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"Left to Live" - A 23-Day Motorcycle Adventure Around UK and Ireland...
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Background story: We are two Americans, in our mid-forties, empty-nesters, who are currently living and working in Germany. We both love to travel and when an opportunity came up last year to move here, we jumped on it. Like most of you all, we still work. Although Europeans do have more vacation time, it is still difficult to break free and ride motorcycles for months on end. Someday, we will do this - I promise you! Until then, breaking free for three weeks will have to do. We've planned this trip for some time. In fact, it has been in the light stages of planning since almost immediately after we arrived in Germany from last years Iceland trip. Trying to fit all of the countries of the UK and Ireland into a 23-day vacation, including scheduling most of the ferries, did take some planning, but in the end it was worth it. The "Left to Live" name of our journey was picked for two reasons: 1. The most obvious... This will be our first time we've ever ridden on the LEFT side of the roadways. "Stay LEFT if you want TO LIVE!" We even went so far as to create a windscreen mounted, vinyl sticker to remind us of this. 2. We've only got a finite amount of time in this life. We have both decided that we would like to have memories instead of dreams and we both dream of exploring this tiny, blue dot we call Earth. ...So here goes! Here is a small preview from our 23-day motorcycle adventure around UK and Ireland: https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1944/...8164b101_o.jpg Our planned route. The red and orange colors signify a day of travel. Normally, I don't like planning this much, but fitting so many miles (er, I mean km, no wait, I mean miles) into a three week trip requires planning. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1911/...39dc3ef6_o.jpg The Union Jack https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1908/...cea07111_o.jpg Castles https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1923/...b9565b49_o.jpg Cities https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1974/...2ede30d4_o.jpg Sculptures https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1942/...0533f6f3_o.jpg Ocean views https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1969/...3e307158_o.jpg Architecture https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1911/...67c3c10b_o.jpg UNESCO World Heritage sites https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1971/...0d64b5ce_o.jpg It took some planning but we even got to experience riding on the world famous TT Mountain Course on the Isle of Man. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1951/...effc61c4_o.jpg Our route kept us close to the oceans and bays which offered limitless views to some of the best scenery in Europe. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1980/...216708ef_o.jpg We rode most days until right before sunset. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1937/...a093c362_o.jpg Places I never imaged I would travel as a kid. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1906/...7562e094_o.jpg Unique sculptures and artwork along the way. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1906/...b6d99554_o.jpg Some incredible scenery to ride through! Even in England, with it's population density of 400 people per square km, we found wide open roads. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1935/...3b3404ef_o.jpg Landmarks. We tried to see as many landmarks or sites as we reasonably could while still riding 200-300 km per day. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1903/...a91f1590_o.jpg There are nearly 23 million sheep in the UK. You're going to see some sheep on this trip. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1906/...90ee8ed2_o.jpg Many churches and grave-sights all over UK and Ireland. This was taken at a cemetery near the TT Grandstand at Isle of Man. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1943/...4ea6454c_o.jpg Good eats! Both Chantil and I love Fish-n-Chips! It turns out we are in the right country for this!! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1906/...259043c1_o.jpg Our two mules - Both BMW G650GSs. The red one is mine and is named "Apache", and the white one is named (White) "Chocolate" https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1963/...b42c10fe_o.jpg I printed stickers of the flags of countries (or crown dependencies) that we planned to visit. After we arrive, I place them on my mule's windscreen. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1952/...a3348f22_o.jpg Just a "few" of the waypoints that we would like to see on our adventure... |
Day 1 - Friday, Aug 24th:
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Day 1 - Friday, Aug 24th: Our route for the day of 300km. Leaving Germany, through Belgium, and ending the evening in France. Three countries and three languages of German, Dutch, and French. We spent the last few weeks making sure all the maintenance was done on each of our mules. I estimate that my mule would need a rear tire and rear brake pads after this trip, however everything else was “good to go”! We had originally planned to leave on Saturday, but there was nothing keeping us from getting an early start on our vacation. We left our home in Germany at 2 PM and made decent time along the E42 and A25 through Belgium and France. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1976/...b30f76a9_o.jpg A brightly colored water tower between Villeneuve d'Ascq and Chéreng, France provided a short diversion from freeway riding. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1958/...6cb69d8f_o.jpg This fish is reminding us not to waste water! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1973/...f7024b25_o.jpg Near the tower was this unique apartment hotel with modern features... https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1919/...5eb61a98_o.jpg ..including colored glass windows that complement the green vines clinging to the side of the concrete and brick walls. