Up early and away. Causeway Hotel continues to be a disappointment. It'll show up on Tripadvisor soon enough...
We head straight to Belfast and make good tiime. There is time to check out the sights in the town, well some of them anyway. We ride along the Falls Road, Shankhill Road and Crumlin Road. All roads with names imprinted on childhood memories of news broadcasts. None of them give us any difficulty at all. There are hundreds of flags in the pro-british areas but murals abound on both sides. The most telling thing though is that normal life is going on. There are visits to make, shopping to buy, all in shops and premises you see on any High Street, no drama at all.
We arrive at the ferry and make the crossing in good time.
Soon after we land at Stranraer we encounter rain, rain and more rain that would track us on our journey all the way home.
So was the holiday worth doing? YES YES YES! It was fantastic to meet the people we did and see the sights we saw. Thanks to Aidan and Mandy, the inspiration for the trip and for looking after us. The scenery was terrific and the roads perfect for bikes (well most of the time anyway) Even the weather, changeable as it was didn't dent our fun and enjoyment. It was a shame that we had to cut out some of the highlights we'd wanted to see but this does of course give the perfect reason to go back, and soon too.
These blog pages are unfinished and more mapping will be introduced over the coming days and maybe the odd tweak here and there too. If you've not been to Ireland before, go now. Don't wait as I did because of the 'troubles' - the risk is only in your mind, go and soak up the experience as soon as you can.
Thanks, Al and Sandy
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Manorhamilton to Causeway Coast (Day 7of8)
Away after a fine breakfast at our B&B and on a route that was going to have to cut out some of the spots we had intended to visit. Enquiries showed that it was not possible to push back the Causway hotel booking one night, as they were full, and the ferry was going to cost some money to change the day too. The weather was great and we stopped next to Lough Mcnean Upper to take in this view across the water with the rising mist - gorgeous
Then we start climbing on bouncing roads (sorry Sandy - not comfortable) and then on to really narrow lanes, tracks, scree, grass covered tracks as we rose through the trees to reach Navar View, Fermanagh. This was supposed to be a cracking view acrosstowards Tyrone and Donegal, over Lower Lough Erne. Well after all that effort we found we could see for... well... feet! - due to the fog.
We met a guy there and chatted for ages. Within just 5 minutes he was offering for us to stay with him and his wife on our next visit, wow, friendly people here. After 20 - 30 minutes the wind came up and hey presto, a view developed in seconds
We arrive in Letterkenny when I find the right turn road towards Greencastle shut, no problem, just keep going and let the sat.nav. do the business. So we end up on a parallel road that gets quieter and narrower. I'm looking desperately for the right turn that gets us back onto our route. Then the sat. nav. and I detect the turn, well soon we enter a farm and then what looked like an industrial cement works. About to give up and turn back, a chap comes out of his cabin to help. He confirms the road does go through, but admits 'we moved it 1/2 a kilometre and it's not that great for bikes...' - so of course that's the way we went, ooh er. The track turned to that creamy chalky consistancy that was more like slippery slurry where damp, mmm interesting, but we got through in the end.
We arrive in Greencastle to see the ferry we wanted heading away across Lough Foyle, we were 8 minutes late. It gave us the chance to have a swift look round before it came back in another 1/2 an hour.
Sandy pole dancing on the pier edge ...
Onto the ferry then and across Lough Foyle. £5 each, so not too bad.
and the landing site on the east side,
Arrived at the Causway coast line, the view of the coastline from near the hotel
How it was made,
What it's made of
The story...
Sandy sitting in the giant's boot
me not taking it seriously,
I could have been a model...
The stones then,
Kids and water eh?
And parents aren't so smart either! just after a wave nearly took them away, bet they're cold as well as wet!
And then back to the hotel for a most mediocre meal (inedible in parts) before retiring for the night, disapointing end to the great day, but we'll not let it spoil things.
Route today 143 miles
Then we start climbing on bouncing roads (sorry Sandy - not comfortable) and then on to really narrow lanes, tracks, scree, grass covered tracks as we rose through the trees to reach Navar View, Fermanagh. This was supposed to be a cracking view acrosstowards Tyrone and Donegal, over Lower Lough Erne. Well after all that effort we found we could see for... well... feet! - due to the fog.
We met a guy there and chatted for ages. Within just 5 minutes he was offering for us to stay with him and his wife on our next visit, wow, friendly people here. After 20 - 30 minutes the wind came up and hey presto, a view developed in seconds
We arrive in Letterkenny when I find the right turn road towards Greencastle shut, no problem, just keep going and let the sat.nav. do the business. So we end up on a parallel road that gets quieter and narrower. I'm looking desperately for the right turn that gets us back onto our route. Then the sat. nav. and I detect the turn, well soon we enter a farm and then what looked like an industrial cement works. About to give up and turn back, a chap comes out of his cabin to help. He confirms the road does go through, but admits 'we moved it 1/2 a kilometre and it's not that great for bikes...' - so of course that's the way we went, ooh er. The track turned to that creamy chalky consistancy that was more like slippery slurry where damp, mmm interesting, but we got through in the end.
We arrive in Greencastle to see the ferry we wanted heading away across Lough Foyle, we were 8 minutes late. It gave us the chance to have a swift look round before it came back in another 1/2 an hour.
Sandy pole dancing on the pier edge ...
Onto the ferry then and across Lough Foyle. £5 each, so not too bad.
and the landing site on the east side,
Arrived at the Causway coast line, the view of the coastline from near the hotel
How it was made,
What it's made of
The story...
Sandy sitting in the giant's boot
me not taking it seriously,
I could have been a model...
The stones then,
Kids and water eh?
And parents aren't so smart either! just after a wave nearly took them away, bet they're cold as well as wet!
And then back to the hotel for a most mediocre meal (inedible in parts) before retiring for the night, disapointing end to the great day, but we'll not let it spoil things.
Route today 143 miles
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