Mourne mountains 🍀 hike - 14.5kms 🚶‍♀️

I woke to an uninterrupted view of the Mourne mountains including Hare's Gap which was the first part of my hike today.  A chat with a hiking couple last night helped me decide on my route.  A little ambitious for a day off, in hindsight 😂

I packed up my tent, made some egg sandwiches and locked my bike to the cafe outdoor eating area fence and off I went.  It was 13 degrees and breezy and so I was wearing thermal tights and singlet under my clothes, hiking pants, a T-shirt, fleece and a jacket and I wasn't hot 😂

The hike to Hare's Gap was impressive with steep rocky mountains ahead and a path of sorts to find my way on stepping stones through the bog and sometimes a path or rocks paved together, then a stream crossing and joining a main path from a carpark. 

I was advised to take the higher route to Hare's path and it was very steep but delivered great views.  I got to the top of Hare's gap with views back to the campground and beyond. 

This is where I first joined the famous Mourne Wall.  The dry stone wall goes for 22 miles across the mountains to protect the Silent Valley reservoir from contamination from animal waste.  Sheep on one side of the wall and the reservoir on the other.  It was started in 1904 and finished in 1922 and it must have been a tremendous undertaking.

I climbed the ladder over the wall

and started the next section of hike and was soon engulfed in a thick fog for the next couple of hours. It was windy and sometimes the fog would lift to reveal and view and then drop down again.

I climbed 4 mountains as well as Hare's Gap.  Sleive Donard, Sleive Commedagh, Sleive Corragh, Slievenaglough.  At the base of Dinard the fog lifted for 5 mins for views to Newcastle beach.  I'm so glad I took a photo as 5 mins later there was zero visibility 😂

Eventually the sun came out and turned through the fog and the views went on for miles.  I followed the wall for about 5kms too.

I arrived back to find my bike and panniers still there and 3 women finishing their scones and coffee and they were waiting to see who came to collect the bike 😂. Lots of questions.

I had a 5km cycle to a lovely little family warm showers tonight.  I'm shattered and should sleep very well!
Fabulous day with sun, wind, rain, fog, sun, fog, sun 😂

Rostrevor to Newcastle 🍀 50kms 🚴‍♀️

A coastal ride around the south eastern corner of Northern Ireland.  Farmland and stone wall fences abound.

I had lunch at Annalong bay watching tiny little boats leave the harbour and bob about in the sea.  I spoke to several people as they passed by on their doggy walks, all wanting to know where I was heading and invariably apologising for the Irish weather😂. 

Today was sunny until 2kms from Newcastle when the rain came down. I cycled along the promenade of this bustling seaside town and sheltered in Lidl and bought some groceries. I came out to sunshine and started my 7km ride up a valley into the mountains with rain appearing again for the last 2kms 😂

I'm staying at Meelmore lodge which is a youth hostel in the Mourne mountains with a paddock for camping.  It's busy with many hikers in tents and the hostel is booked out too.  

The view from my tent to the mountains is incredible.  I got my tent set up in a break in the weather and a few showery sessions followed.  I made my dinner - lentils/rice/quinoa mixed with capsicum and onions and some scrambled egg and salad.  Random bits but hit the spot. 

I'm hoping to do some hiking tomorrow 🚶‍♀️

Blackwatertown to Rostrevor 70kms 🚴‍♀️ + 6.5kms 🚶‍♀️

 A wonderful day 😊

My day started with an undulating 25km cycle to Portadown via apple orchards. I then joined the Newry canal path.

The Newry canal is the oldest canal in the UK, built in the 1700's to transport coal and linen to Dublin for export. The canal was in use till the 1940's when the speed of rail travel made it defunct. The canal path is pretty, well used and was a delight to cycle for 18 miles.