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1909/...d716e1ac_o.jpg Just down the road was this abandoned parking garage. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1950/...83d840c6_o.jpg Without the unique organic metalwork, it would be just another parking garage. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1918/...be4357bf_o.jpg There was a section of the A25 that was backed up. We weren’t sure if lane-splitting was legal in France, so we waited until we saw a group of four riders on BMW 1200GSs doing it. Monkey see – monkey do! We followed them for some of the most relaxing lane splitting I’ve ever done. The French drivers did a great job of leaving wide open spaces between lanes. Yeah France! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1927/...e51c7202_o.jpg Once we reached Dunkirk, I saw this unique colored apartment high-rise and decided to stop and take some pictures. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1905/...687783e6_o.jpg The place looked a bit run down but the multi-colored exterior sure made it interesting. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1929/...4ebd344d_o.jpg We rode through Dunkirk and stopped for a little while at the old part of town... https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1902/...e91799b2_o.jpg ...where we snapped some photos of the Beffroi de Dunkerque... https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1955/...2bd683c0_o.jpg ...and the Saint-Éloi Church across the street. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1960/...111b8185_o.jpg Chantil programming the GPSr which will guide us to Camping Zuydcoote Beach, our campsite for the evening. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1939/...bce4ea0a_o.jpg Rain. After setting up camp, the rain rolled in. It rained all night but fortunately let up in the early morning. Tomorrow will be much more exciting as we learn about the “Miracle of Dunkirk” at the Operation Dynamo Museum and then make our into England via the Channel Tunnel, or what Europeans have nicknamed the “Chunnel”… |
Day 2 - Saturday, 25 Aug:
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Our route for today of 283 km - Dunkirk, France to Beachy Head, UK via the EuroTunnel. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1979/...33bce787_o.jpg The rain stopped sometime in the early morning, so we awoke to a dry tent - It’s shaping up to be a great day already! Funny story from last night. As we pulled into camp last night, an excited couple approached us and started talking to us in German. Being in France, we wondered why?? Turns out they assumed we were German because of our German plates on our German BMW motorcycles. It’s funny what people assume sometimes. Nice couple though. Back to today... Since we had some time to kill before the museum opened we decided to go for a walk and try to find the pier used during the evacuation of the English and French forces during the 1940 operation often called the Miracle of Dunkirk. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1941/...bd512feb_o.jpg It was early, and the breeze was cool, so we enjoyed much of the beach to ourselves. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1960/...751e5da8_o.jpg A man-made ocean break wall made with large concrete cubes the size of cars. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1957/...ebe72ed9_o.jpg I miss the ocean. Living in Germany keeps us from visiting it as much as we wish we could. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1958/...d8cc6bae_o.jpg A uniquely colored beachfront apartment building. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1935/...4621a065_o.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1936/...0ac32ecf_o.jpg Flag of Dunkirk, the European Union, France, and the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1939/...942fcf84_o.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1909/...41391452_o.jpg The boardwalk along the beach featured various styles of homes including many condominiums. The jetty used for the Dunkirk evacuation was further than we had time for, so we decided to make our way back to the campground and pack up the mules for the next day of riding. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1964/...8fa58921_o.jpg #motorcyclelife On our way to the Dunkirk jetty we came across this... https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1925/...9dcc6588_o.jpg ...large metal sculpture that stood near the Dunkirk break-wall. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1914/...c54d883e_o.jpg At the base of the sculpture was this signature. How cool is signing your name with a welder!? https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1909/...5d44b773_o.jpg The Dunkirk Lighthouse https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1942/...d85560fa_o.jpg The mules parked at the foot of the jetty used during the evacuation. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1960/...bb318f5e_o.jpg A display marking the historic occasion. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1918/...6126b6f5_o.jpg Some happy faces of the soldiers who were evacuated. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1965/...ebcfc557_o.jpg The narrow jetty sticks out for quite a while. We walked the length of it until reaching a gated fence at the end. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1961/...628be13b_o.jpg A gull enjoyed the strong breeze. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1939/...202c78e2_o.jpg These sailors were also enjoying the strong breeze. I miss sailing; especially close-hauled sailing where the sheets are tights, and the boat is healed over. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1913/...48707167_o.jpg End of the road. Time to turn back and make our way to the museum which opens at 10AM... |
Day 2 - Saturday, 25 Aug - Museum Dunkerque 1940 Operation Dynamo:
