3-Jun-19      MON -       DOOLIN LOOP
IRELAND - Lisdoonvarna area (west coast 60 miles south of Galway)
 
Today we did our first bike ride of the trip. It rained in the morning but by the time we got the bikes ready to ride it had stopped raining and it became partly sunny. Our ride was 53 miles with a little more than 3300 ft of climbing. We started out with some wind, WSW at 18 to 28 but that quickly diminished so that toward the end, the wind had calmed to about 7 mph. We had a short rain shower near the beginning. The bad news is we had 17 miles of mainly cold light rain at the end. The good news is I didn't get soaked.
 
 BIKE: Scattante; start time: 12:27; end: 19:22; avg speed:12.0; max: 31.7; climb: 3553; miles: 53.18; mtd miles: 53.18; ytd miles:4569.18  
 PARTLY CLOUDY with showers; wind: SW 14-28; start temp: 55; min: 45; avg: 55; max: 64; end: 45  
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3751684073
 
5-Jun-19      WED -       KINVARRA LOOP  
IRELAND - Lisdoonvarna area (west coast 60 miles south of Galway)
 
This day we did our 2nd bike ride of the trip. We had a great forecast for our ride this morning - fair weather with no mention of rain. The reality: sunny start and sunny end with several intervals of rain inbetween, some heavy, and some hail mixed in. I suppose you come to expect at least some rain in Ireland any day. Today's ride was 61+ miles with 3200+ ft of climbing. We did a loop starting out following the coast road to Ballyvaughan, where we had breakfast and a cappuccino. Then we headed NE to Kinvarra following the coast where possible. We stopped off for cake and cappuccino there. Then it was south, on to a tourist destination tea shop where we had tea and flapjacks. Finally we made our way west crossing several hill ranges and back to the cottage. It was a very scenic day helped by the constant change in weather to make it so. There are good memories on this one.
 
 BIKE: Scattante; start time: 10:11; end: 18:50; avg speed:12.3; max: 27.7; climb: 3235; miles:61.59; mtd miles:114.77; ytd miles:4630.77  
 PARTLY CLOUDY with showers; wind: NW 10-22; start  temp: 52; min: 46; avg: 56; max: 64; end: 54  
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3751684111
 
6-Jun-19      THU -       ARAN ISLAND RIDE ON INISHMORE, rented bike  
IRELAND - Inishmore, Aran islands, largest island, off west coast
 
Today we took a ferry to the Aran Islands' largest island (Inishmore), rented bikes, and rode from one end of the island to the other, and back. Unlike the Irish mainland, there are almost no trees (only in the populated areas - ornamental trees) and the terrain is generally barren despite almost daily rain throughout the year. Along the coast there are seal populations, fortifications, lighthouses, and houses are concentrated in the major port town and scattered across most areas of the island. The livestock seen are sheep, cows, horses, and donkeys. There are also a number of horse-drawn carts used to transport tourists around the island. For the more athletically inclined, there are numerous bike rental facilities in the port city. This was an interesting and enjoyable excursion from the ferry port at Doolin out to the Inishmore Island ferry port, and back. (Because I was on a rented bike, I had no place to mount the Garmin nor any good place to carry it. Consequently mileage was incorrect on the Garmin. I used James' mileage and climbing)
 
 BIKE: rented bike; start time: 12:22; end: 15:00; avg speed:8.9; max: 23.7; climb: 1270; miles:17; mtd miles:131.77; ytd miles:4647.77  
 PARTLY CLOUDY with a shower; wind: NW 18-26; start  temp: 50; min: 50; avg: 54; max: 58; end: 58  
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3751684111
 
7-Jun-19      FRI -       LAHENCH LOOP  
IRELAND - Lisdoonvarna area (west coast south of Galway)
 
Friday afternoon James and I did our final ride before moving from the west coast of Ireland to the Kilkenny area for our second week. Karen opted to skip this ride, deciding instead to do a long walk. The ride was 51 miles with over 3600 ft of climbing. We had planned on a tea stop in Lahinch but having just had lunch before the ride we decided to skip it. By the time we reached another place we could do that, we were near enough to the cottage to just go on and finish. It started off warm but gradually clouded over with rising wind. Temperature in the low to mid 50s F felt very chilly under mostly cloudy skies. Fortunately lots of climbing helped us stay just warm enough. No rain today - first completely dry day!
 
 BIKE: Scattante; start time: 13:20; end: 18:14; avg speed:11.5; max: 38.1; climb: 3612; miles:51.05; mtd miles:182.82; ytd miles:4698.82  
 MOSTLY CLOUDY; wind: NW 14-20; start  temp: 59; min: 52; avg: 56; max: 59; end: 52  
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3751684153
 
9-Jun-19      SUN -       THOMASTOWN LOOP  
IRELAND - Kilkenny area, eastern part, about 75 miles south of Dublin
 
Today, Sunday, we decided to take a chance on the weather and do a ride from our new location. We had breakfast in Thomastown, 12 miles in. We stopped along the river in Graiguenamanagh for photos and later had a snack at a Mullins, cake and cappuccino for myself (James and Karen made different choices), mile 30. Ride was 65 miles 4400 ft of climbing and we did the whole thing without getting rained on although there were plenty of heavy showers around and we rode on wet roads several times. My Garmin froze up on the way back to our ride start. I had to stop and do a soft reset so about 2.4 miles of riding was not accounted for. Climbing fell short, too, by about 100 ft. That was annoying, but all in all, it was a good ride! However, this turned out to be the last ride of my trip. I had already gotten sick by this time (a cold with a bit of fever at the worst) and the cold lasted for the rest of my trip. I didn't do any more rides but might have on the following Friday had the weather been acceptable. What I did end up doing on every other day but one, was hike or walk with James and Karen. So all was not lost but it would have been nice to join James and Karen on their Tuesday ride. That day I was sick in bed the entire duration of their ride.
 
 BIKE: Scattante; start time: 09:30; end: 16:26; avg speed:11.4; max: 31.2; climb: 4457; miles:65; mtd miles:247.82; ytd miles:4763.82  
 PARTLY CLOUDY; wind: W 7-14; start  temp: 52; min: 48; avg: 57; max: 65; end: 55  
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3751684170
 
 
 
 
 
 

JROB, as it turns out, my trip ended June 15th (last night I arrived back in Dallas). I'm back home now, with good memories of the trip, dozens of pints of Stout or Porter drunk, and a case of laryngitis to bring home!