We shivered against the cold, damp wind and wondered how we could endure another day like this.  One mile into our ride, as we climbed our first hill, all was forgotten, unzipping as fast as we could to cool off. The up and down went on for miles, the dark clouds only throwing mist our way.  On one particularly long down (after a long up) a cold drizzle was threatening to have us shivering again.  At the bottom, the first civilization we had seen since leaving our B & B was a gas station/market serving soothing hot chocolate.  By the time we pedaled away, the sun was beginning to show and the 55° temperatures had warmed up ten degrees.

Out of the hills and down to the relatively flat road along the west coast of this peninsula, we experienced fully the prevailing southeast winds.  Thankfully, the winds were only about 10 mph, so not debilitating, just draining over time.  This coastline was gorgeous, the sun that occasional broke free of the clouds, reflecting Caribbean blue in the waters.Everything wild was blossoming from the water, be it showers or sea.Though the scenery remained brilliant, the warm air and flat road did not.Sometime after noon, we stopped for lunch in a pretty cove with a white sandy beach.  Though we enjoyed the vista, the only restaurant in our entire stretch today, was closed.  As we climbed to the middle of the peninsula, over to the east side, the rocks we had enjoyed along the coastline grew larger and coupled with grass fields created a spectacular landscape.

One last climb before dropping into another scenic harbor town.  With rain threatening, we sped through town happy to be able to check in before the rain hit, but after we climbed the short but very steep hill to the hotel.Having missed lunch, it did not take us long to pedal back into town for a little snack before dinner. We had planned to take the ferry to Northern Ireland tomorrow, but had not planned on the ferry being booked.  So tomorrow we’ll take a day off show you this pretty harbor town.

Note:  Below the photo gallery of each day is a comments section (that you are welcome to add); if you are missing it, you are missing an occasional hysterical commentary by Mike K.  aka Cecil O’Toole.

It was a gorgeous morning, especially for sleeping in and and enjoying a leisurely breakfast.  But the sunshine was beckoning us into town for a look around.  The ferry company had promised to contact us by ten, if we could make today’s boat, so at 10:15 we headed out to do some much needed laundry and a look about.With a quick swing by the ferry office to pick up tomorrow’s tickets, we learned we were booked on the ferry that left in less than an hour.  Chaos ensued!  A panicked bike back to the hotel, everything thrown into bags, including wet, but very clean, clothes and a return to the dock with enough time to spare to take a few shots of the small town…..and then we were off to Northern Ireland.

It could not have been a more beautiful day to cross the sometime unruly channel between the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea.  Not only were we happy to have made the ferry a day earlier, but also happy to miss Sunday’s prediction of gail force winds.  Leaving the shores of Scotland and entering Northern Ireland, we were struck by how similar their “bluffs” were to The Brac.   As we docked in yet another seaside town, we immediately noticed a fish n’ chips place.  Duckies were hungry from the crossing and were not going any further until fed. A few blocks away, we checked in.  Though it was officially a day off, we actually logged over six miles with the morning errand running.  With an afternoon off, we strolled into town just as the shops were closing.  Lost Jerry in the first pub we came to, so a quick walk about town and I soon realized he was in the best place in town.  With one Guinness down, it was time for a snack; we enjoyed a huge plate of (brown) crab claws perfectly cooked and seasoned with garlic and butter.  More beer, wine and then a seafood pasta dinner to die for plus, great entertainment.We threatened to stay in Ballycastle for a week, or the rest of the trip!  We left with head attached, but a stroll to the seaside was a must and a great choice.  The bluff and beach we had seen on the entry, was beautifully lit by the evening sun.  Many had gathered by the seaside for the beautiful evening, but guided by the birds,  we headed for our B & B.

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!

Plockton, Scotland to Larne, Northern Ireland

278 Miles

4 Days with Rain

With a short ride today, we were in no hurry to rush out into the pouring rain.  Sleeping in and another luxurious leisurely breakfast allowed the rain to clear before our departure.  A couple of photos of Larneas we pedaled out of town and along the Larne Harbour.

The dramatic cliffs and hills of yesterday mellowed to lush green fields.We focused on the tiny patch of blue in a sky filled with dark clouds, hoping we could ride without the rain today.  As we crested our climb, we had marvelous views of the Irish Sea and the City of Belfast in the distance.