We enjoyed our time at the museum established to remember the miraculous evacuation of 338,226 soldiers over a 10-day period starting 26 May 1940.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1923/...6b806417_o.jpg A simple sign on a brick headquarters building marks the entrance to the museum. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1959/...6de90571_o.jpg Some of the money bills used during WW2. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1934/...8074be35_o.jpg A poster reminding people not to talk about military operations in public. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1904/...bdd01fef_o.jpg A military-issued gas mask. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1960/...4594f240_o.jpg The heavy radios used the 1940s. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1907/...7eae8fd2_o.jpg Pictures of war. I’m grateful for these photographers so that we have imagery to remember the horrors of war. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1930/...ddea5ca1_o.jpg Many soldiers waded through the surf and cold waters to reach the rescue ships. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1950/...3ce02025_o.jpg Many of the allied ships (over 38 percent) were bombed or mined during the evacuation. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1941/...2da4e8cc_o.jpg Although the number of private vessels used during the operation was difficult to estimate it is believed that nearly 850 boats were used. Many of these boats were strictly civilian crewed. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1962/...fdd795da_o.jpg Rolls Royce Merlin engine from a British Spitfire recovered from the ocean. 3,500 sorties were conducted by the RAF in order to support the 10-day evacuation. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1934/...aecdd641_o.jpg A model of a Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka as it begins it dive attack on allied shipping at Dunkirk. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1961/...253ab0be_o.jpg A BMW logo hasn’t changed much since the 1940s. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1904/...b2b1788f_o.jpg I can’t imagine the relief many felt once they were on a friendly ship heading back to England. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1910/...e0139beb_o.jpg A flag used to mark beach mines or unexploded ordinances. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1975/...e89f6afc_o.jpg A pair of German Maschinengewehr 34 machine guns configured for anti-air operations. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1906/...7c1067aa_o.jpg We spent about an hour in the museum and left with a newfound respect for those who fought so desperately for their lives. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1911/...39dc3ef6_o.jpg In just a short time we’ll be on our way to the UK!... |
Day 2 - Saturday, 25 Aug 2018 - A walk around the Lieu d’Art et Action Contemporaine.
Just behind the Operation Dynamo museum is a modern art museum with a relaxing walking trail and many outdoor sculptures.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1911/...0034676c_o.jpg A recent sculpture nicknamed “The Hourglass”, is an analogy of the passing of time by the sand to the soldiers trapped at Dunkerque, who slowly trickled away as they were evacuated, and as an hourglass can be turned over and the sand brought back, reflects the re-arrival of the allied forces after June 1944. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1951/...0acebe4a_o.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1913/...1b1f9525_o.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1966/...e686259c_o.jpg The sun was breaking through the clouds promising to make for a great day. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1968/...2b7e8b0d_o.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1904/...5e414d27_o.jpg The sculptures are beautiful, but nature provides its own version of “modern art”. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1953/...8fd90c56_o.jpg Draw your own conclusions... Is this art or just a pile of old anchors? https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1979/...16d7028e_o.jpg The large fish sculpture can been seen for quite a ways due to its bright colors. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1902/...1847e455_o.jpg Just near the museum of some exciting architectural homes. These apartments are styled with unique brown and grey tile work. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1927/...63d65e88_o.jpg These homes have a very unique “pencil-head” design. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1939/...1b7cc3ff_o.jpg Since we had some free time we took the backroads through some canals and enjoyed the views and the great weather. Onward to the Chunnel and into the ENGLAND!! Are you ready?... |
Day 2 - Saturday, 25 Aug - The Channel Tunnel:
At 31.3 miles long and 380 feet below sea level, the Channel Tunnel moves you between France and the UK in just 35 minutes.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1960/...53511983_o.jpg Directions to the Chunnel are clear to understand and are written in both French and English. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1975/...068d411c_o.jpg Ride up to the kiosk where you enter your confirmation number... https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1935/...4603aab9_o.jpg ... and get your ticket. We are in the “X” lane for boarding. After getting our tickets we rode to the customs window where we presented our passport, and then were on our way. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1906/...e1fc392c_o.jpg Here you can see the Eurotunnel Le Shuttles that will whisk us away to a new land. It’s basically a train that is fitted with rear loading ramps to load vehicles and freight. You drive in and then drive off. Easy peasy. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1959/...477a23ba_o.jpg Almost there! Waiting for all the cars so the motorcycles can be loaded at the “back of the bus”. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1976/...683d3ac7_o.jpg Riding through the train cars to our car along with three other motorcyclists. