My acco was not accustomed to having their esteemed guests demanding* breakfast at ‘ungodly hour o’clock’, so they asked one of their faithful to come in early. When I heard this, I was mortified: turns out the truth is that the lady in question was only too glad to do so, as this meant she finished 30 mins earlier than she otherwise would’ve done! (*there was zero diva behaviour I promise!)
Goodbye Killorglin, with your odd goat statue type-thing!
It was a meh trudge for the first 25 miles and then the sun and some scenery happened.
Was ready for this artisanal doorstep. Very reasonably priced. For Monaco, hah-hah!
Next stop is at the furthest away bit. Precise navigation as per.
After 25 miles or so, I stopped for a coffee and sandwich in Dingle: possibly the most Irish town evah, and with quite a few visitors from the USA. Because it was gonna be a backtrack after seeing Dunmore Head (most westerly mainland point), I dumped my panniers with a local bike shop owner and enjoyed my new lightweight bike…albeit for two hours!
Never mind the colour, dig that smooth surface!
Luck was holding re the weather…
Get in…checkpoint number three!
Only six hours too soon! #denied
It’s all too wonderful!
Speed back to Dingle and remembered to collect my luggage. Joy!
FJ- lose the hardware.
No point in hanging about, so it was straight into the climb up to Connor’s Pass…5% up to 9% and you actually felt it! There was a bloke walking up it and he had an obvious limp, but it was him giving me plenty as I struggled past him! Blimey…
The summit is somewhere top-right…
Only ever see signs like this in Italy, France or Spain. Nice touch!
The view from the pass changed whichever direction you looked in. #weatherinnit
The downhill was chilly but immense!
It had been a wonderful day so far: after a nondescript opening, the journey to Dunmore Head was a joy. At the same time that I arrived, I got notification of a very generous donation from my ex-boss and her better half, hah-hah! This took us past £9k, so there was no choice: let’s go for ten. Aim high, right?
And CL bunged this on their socials. You never know, might get a donation from it?
After the terrific descent, I had that familiar sinking feeling from my front tyre…oh come on, the tube was brand new on Monday and a decent make. No clue as to why it failed, which is a concern. No matter: 15 mins and we’re back on the road.
Please let this be the final one of these…
Unfortunately that wasn’t the real issue. The front wheel had become more out-of-true each day…only a little at a time but noticeable. So much so that now that it caused the front disc to rub against the brake pads. And as much as I’d love to ignore this, it’ll only get worse…quickly, and of course I didn’t pack a spoke key. I Googled the names of bike repair shops in Tralee and set course. Twenty miles later and the first shop was snowed-under, so the second choice was about 5 mins away.
Go on maestro!
He was a character, but in a good way! He asked where I’d been (reckoned O’Connor’s Pass was the highest paved road in Ireland…cheers!), and where I was headed (Ballybunnion- don’t get your hopes up, hah-hah!). He gave it his best shot for 25 mins or so and did at least true it enough to stop the rotor rub. My problem is whether to chance it and hope that it doesn’t get worse again, or to try to find somewhere that is relatively on my route that’ll sell me a replacement. I still ain’t decided!
Ballybunnion luvs Bill Clinton. Of course you recognised him!
Tonight’s functional acco. Frankly, I could sleep standing-up.
Satisfactory 5 minute walk to decent grub and booze. Not too bad then!
Gertcha!
Today’s stats. Keep on, front wheel!
So there’s just one more item of business…the play-out music. Bruce has written cinematic anthems, introspective and tortured numbers, you name it…yet this song never fails to deliver. Go on!
My hostess Peggie was an absolute gem: laundered my gear with no dramas and insisted that she would be up and about to see me at 0615 for breakfast. Surely there ain’t enough money in the world to compensate for that sight, hah-hah! Oh yeah, she even made porridge for me too. For these kindnesses she is absolved for her Hallmark-inspired furnishing war crimes, hah-hah! Good on you Ma’am.
When I asked if it was raining, Peggie replied, “Not yet.”
In the event, I didn’t have to don my rain jacket at all today. One minor shower was about it, and a few spots here and there. Excellent! The winds were out of the south-west, as forecast. This meant no aggro apart from in the middle bit and I loved the helping hand towards tonight’s destination. Nice one.
And in today’s ‘You wot, mate?’ section…
Outrageous standards of scenery set early doors!
Some art gallery half-way up the first slog. No, no idea whatsoever. Fair play!
And lo! The first bit of naughtiness accounted for.
Satisfactory.
There’s always a descent to be enjoyed…although with damp surfaces it was steady as she goes. In any event, I almost always stop for at least a couple of photos somewhere. Speaking of which…
A cousin of the Wealdstone Raider, hah-hah!