I stopped at a gorgeous cafe built right next to the canal path. The array of cakes was incredible but most looked too sweet for me. Now that I'm a Semi-Professional scone judge, I thought I'd better keep my hand in 😂. This scone had a lot going on with choc chips, coconut and melted chocolate on top. Delicious but not really 'sconney' and the cream came from a can 😳 but hit the spot. I had three lots of people.come.to.my table to chat. The first pair of cyclists had lots of questions, when they headed off, the next pair came over saying 'couldn't help but overhear...' 😊

At Newry I visited the museum and info centre. The town has had a trouble past with political issues, IRA, industry collapse, unemployment. They have fought back and a thriving town now.

Rostrevor is a quaint and popular village and the sun came.out just as I arrived 😊. I'm.staying at a campground in the National.park.just out of town, up a hill 😂

I set up my tent, made and ate pesto chicken pasta and then went off to hike the highest mountain "Cloughmore" with a plan to catch sunset. Views across Carlingford Lough to the mountains beyond 😊. Back to my tent for 9.30pm.for.a.shower and now in my little tent listening to waterfalls and children playing 😊

Lisnaskea - Blackwatertown 🍀70kms 🚴‍♀️

 

I'm back touring again 😊

After some farewells, a lovely card and small gifts, I cycled out of the gates of the “Share Discovery Village” that has been my home for the last couple of weeks.

A lovely rural day of riding with Several very steep 20% hills to push my loaded bike up within the first 5kms and then rolling hills all day.  Cows, sheep, horse studs, free range chicken farms abound in the lush hills.

My cycle app took me for a surprise trip through a Castle.  I turned a corner and there were big fancy gates and a few cars waiting to be let in.  I said to the lady that my GPS said to pass through the grounds and out the other side and so she let me in for free 😂. So I cycled through the stunning grounds to the castle and found myself in the middle of a big American wedding 😂😂. Everyone dressed up and me in my lycra on my bike 😂. Then I followed the road to the exit to the estate to find that it was closed and locked due to renovations.  I chose to unhook my bags, get my bike over the gate, and the bags and then me 😂 and on my way again.

I had 4 conversations with locals today for 15-20 mins.  Two instances of people stopping their car in the middle.of the road, and asking where I've come from etc and 20 mins later me trying to end the conversation 😂. A farmer fixing his fence stopped me.from going up his road as they were doing roadwork a few miles away and I'd have to come back.. also on for a chat! And a free range egg farmer who offered for me to come and stay with them as it was getting late and no campgrounds.  So kind.

I'm at a warm.showers host who provided a beautiful healthy dinner home made vege soup and then fish and salad.  He took me for a walk through the small forest on his property and we've been sharing cycle touring stories.  

A great day 😊

Lisnaskea 🍀

My last day at the recreation centre was spent on the water.

Kayaking this morning with races, stand up challenges, capsize and refloat, and a kayak netball game!

This afternoon was sailing.  A sunny 18 degrees day with hardly a breath of wind but we managed to get out onto the Lough and then the speed boat zipped past making some.waves.for a bit of fun and then towed us all tied together.

Tonight Bake off scone making comp and I was one of the judges.  The Spanish, french and Italian kids and Irish kids all in mixed teams 😊

Cards with my roomies and off to bed as Cycle touring again from tomorrow.

Lisnaskea 🍀

A fun day today with my volunteer roomates.  This morning while the new campers had an induction session, we re-vamped our volunteer common room/lounge/kitchen space .  This facility is run by a charity and so the furniture is dated and we make-do with whatever is available to us.  We did some raiding in cupboards and added some cushions, some faux fur (😂), cleaned windows, added an upper cupboard in the kitchen, a bunch of flowers, pictures and a pinboard on the wall and it feels much more homely 😊. A great group effort.

Then we were given the afternoon off and so played some cards and got a ride into town on one of the busses that was doing a fuel run. 

I bought groceries and made our group dinner (instead of eating downstairs with the students).  Everyone pitched in preparing with Juan the DJ playing Spanish tunes. It was simple fajitas and apple crumble and ice cream but everyone had fun chatting and trying to understand each other 😂. Spanish, French, Columbian, South African, broad Irish and me 😊

Afterwards we all went to the roller skating rink and stayed another hour after closing with just the volunteers and a couple of staff, music requests taken and constant laughter.  Such a relaxing day 😊