Tuesday    27.6.2017
  278km Total: 5105km    3.53km Total: 265.03km

Today I'll be riding in a figure eight with both the start ann end of the day in Galway as I've booked myself into the same hotel for two nights.
It's nice being able to leave some of the gear at the hotel, even though it's not really noticeable in acceleration it is in manoeuvrability.

I ride straight out to Clifden and the west coast and stop at Clifden Castle, a castle built 1818 but now a ruin.
The castle is for all practical purposes now situated in a cow pen and it was a brisk walk of about 1km to get to it but it was well worth it.
My first impulse when I wrote that it's fallen into ruin was to write unfortunately but that's not what I really think.
There something beautiful about nature taking something back like it's doing with this building with stones falling down and vines covering entire walls.
The fact that it took some dedication getting here meant that I practically had it to myself for quite some time before another couple of lost souls turned up, I really liked it.

But today is really less about sightseeing and more about riding.
The route I'm following I found on some scenic drives website I've since forgotten but they definitely weren't wrong.
It's just riding nirvana the whole day which culminates in the late afternoon when I ride into Doolough valley.
Known in Irish folklore because of a tragedy in the 1800:s when a group of famished where to report for inspection to two officials in order to continue to receive relief.
For some unknown reason the officials change the place of inspection to the other side of the valley and the famished needed to report at 7AM the following morning if the wanted to get any help.
Because of their already famished condition and very bad weather a lot of people didn't survive the journey and some of the perished where women and children.
To commemorate this horrible tragedy and the people society failed there's a memorial with a magnificent view of the lake.
There's definitely something of a paradox that something so horrible happened at one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, it felt like a very special place and I stayed there a long time.

Since I didn't really have the time anyway and had no plans to go walkabout in Galway I instead add a couple of dozen kilometres to the route and follow Galway bay all the way back to the hotel.

Cliffden castle

Doolough valley. No images can do this place justice, it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Wednesday    28.6.2017
  243km Total: 5348km    9.18km Total: 274.21km

I ride along the other side of Galway bay on the Wild Atlantic Way with spectacular views and superb riding.
I just stop once for a photo op before I ride on to Cliffs of Moher.

I don't really know what I was expecting because I'd just seen pictures of the cliffs before going but I was a bit taken aback by the whole touristy spectacle that it was.
The fee of £3 was definitely all right but I prefer to consider it a parking fee because the visitors centre was so pathetic that I felt an urge to just turnaround at the door.
Just to give an example there's a "postcard machine" where you can pose in front of different view of the cliff on a screen and get your picture taken.
We are talking about the very same cliffs that are just 50 meters outside the door.

But the cliffs delivered and not even a million Americans with their mandatory plastic cups of coffee could take anything away from that experience.
I went along the cliff for quite some time snapping away like a Japanese with OCD.

The rest of the days riding was all right but the riding was definitely better before Moher than they where after.
But between Shannon and Limerick it was riding heaven all the way.
I check in to Pery's hotel which was a nice positive surprise, the garage was just across the street and the (triple)room was neat and very large.

I just get out of the shower and am ready to hit the town when the heavens completely open up.
I've had rain almost every day on the whole trip so it's not a phenomenon I'm unfamiliar with but this was almost ridiculous.

I walk no longer than the St. Mary cathedral, just about a kilometre and I'm completely soaked.
It's was a beautiful building even though it was hard to fully appreciate it in these conditions and at this time of day I could only see it from the outside.

I think to hell with it and walk to King John's Castle too because I can't possibly get any wetter anyway.
That was a bit of a disappointment, it wasn't a very impressive building from the outside and they've committed a grievous crime by building the ugliest glass building in the world on top of the old castle.

I get supper at a Japanese restaurant on my way back to the hotel and just take one step inside the door when the rain completely stops.

Somewhere along the west coast on the Wild Atlantic way

Cliffs of Moher

I stopped at a cow pen along the road to get a readymeal and sat and ate it leaning on the gate.
Some time during the meal I started to get the feeling that someone was looking at me.
The cows where on the other side of the pen when I sat down but obviously they wanted a closer look at what that mysterious figure was doing.

St. Mary cathedral in one of the worst downpours I had on the whole trip.

King John's castle, it wasn't a very pretty building. In fact...

...the street art across the road was prettier.

I am in Limerick after all.

Thursday    29.6.2017
  203km Total: 5551km    104km Total: 1092km
  2.22km Total: 276.43km

Unfortunately it time to head back towards familiar shores and the way across the Irish sea is on the ferry from Rosslare to Fishguard.
I had no scenic routes along the way so the miles roll by quickly.

When I stop to get some petrol I get talking to a sweet old lady and just like back home the obvious topic of conversation is the weather.
Right now it's magnificent, perhaps the best weather I've had on the whole trip which I obviously comment.

When I mention that I've of my 30 days only have had three with no rain I just assume that she's going to respond with something like "wow, that's bad luck" or something like that but to my surprise she retorts with: Ooooh! Three days! Yes, we do get beautiful weather sometimes.
They sure aren't spoiled by sunshine on this emerald island.

After another uninspiring lunch at McDonalds I arrive way too early at the ferry port and check in, by now the beautiful weather have left us yet again.
Now it's grey skies, windy, a splash of rain and 12°C (54ºF) that's on the agenda.

I take refuge in the terminal building a while until we finally get to board.
Luckily I don't get seasick very easily because it was a pretty rough (at least by my landleg standards) crossing and it sure didn't get any better by the fact that they had problems with the sewage drainage on-board which meant about half the boat smelled like a latrine.

I have to show my passport at a small both when I ride off the ferry but at least I didn't get subjected to a strip-search.
The hotel, The Ferryboat Inn is at a very manageable distance. I don't think I rode more than 1.5kms from the ferry port.
It was a real charming family run place, one of the nicer stays of the trip really.

It's almost a pity I don't do more than chuck in my gear, warm myself a meal and jump in the sack before getting up again and leaving it behind.

Just by pure chance I do a quick stop in the village Fethard which claim to have one of the best preserved town defence walls from the middle ages.