Ho yus indeed!
The earliest known ELP and Van der Graaf Generator fan in Ireland.
Quit with the sights otherwise I ain’t getting nowhere fast.
After a quick Mocha stop, it was away westbound for 25 miles or so…and the winds could’ve been a sight worse for me. That said, it was a joy after lunch to finally make the inbound turn for Killorglin and feel that help. Bueno!
There’s always one, isn’t there?
Chrissie Hynde would’ve approved of these sausages rolls, such was their sausage:pastry ratio! Anyway, we’re back firmly in Team Tayto.
Quality fringe-work.
S’alright I suppose.
An old gag, but their disclaimer gave me a chuckle!
Okay, so what’s the deal? Turns out he holidayed here a load, and was a popular addition!
Sorry- thought it said the birthplace of Daniel O’Donnell.
Only gotta put-up with this awfulness for another 10 miles or so…
Span time!
Alright Kerry- that’s enough showboating for today!
Tonight’s acco is a cut above: restaurant is fantastic and I may need to be winched on to the bike tomorrow, hah-hah! While we’re here and at the real risk of sounding like a stuck 45, thank you to everyone who has pushed the total past £8500. You are amazing and are helping those who need it. Two items of business remaining then…
Room to roam and make the whole gaff untidy!
Good things come to those who wait, yadda yadda! Gone all too soon…
Nah, I meant today’s stats and the Tune Of The Day! The internal jukebox kept jumping around but couldn’t decide, so we’ll have all three contendahs!
Would’ve shaken on that at 0715 this morning.
One for Geoff then…
Washed-up? Not a chance.
“Well I woke-up this morning and grabbed myself some porridge!” doesn’t quite fit.
Breakfast was a couple of bowls of cornflakes before facing the decidedly damp outdoors. What ho! My front tyre had gone flat during the night- a phantom puncture pain in the a*rse had chosen to strike…
Cue 15 mins of faffing…
Was away into it (after stopping at a Centra to get water and a sandwich to continue fuelling) and slavishly followed the route that I’d ‘planned’ a month or so ago: no improvisation today, no bonus miles thanks all the same. I know, no sense of adventure…certainly not when the weather is grim. My sources told me that it was gonna improve. Honest!
Lads- you got to let this go!
That’s as good as it got until maybe 1000?
Mind you…this’ll do nicely!
Most agreeable. Poor sod in the boat probably disagrees, hah-hah!
Another day, another bridge. Them’s the rules!
After lunch I was left with just under 50 miles, starting at 12.30pm. Not a disasterama, given the delayed start.
Old Skool Garmin.
I didn’t eat all of it. Not until later, at least! #heft
Ballydehob’s finest: book him Danno…Murder One!
The signs were there all along. Okay, I’ll get me coat…
The hoped-for Hollywood moment for today was to reach Mizen Head, which is the most southerly point on the mainland, especially if you tilt the map. Nah, it might be a dead-heat with some also ran along the coast but MH gets my vote!
Fine place for a Saga Stop: well it is a bog, right?
Is the sky breaking un peu?
Aye aye Captain…blue skies!
Unbelievably, as I got to within fifteen miles of Mizen Head, the weather dramatically improved…sure there was a decent south-westerly breeze but this was probably as kind as it gets! It was a fantastic ride up to it, made more so because I ditched my panniers behind a wall…hoping they’d still be there in 90 mins or so. They were. Thank Gawd!
Laugh out loud beautiful. Photos will not suffice!
A decent spot for a spin…
After that, next stop is er…
I could spent longer there but there was the small matter of getting to Bantry.
Was there. Without panniers. Lightweight, hah-hah!
Basically it was then a 180 degree turn and backtrack until I retrieved my stash, and then only 15 miles north. Direction of travel is pretty key: this meant that breeze was gonna be helping push me to tonight’s acco. Who knew what delights that would entail?
Hello Bantry!
The ‘Live Laugh Love’ cobblers almost had me outta there pronto, hah-hah!
My hostess for tonight is Peggie: the lady was putting a wash on and had no issues with adding my minging Lycra to the mix. Result! I haven’t dared look at tomorrow’s weather forecast yet… we’ll give it a good go regardless. Like I have a choice, hah-hah!
Today’s tune gets the nod because Geoff, Stuart, Alex, Jonesy and the two Steves shared a house in Whitstable about 35 years ago. When I’d wind-up with them, invariably I’d crash on the settee hence Geoff christening me the ‘Bed and Breakfast Man’…happy with that as we all loved Two Tone. Dear me but Madness had some bangers though…