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1909/...9afc21eb_o.jpg That’s it. We placed our bikes on their stands and stood around for the 35-minute trip. We talked to the other motorcyclists and put reminder stickers on our windscreen to ensure we stay “Left to Live” while in the UK and Ireland. Oh, there is also a time change of minus one hour. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1959/...fa595ca0_o.jpg The ride off was even easier! We road through about twenty train cars before exiting on a ramp and into the next three weeks of riding on the left side of the road. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1963/...b58dfa6c_o.jpg The one way exit road quickly joins a highway and you’re on your way – on the left. No complicated switching network that converts right side driver to left sided ones – easy! At least until we get to our first roundabout or intersection... https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1963/...f4306f74_o.jpg In my excitement of being in a new country, I didn’t set the GPS waypoint to the Cliffs of Dover and we ended up getting on the wrong side of the highway. A bit of a diversion, and a tunnel later, and we were on our way to the English town of Dover. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1908/...7a3b07ae_o.jpg In Dover we passed by a famous mural done by street artist Banksy showing a metalworker chipping away at a star on the EU flag. Brexit is definitely a subject of controversy here in the UK. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1968/...03854bb3_o.jpg Brexit is especially controversial for Northern Ireland and Scotland who voted a majority to stay with the European Union. Time will tell as the UK is scheduled to leave at 11pm UK time on Friday, 29 March 2019. |
Day 2 - Saturday, 25 Aug - The White Cliffs of Dover:
Not sure why this has been an iconic place for me to visit... Perhaps a childhood memory of a film? Perhaps a military documentary? Anyhow, presenting the White Cliffs of Dover…
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1943/...d9e35397_o.jpg We managed to find a quite section to launch the drone to get a nice picture of the cliffs from the ocean. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1945/...51b12588_o.jpg It seems this side of the channel was a bit greener than France. Perhaps is rains here more? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4857/...7cfa751a_o.jpg There is a walkway that runs down the cliff face to a ship wreckage on the beach. It would have been fun, but we were on a schedule of sorts. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4892/...09d9ea00_o.jpg Kinder WHITE chocolate to celebrate our WHITE Dover experience. Get it? https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1927/...84843d8b_o.jpg The port of Dover is a busy area with ferry traffic running around the clock. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4862/...225c2350_o.jpg The famous cliffs and famous Chantil! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1946/...1841f17c_o.jpg We’re glad we stopped to enjoy this landmark; especially on this beautifully sunny day. |
Day 2 - Saturday, 25 Aug - Riding from Dover to Beachy Head:
Our first day of riding on the left side proved to be less difficult than I thought. There were a few mistakes but nothing dangerous. The narrow roads, green farmland, and picturesque homes were quintessential England. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1955/...d6b39e98_o.jpg Sheep grazing near the ruins of a roman stone building. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4855/...c12bf2d0_o.jpg A narrow stone archway on an obscure road surrounded by farmland and sheep. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4835/...a48f2fa0_o.jpg The narrow roads had no shoulder but there were pull-off sections every so often. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4889/...79062022_o.jpg The curves can be tight but there are plenty of warnings beforehand. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1928/...f74aa885_o.jpg Our favorite section of the road today. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4916/...6d397d15_o.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1927/...a1132b9b_o.jpg Beachy Head! We made it. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1968/...ff111cfb_o.jpg Definitely a beautiful place worth staying awhile. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/...d7b47f13_o.jpg A memorial to those many WW2 aviators who looked down on Beachy Head as their last and final view of England. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1943/...ee12cfe7_o.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1910/...4914ef42_o.jpg Sundial showing some bearing and ranges to places around the globe. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4869/...accf2773_o.jpg All in all, a great day of riding and exploring! Since it was getting dark and we still haven’t found a place to stay we called a nearby campsite in Fairfield Farms near Eastbourne. It was a bit challenging to find in the dark, but we found it and quickly set up out tent and sleeping bags. We were ready for sleep… https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1943/...1faf34f7_o.jpg …but not before getting a bite to eat. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1943/...4ea6454c_o.jpg Just a short walk from camp was a takeout place called Swan Traditional where we ended the day eating this fried deliciousness! More adventure tomorrow as we make our way towards Stonehenge… |
Day 3 - Sunday, 26 Aug:
