ride. The weight of the bike and trailer seem like part of me when I ride. Charlie and Skye are always ahead. They talk all the time, twenty questions etc. Talking is out of the question for me. Maybe the flap about second hand smoke is true,. I lived in cigarette smoke from birth to age 20. None after that. I am strong, but “more AIR, please”. We arrived in Cong..a confluence of rivers,. Clear water fast moving, between two lakes. Scene of 1950s movie “a quiet man” John Wayne, John Ford directed. Beautiful place. Fly fisherman everywhere, catching nothing. We broached the confines of Ashford castle for the first time. Very exclusive golf resort beautiful gardens, huge improved castle full of rich people. They couldn't keep us out. Next, to town. Local bar, four men (in 50s?). On the the second round of beer they got friendly. Charlie's talent again. Loud, fun discussion of politics, economics, alcoholonomics, etc. We also watched a good soccer game. Tony (my local) was easily the roughest of the guys. He was torn between disliking immigrants and a socialist ideology. Everybody was sad about the Orlando slaughter...thought gun control was the answer. Interesting views. We rode home to our tents. It is light here til 10:30pm... blessed sleep! Mark HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELSEY HORTON! For the past couple of years we have grown closer (duh). Spending time with you - watching documentaries, taking naps, and analyzing the world we live in has made me a better person. Without you I would not feel as adventurous and curious about the world as I do now. Thank you for always helping me see the truth whether it is good or bad. I completely believe you are the one of the bravest and smartest women I have ever met. I support whatever path you take in life because I know no matter what you will do great things. AND: That little booger, Wyatt, that you made - I will always love as my own. He has brought so much joy into my life and thank you for sharing him with me! Love, Skye Step one: leave our B&B fully fed and ready to ride to Galway. Step two: Charlie found a WarmShowers host, Agnieszka (Aga) from Polland, right outside of the city. - she already had cyclists staying inside, but offered her yard for us to camp in. Upon our arrival, we met Aga and the other two cyclists (Pete and Lydia). Pete and Lydia are a couple from around the Chicago area spending about four months in Europe. Their plan is different but indeed similar to ours. If you would like to look there blog up go to TheWorldIsAGoodPlace.com. (We have enjoyed the content thus far!) Step three: set up camp, go to the grocery store to buy food for lunch, come back to camp, eat, head into Galway. Step four: go to the first pub that we stumble across. - there we find the most charismatic bartender we have met thus far. - we met the locals, and army men that were hanging out. Enjoyed conversation and beer. - bartender also spoke of Crough Partrick (a mountain that will soon become relevant in our adventure) Step five: Meet up with the awesome duo : Pete and Lydia - we ate food with these two free birds at a fish and chips place - over dinner we had the chance to learn more about them Step six: Got ice cream. (ALWAYS ICE CREAM) - thankfully we are riding everyday Step seven: Went back to camp. Step eight: Planned to ride with Pete and Lydia tomorrow. Thank you Pete and Lydia for sharing your time with us. I appreciate the light hearted moments we had with you. Especially, (looking into the future), when you stayed with us with our flat tire. Bought the pecans for us, which made us have a little bit of home in our bags and tummys. I can not wait for the experiences we will share in the future. Hopefully we will meet up in France, but if not, back up in the States.
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 We are still alive, and still in Ireland.
After our morning tea time, we went straight to the ferry to go to Inis Oirr of the Aran Islands. -Inis Oirr, the smallest of the three islands, limestone pavement covers the land and there are also stone walls everywhere. As we venture along we stop to see the small historical sights. -such as O'Brien's fort, Saint Gobnait's Church, Saint Caomhan's Church, and the ship wreck of the Plassey. We get back on the ferry and have a (surprise) tour of the Cliffs of Moher. Back at camp we drink wine, and eat some food before a long night of music. Charlie and I go to get our festival tickets, wristbands, schedule, and beer mugs. The first band starts at six, and by this point it was right after five. Into the event we go. The shows were amazing. I have gone to many bluegrass/folk events in the states but have never experienced anything like the traditional Irish folk music. I had never seen the instruments they were playing. -Uilleann Pipes -Tara Howley & Friends were the first band at the festival and she solos the pipes in the video linked. (Click on Uilleann Pipes) -Concertina - solo of unknown playing the concertina. I encourage you to look at more videos because this is just the first one I came across. -Bodhrán - Irish frame drum (one of my favorites thus far) - solo by Josselin Fournel. One of the bands that Charlie and I really enjoyed are called MyFellow Sponges. (Click on their name to watch their most recent upload) Thanks for tuning in. -Skye We decided to take a day (sort of) off. There was much discussion of options..and the two top candidates of things to do included a hike along the cliffs leading to Moher and riding a boat to some nearby islands. We decided to do the hike and skip the boat. After the hike we were going to break camp and head out. We started the hike just outside of Doolin (rode bike to trail-head) - no real cliffs there. The bulk of visitors ride buses to the entry point located near the center of the cliffs.
We walked along fields full of the most alert and happy seeming cows and horses, with the ocean directly on the other side. We went up and up and up the cliff formed as we went...Right next to us..waves of crystal clear dark blue water bashing the rocks below. It got terrifically high the further we went. When we could see the tower and the hordes we turned around. After we made our way back, we were breaking down the camp and Skye overheard people talking politics. Everybody wants to talk about Trump..I could scream. However in the middle of this overheard conversation it was revealed that the Doolin folk festival started the next day, right across the street from the campground! We stopped breaking down the camp and paid for another day. During the course of this trip, many good things have happened. We have met many sweet and friendly fun-loving locals. Had many cherish-able experiences..all because of Charlie Shoemaker’s undeniable ability to follow through, his aggressive good cheer, his eagerness to meet new people, and his flexibility. What a star! Skye brings a fun-loving sweetness, an alertness to social situations, and a completeness to the tandem. They are a team..1+1 is way more than 2 with them. I am having fun. MARK Ps. I miss you, Joyce. 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 Joyce's last travel day in Ireland.
Bed and breakfast just north of Bunratty. Up, pack up, roll to town. Bunratty castle and recreated town. All of the historical attractions we have seen so far have been first class. History: 12 century. Built at a crossroads intersecting competing interests. The Normans, the O'Briens, the Fitzgeralds. Atrocities galore,. Including being drawn by two horses, inquisitions for heresy, burning at the stake...Lovely! The castle is a fortified house, much larger than we have yet seen, but of similar construction. The beauty of visiting these places is imagining life in them..bet it stunk. Around the castle itself they have reconstructed an ancient town with associated businesses…blacksmith, baker, mills etc. Very interesting. Furthher up the hill is other exhibits ..like a 19 century town,. Displays of byzantine farm equipment (steam engine powering a turnip slicer). All lots of fun. Load up and roll to Ennis..about 30 km of rolling hills, with a bike lane most of the way. Intersections here are largely controlled by traffic circles. This is very efficient but relies on a form of controlled chaos. The trick with a bicycle is to act like a car. The only caveat there is that speed and acceleration available to the cyclist is very different from a car.. The bob trailers, flashing lights , the tandem itself and Charlie and Skye's flying hair make us easy to spot. Charlie is an aggressive rider, which works well in this situation . Another b&b...day off in Ennis tomorrow. Mark. |