Top 'o the brow

Yesterday during our pootling round we did about 15km, with a few hills thrown in. Today we cycled Civerskiveem to Caherdaniel, which was about 26km. Not too shabby and one enormous climb with a beautiful descent afterwards. I write in kilometres because that's how it's measured here in sunny Ireland. 

Started with the breakfast of kings: local smoked salmon, hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise and brown rice. Midday was the lunch of queens. As above but with carrots instead of rice - well, we have to use everything up.

Oh with flapjack and green tea to finish. 

It was just a beautiful day. Demps took his usual precautions against the sun...

As I said, a short cycle but with a long, steady climb of a couple of miles.

Glad to reach the top. 

Then we free wheeled down and found another brilliant campsite.

Cyclists sleep here.

Demps was a bit under the weather (man flu), so I left him to sleep it off whilst I went to the beach.

THIS IS IRELAND!!!

A selfie of sorts. 

Then we had a BBQ and went to tent.

Barbie spot.

I've been excited about the Barbie since we started. I had this idea about a fire on the beach and cooking over it. When we arrived in Dublin we (I) bought a fire log which we (Demps) have been cycling with. I should probably admit to some pyromaniac tendencies...as Demps put it 'if only Guy Fawkes had had you on his side, he'd have had no problem.'

To express this concept visually, I offer the following..

This: 

Plus this:

Equals this:

It got slightly out of hand and somebody (not me) had to go and refil the water bottle to douse the flame.

It's been a good day. 

......

I'm aware that I'm not blogging as expressively or as copiously as usual. It's a bit more hard work cycling and camping. Plus with someone else you talk more and think less (I need to think to blog). It's nicer having a cycling buddy, I travel farther, I am more ambitious and I try harder, you get to share your hill triumphs and talk about what's for lunch. With a buddy you can tackle important life questions, such as: 'Where did you put the toothpaste?' You can laugh at each other. Lots. So yeah, this trip has less blogging time/feedback but more chat. 

:)

And finally, a photo for M. Lamy:

As we suspected...the story about the Columbian drugs cartel totally halting the export of Corona was not true at all ;)

Up an at 'em

Its a beautiful day in Ireland :) and the flowers are out.

More cheese.

Woke to thunder clouds this morning. Heavy and wet. Decided to stay in the same campsite for two nights (sore thighs/rain). 

Took the bikes and looked for a place to hire kayaks. Cahersiveen have advertised kayaks but they're not getting them til next year ('sure, you can wait if you want') so we headed to Valentia Island. Took a ten-car-size ferry across the water. Looked around and saw an advertisement for 385 million year old footprints, that and a few other attractions are the features of Valentia ('Ireland's best kept secret').

Ireland's biggest candle, not to be missed...though we did.

Arrived and had a picnic. I must admit, I have a healthy appetite...(I eat a lot), but next to Demps I'm like Kate Moss on a detox diet. The phrase 'I'm not moving til I've had some cheese' was ringing in my ears most of the day.

Ok, if you buy a block and have some, it does get sweaty but surely to goodness it doesn't mean you have to stop every 25 metres for a slice.

And whilst we're on the subject for a dexterous individual (musician/guitar teacher) I've never met a person who can literally put their life at risk so easily whilst engaging in such devilish exploits as picking a plate up or slicing cheese. I'm surprised he's managed to keep ten fingers/thumbs. Every slicing is a foray into the Russian roulette world of losing a digit. After some discussion and a fair bit of blood a joint decision has been made: I cut stuff up.

So...the Tetrapod tracks. These are basically really old fossilised footprints. Very cool. 

I mean...who discovers that? 

Oh. But before we arrived:

Some cheese.

A little spell on the beach:

'Discover Ireland' - Demps' photo

'Dead jellyfish' - my photo

And some beautiful views...

And we headed off back downhill to the ferry. It is beautiful. And hilly. And apparently (Joe says) 'you've done the easy bit, the rest gets a bit mountainous'

Noooooooooo!!! We should have bought a map. 

But sometimes the hills do have their advantages...

HOW MANY???

40 miles.

Forty. Miles.

FORTY! MILES!

And I thought someone had mentioned a holiday...