A change in the wind and velocity and we knew it was only a matter of time before the rain in the distance was going to reach us.  A five minute downpour reached us, before we could hide in a coffee shop.  With extra time before we could check in, we stopped in Carrickfergus for a cappuccino.  A ten mile leisurely ride through a park and along a bike path, where we rescued a couple of locals from a flat tire.The bike path took us all the way the into the city of Belfast, avoiding busy streets.  A quick shower and out to discover the city.  Two block from our hotel, we stumbled upon a wonderful market filled with art, music, food and sense of whimsy.The Titanic was built in Belfast and as they will quickly point out, “it was floating when it left.”  Our touring was cut short by rain, but a quick duck into the oldest bar in Belfast, a perfect stopfilled incredible detail…..and Guinness beer.We tried for more sightseeing, like the City Hall, but the rain was going to get the better of us, so we found a place for dinner.  The Northern Whig House had a story to tell, too.   Three communist revolutionary statues within the restaurant, were purchased from the former Czechoslovakia.  A quick stroll back to our hotel, before the next downpour.  Hopefully, the rain will finish up before we ride tomorrow.

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The view from our bedroom window showed beautiful sunshine; we were ready.  The roads were full of cars as we pedaled out of the city.  Within a mile, a pedaling commuter offered to lead us to the bike path that would save us the frenzy of rush hour.  Of course, he was biking at 20 mph without any bags, so we were pushing to keep him in sight and snap a few pictures.  We were very thankful for the directions, though, as we would never have been able to find the unmarked path on our own.  Ten miles of bike path was heavenly and flat, so we were sorry to see it abruptly end as we entered a village.Though the dual carriageway we traveled was not incredibly busy, it did not have any shoulder and very few opportunities to to pull off.  But we were working too hard going up and down the hills to manage many pictures.  The little villages were loaded with churches of every kind of architecture/period.

In the distance we catch a glimpse of a castle that looks like something from Disneyworld.  As we biked into the next town, we realized it was just a minor detour from our route.  The Killyeagh Castle is the oldest inhabited castle in the country, dating from the 12th century; one family having owned it since the 1700’s.  Just before noon, we dropped in for a wee bit to eat.

 As seems to always be the case as the day grows longer, the winds increase  making the climbing more difficult. Closer to the coast, we were more directly impacted by the south blow.  A quick stop in the town of Newcastle for new brakes on both bicycles.  Newcastle is a pretty town along the water but way too many tourists for our liking; like high season in Virginia Beach. A few miles down the road, we found out bed and breakfast, on Top of a hill.  We were greeted by one of the many resident geese.Showered and somewhat rested, it didn’t take us long to seek out dinner, which required a bike back into town.Our harbor side restaurant was well worth the pedal not to mention the darling girls that kept us entertained.  One mile back up the hill to make it a 48 mile day and a night’s rest.

Duckies said they wanted to go back to bed after their wonderful breakfast instead of going out in the pouring rain.  And as much as we agreed, it showed no signs of letting up, so we bundled up and headed out into the cold (55°) rainy morning.  The rain and fog were so thick all we could see was the wet road in front of us.    Occasionally we were afforded a glance of large homes on the hills or stunning shoreline.  But mostly, we kept our head down biking hard against the wind and rain as if we could break through or outrun it.  Almost two hours later, as we dropped from our climbing, the rain lessened and we could actually see a few miles ahead of us.  The small villages along the Carlingford Lough were a refreshing site.  Homes grew larger as did the stone walls that obscured the full view.  We traveled up the Newry River past the Narrow Water Castle dating from the 16th century.  Though the rain had stopped, the clouds still hung heavy on the hills, threatening to rain again.

Unceremoniously, we crossed the border into Ireland, noted only by the many signs for money exchange.  At 1:30 and 38 miles completed, we finally stopped for a rest and a bite to eat.  Our quick stopped was delayed with a flat waiting for us as we left lunch, but within the hour we had completed lunch and the tire fix.  Best of all, the sun had come out for our final ten miles.  Our road into town went right by the magnificent St. Patrick’s Church.  A tour of the inside would be on our list, but only after we showered and took care of some reservations.  In a couple of days, we were crossing the Irish Sea back to England and were having a very difficult time coordinating everything.  Thankfully, Sinéad at the tourist info office was beyond helpful and got us squared away.

Unfortunately by the time we finished, the church had closed it’s doors, so we headed for refreshments, dinner and desert.Long day tomorrow, so time for bed.