Officially, the tour started in Lahinch, about an hour's drive from Shannon Airport, around noon on June 9th. Unfortunately, I didn't arrive until a few hours later after having gone 30+ hours without sleep (in part due to a computer crash at Heathrow Air Traffic Control (why did they have to keep referring to "the crash"?!), and the rest of the group had already left for a 15 mile warm-up jaunt. I wasn't about to try to catch up to them! So for me, the trip started on "Day 2".
On Day 2 we learned why the "Emerald Isle" is so green.
It was cold, windy, and poured all morning. The Cliffs of Moher, which really call for lingering enjoyment of the spectacle (being some of the highest sea cliffs in Europe), I covered in about 10 minutes, including a pit stop! But I got a kick out of the unbelieving stares ("are they nuts??!) from the sedentary folks on their highway luxury cruisers. The rest of the morning was over hilly terrain and pot-holely road surface, which makes for lots of fun on a bike when you can't see a thing because of the rain on your glasses! And on top of it all, you have to remember to DRIVE ON THE LEFT!!
But in truth, the weather made it all the more memorable. I regret not taking any photos of Doolin, a truly picturesque little town, but at that point I was huddled up against a building, shivering as I watched the rain come down in sheets. I'll never again begrudge the cost of Gore-Tex!
We sloshed into the Doolin Crafts Gallery (a wonderful spot with a delightful small restaurant and the most charming waitresses you'll ever meet) by dribs (drips?) and drabs, like a pack of drowned rats, but they welcomed us with heart-warming Irish charm. By early afternoon the sky had started to clear, the hills were sloped the right way and the wind was generally behind us.
A lingering pause at Monk's Tavern (or the nearby Tea Room) in Ballyvaughan, and we were ready for the final 3 miles to Gregans Castle Hotel.
Or so we thought! The last few miles were uphill with a headwind so strong you even had to pedal on the few downhills just to keep moving! And of course, it started to rain again!
What a welcome sight was Gregans Castle Hotel!!
After dinner, many of us headed into Lisdoonvarna to check out the local pubs. I never did figure out the name of the place at which we ended up, but it was absolutely delightful, with a local group of 4 or 5 musicians playing and singing almost non-stop for a couple of hours. Once I got the hang of the dialect, I realized I knew a lot of the songs, and when I learned not to pronounce the "w" in Smithwicks when shouting to the (15 year old?) bartender, I had it made!
