Report from Ireland

Approaching Killarney

Lunch time Guinness in Tralee

Slea Head Dingle Peninsula

Three of the three hundred and three photos that I took !!!! Our lunch time Guinness in Tralee en route to Killarney taken at 12.44 and then the stormy approach to the town of Killarney at 16.14!! Once again we were wet upon arriving at our B+B! We were very lucky for we were met by yet another cheerful, helpful proprietor!! The other photo is of Slea Head, Dingle Peninsula. The sun shone specially for us as we approached this beauty spot!! I think it fair to say that our weather the second week was much better than the first - the importance of that being that we could truly enjoy the beautiful scenery etc. We cycled the Beare Peninsula, superb! Very exciting along the coastal route (especially when it is very wet)!!!! It is like a roller coaster! We then cycled around the Ring of Kerry, beautiful! Whilst there we met other cyclists and as there are not too many roads we met the same people a few times, plenty of waving and chatting! Then it was onto the Dingle Peninsula, just as beautiful, with even more hills to challenge us, but so worth it once one reaches the summit!! The hardest day for me was from Killarney to Cork, 54 miles up hill after hill after hill!!!! (That's how it felt to me)!! That day we had bought sandwiches knowing there was to be little on the road ahead for refreshment, when after climbing up and up and up on the 'Butter Road' (a route from many years ago when the farmers took the butter from Kerry to Cork for trading), a chap invited us into his garden and gave us tea etc whilst we ate!! It was another example of the Irish hospitality! Our last day was spent site seeing in Cork during the morning and a visit to a small island, Cobh, in the afternoon where we sat in the sunshine eating ice-cream! Then on to Ringaskiddy for the ferry - but before boarding, we just had to have our last pint in the local!!! It is true, the Guinness does not taste the same in England!! We arrived back at Swansea 7.30 Wednesday morning where we were met by weather to match the evening we left which gave us a good soaking for our arrival at JDW's for breakfast! It really was a super trip - as we all agreed when we parted company in Paddington that afternoon! From Pam