I want to ride my buy-c-cal. I want to ride my bike. I want to ride my BICYCLE. I want to ride it where I like…..

Misty start along the road to Portumna. Rode down to look at Lough Derg. There was a quiet sense of endless summer by the still waters edge. Then up we went past the little fields with dry stone walls to Ballinasloe and then Roscommon town. Had our morning tea break at Clontuskert Abbey. Site of St Baetan’s original monastry. Later stopped at Tulsk for hot chocolate. Our waiter gave us a lecture in local and national archeology. Cruachan we were convinced was of greater significance than Tara. The N5 was built on eskers left by the glaciers.
Patrick and I were competing for the reddest nose on this day 2 of unrelenting sunshine. I had only packed factor 15 reckoning factor 50 would not be required.

Chris, a most considerate cyclist, had had plenty of opportunity to do a sinuous dance one arm dropping down alternatively to point out potholes as we spun down regional and third class roads. Dreaming of shiny, smooth tarmac we opted for a National road for the last 25 miles.
This was our last day of being looked after by Martina. It was a real luxury to have unlimited drinks, hot and cold plus any amount of necessary and unnecessary luggage. On her way home, she generously dropped our bags at our destination – the Kellys house in Boyle. As strangers we were received there as friends, and wined and dined before sinking gratefully into our beds to relive in our dreams the 91 miles we’d just covered.
Rosie