It was so nice to wake up this morning and see blue' ish skies. We were in between two weather fronts and it looked like the day was going to be good.
A late start, we left at 10:30 after breakfast and lots of dilly-dallying around. Tim had a plan. I had been biking in this area before and done the famous Ring of Kerry before. The Ring of Kerry is a scenic drive around the Iveragh Peninsula in southwest Ireland’s County. The Iveragh Peninsula is the next one down from the Dingle Peninsula. Tim had plotted a route that took us through the center and the Ballaghisheen Pass. Have a look on the live map of my travels to see the route, mainly because I have no idea where we went, all the Irish names are unpronounceable. The roads, if you can call them that, were almost empty of traffic. There were the annoying tourist coaches, but luckily they were mostly parked up when we came across them extruding their occupants (I use the word extrude deliberately because everyone looks the same. They all must go to the same "buy your Irish holiday clothing here R' Us shop). However, there was one interesting encounter with a coach coming in the opposite direction. We were sort of going uphill, and there was a coach sort of coming downhill. Tim knew that at the point where we were going to meet was a tight bend, a narrowing of the road and a stone bridge. Tim indicated that there was trouble ahead by waving his arm slowly up and down. I could see the coach approaching from the road up on the left and I could see there was a bend in the road, but not how sharp or narrow. Taking Tim's warning I slowed. Tim slipped around the bend just before the coach got to the narrow bridge on the bend, me, just as the coach started to go around the bend. I sort of nestled in between the coach and the stone bridge and came out the other side. That coach was stopping for no man or beast, or motorbike. My description sounds more heroic/reckless than it actually was.
The roads Tim chose were truly stunning. None of my words would pay them justice so I will just post the photos.
Arriving back we had a swift relaxant. That Jameson Crested is truly a magnificent whiskey.
Tim wanted me to meet some friends of his that lived a short walk down the road. I think Tim needs to realign his internal distance monitor, short was not the word I would use. Anyway, we set off and soon, it is pitch black now with no street lights, a car pulls up and asks directions. the occupants are two Americans on vacation. Tim is also American and moved to Ireland ages ago and still has his American accent. So he strikes a deal with them. They drive us up the road and he will give them directions.................... so they do and he does. We then arrived at his friends and had a few glasses of wine and a nice chat. Me being Mr. Prepared (Perfect Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance) meant I had a DayGlow vest and a torch that shines White or Red. So we had a very visible stroll home along the dark roads in our yellow and orange dayglow vests and colored torches.
Tim is in bed now and I am sitting here writing this Blog and drinking all his whiskey. Don't tell him. I'll top it up with water and he will never know.
Tomorrow I am setting off to Ferns in County Wexford to annoy more of Frances's friends and drink their whiskey. Rain is forecast, so I will decide on the route in the morning.
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