Crazy Golfers!

Who would go out in this weather?

Okay, so it’s raining, we’ve done that before.  Reluctantly though, we pedaled away from our comfortable B & B and wonderful hosts.  We had a steady but low grade climb along the sea and for the first time since our trip began, the rain did not let up.  Thankfully, we were generating enough heat on the climb, as the 53° temperatures would be cold, otherwise.   What we could see of the countrysidewas fabulous.Just as we had traveled the same route as the Tour de France in England, we were now biking the same route as the Giro d’Italia in Northern Ireland. Yellow was replaced with pink, the enthusiasm still evident from the May event.

 As we reached the top of our nine mile climb a gust of wind hit us in the face, then swirled to our back.  As we pedaled along our seemingly flat road, we realized our speed was increasing.  For the first time this trip, a road that looked flat was actually going downhill.  We flew past gorgeous scenery, white cliffs along the sea and towering green hills, but it was too cold to stop and too wet to try to shoot while moving.  By the time our downhill stopped, we were frozen to the core.  We pulled into the first shop we could find for copious amounts of hot soup and coffee.  Not the least bit dryer, but definitely warmer, we donned another layer of warmth and continued on our way.   Thicker gloves made photography impossible, the cold fogging the camera lens.

We rode into one town blaring the song “Walking on Sunshine”;trying hard to encourage people to the carnival.  Also passed the Vanishing Lake, amazing in this pouring rain.

The wind was increasing by the minute, the rain not letting up; but the northeast blow was helping our southerly direction.  As we followed the weaving coast, we were acutely aware anytime we turned into the wind.  Waves were building, the sea began crashing against the shore and the roads became rivers of water. Yet this ride was spectacularly beautiful; we will regret not being able to photograph this ride.  It would be a stretch we wouldn’t mind doing again, under much better conditions.  Miles longer than calculated, we made it to our Inn looking like something the cat dragged in.  Emerging from our warm and dry cocoon for dinner, we were shocked to see the wind and rained had stopped, puddles the only evidence of our earlier storm.  Larne is an industrial harbor town, so now that the rain has stopped, there is nothing to see.

Crazy day!