Yeah, so, made it all the way to Mannix Point today. It was faaaarrrrr. My thighs hurt. My but-tocks hurt. My head hurts. 

Did I mention? 40 miles.

However, we are now staying in the loveliest camp site. It's really beautiful, right on the waterside, protected by a bay and the facilities are fab. 

Ended the day with some great food and pints. So tired. Yawn. Still waiting for the holiday bit to start. 

Tenting...

Eight hours sleep! Not bad when the first thing you see in the morning looks like this... 

That's tarp, pole, bivvy and sleeper from my lying position.

Woke up in Kilarney. Guess what, been here before! A wedding (Gareth and Becky) about six years ago which I thought was somewhere else. Doh. Only difference then I was wearing posh clothes and staying two doors down in the big, fancy Brehon.

Yesterday was spent travelling. Car to Holyhead, ferry to Dublin, train to Kilarney, bike to campsite. Rode the bike just a little in between all other modes of transport but without padded cycling shorts, a decision I later regretted..

Had a swift tour of the capital. 

Us on a bridge. 

List of things lost, replaced and later found by D: 

Waterproof, toothbrush(he now has three), toothpaste.

List of things not remembered by me:

Cards, toothpaste.

Yesterday to amuse selves on train we played 'what's on the train menu' charades. Yeah, you get it...basically act out menu items in syllabuls. More amusing attempts were:

Buddy-wise (Budweiser)

Phwoarr-on-na (Corona)

So-van-gone blonde (Sauvignon blanc)

Hilarious but you had to be there, we should probably get out more...

Today's plan, start on the Ring. 

Farcical

Whoop de doop, made the ferry. After an early start combined with the realisation that we weren't as organised as even We thought....D forgot his waterproof, I've lost the map/pamphlet. 

BUT we've got a truck load of sandwiches and plenty of oat bars. Always a bright side.

Anyway, arrived at terminal, abandoned car, D found his waterproof - HOORAH - I definitely don't have the map - BOO.

Am trying a new way of blogging, shorter bursts using iPod instead of laptop for longer texts. Not sure how it'll go. Anyhow, it's lunch time :)

...where did we put those sandwiches??

Have coat will travel.

BEWARE...'Dangerous Cycling Halfwits!'

Ok, so the feedback is rolling in. 

From the complimentary: 'If Demps is a person you can stand for ten days, he must be cool.'

To the incredulous: 'You think you'll get TWO bicycles in the back of a Peugeot 107? You're in fairyland'

To the mildly concerned: 'Woman on a bicycle...with tin opener...?'

To the straight talking: 'Dangerous cycling halfwits.'

To which I reply:

He is, but not as cool as The Hoff.

We did, AND the panniers to boot :)

Not at the same time.

No need to state the bleedin obvious.

Resting my case I need to rest my head, so it's goodnight from me and probably goodnight from him. Goodnight.

Farce.

So here's how it starts: Demps calls me in Jan to ask what I'm doing in the summer, suggests we go on a cycling trip to Ireland and I agree. What a brilliant idea!

Fast forward six months to July. Realising that we might need to book something, or actually make some sort of tentative arrangement I secure two adults/two bikes passage by ferry to Dublin and - to his amazement ' Bloody hell, you've changed!' I check out train times to the South Eastern part of the Emerald Isle.

For those of you not in the know we are probably two of the least planny (new word) types of people you have ever met, out collective motto being something in the region of 'I'll just turn up and see how it goes' or 'Let's just tag along' or 'It'll be fine'. Hmmm.

So, this year's adventure (because every year needs at least one) is a cycling trip. We have tents. And money. We have three spare inner tubes each and transport planned as far as Dublin. We have ten days and a whole Ring (Kerry's) to explore. We do not have a map, nor do we have any cooking camping equipment. We do have a 'Visit Ireland' pamphlet (thanks Joe), some great tips (thanks again Joe) and a waterproof each (this IS Ireland after all). We have some Irish ancestry each and a shared understanding of the French language. I have a tin opener and a voice recording of David Hasslehoff, just in case we get glum. Demps has his witty repartee (probably why I'm bringing Hasslehoff).

What could possibly go wrong?

Ahem.