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Our route for today - Beachy Head to Woodhenge. Only 240km today since rain delayed us for a couple hours in the afternoon. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4852/...3c4c3093_o.jpg A bit of drizzle this morning so we’ll be in our rain gear today. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1929/...d114340e_o.jpg Back to Beachy Head where we enjoyed the early morning with these beautiful cliffs and lighthouse. We launched the drone, but it was really windy making video footage difficult to shoot; we did capture this image however. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4913/...a415da5e_o.jpg Beachy Head Lighthouse looking great in red and white! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1906/...b6d99554_o.jpg The road leaving Beachy Head offered another chance to fly the drone where I captured some shots of Chantil riding through some beautiful countryside. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1929/...20f8b77e_o.jpg A nice sweeping turn makes for great fun on a motorcycle. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1959/...b3d369d4_o.jpg This section of the A259 ended up being the best riding we did all day. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4878/...110aa6ea_o.jpg Life is good! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1903/...46c21a5b_o.jpg Rain kinda’ sucks when you’re on a motorcycle. We experienced more than six hours of rain during this afternoon’s ride. The rain became so heavy that it started flooding the roadway so we decided to wait it out at a McDonald’s in Petersfield, England. We ordered some food and then ended up talking to a nice group of people who were riding scooters through the area. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1939/...4edd28dd_o.jpg …At least there is no extra charge for ketchup here! Side rant: You may be asking “Why does this dude take pictures of ketchup?” I’ll explain… Having a ketchup dispenser that provides a limitless supply of FREE ketchup is a luxury. In the USA it’s expected but in Western Europe you must pay for condiments like ketchup and mayonnaise. Most Eastern Europe restaurants also don’t do free refills of soda. It’s the little things in life like free condiments and refills that get noticed. Thanks UK! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1939/...55e34339_o.jpg The rain let up enough that we could continue our ride. This section of A272 through South Downs National Park was pretty but unfortunately wet. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4810/...f07bc420_o.jpg The rain cleared up just before we reached Salisbury. As we entered town, we came across these tiniest of streets. Just look at how narrow this is! Yes, traffic goes both ways!! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4874/...9efdb7c3_o.jpg Check out these pubs and restaurants. Quintessential England! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1923/...81c09cd9_o.jpg One of the window displays had these folded origami birds. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1975/...fb7d8530_o.jpg Colorful umbrellas decorate a narrow pedestrian street. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4846/...cf6983f9_o.jpg A famous red telephone box. We’ve seen quite a few of these but many have been converted to other things like trade-a-book bookstores. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...fa30c815_o.jpg English rooftops! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4901/...e32d9b4a_o.jpg We enjoyed our walk through the streets even though many of the shops were closed. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1945/...20803e71_o.jpg Salisbury Cathedral is striking. It would have been nice to go inside but it was closed by the time we arrived into town. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4835/...0b59b3ab_o.jpg Some of the incredible detail in the cathedral’s exterior. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4888/...6e248c5f_o.jpg One of the entrance doors. Wonder how many people have walked through this door since it was built in the 1250s. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1974/...d645b66f_o.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1938/...7d79b254_o.jpg A detail of the cathedral’s water runoff system with unique statues. We walked back to the mules and continued our ride to Stonehenge before they close at 8 PM… Unfortunately, the gates closed about two hours before published closing, so we just missed seeing Stonehenge! Oh well, we’ll find a hotel, dry off a bit, get a good night’s sleep, and be ready for a new day tomorrow. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4852/...745e6e9e_o.jpg But not before one final stop for the evening to Woodhenge - Stonehenge’s smaller brother. Read about it here: www.english-heritage.org.uk Tomorrow we’ll check out Stonehenge in the morning and continue our way north through Wales to Cardiff… |
Day 4 - Monday, 27 Aug:
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Map of our Day 4: 260 km from Stonehenge to camping at Brecon Beacons National Park. Stonehenge opened at 9AM and we wanted to be there early to avoid the crowds. The weather wasn’t very cheerio, with a bit of a drizzle. By the time we arrived at the Stonehenge site, the clouds lifted a little revealing a ray of sun. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4820/...7ae2cc64_o.jpg After paying the price of £19.5 ($20.10) per person you can then tour a small museum and outside area describing how the henge was build and what life may have been like for those during the Bronze Age. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4812/...0c38d23d_o.jpg A model showing what the completed circle may have looked like. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4829/...28cb1567_o.jpg Artifacts and bones from those buried within the henge area. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1973/...6fefd7af_o.jpg A display where you can test your strength pulling the stones. Good luck pulling! Somehow I think there was A LOT of labor that went into building Stonehenge; unless you believe the alien theory. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1948/...cd7e871d_o.jpg A 3-D map with landmarks shows that there is more to see than just Stonehenge. If we had more time, and the weather was better, I think I would have enjoyed seeing the other sites. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4863/...016dac53_o.jpg After a short bus ride, you reach Stonehenge! Here is a pano image showing the site in relation to all of the other tourists like us. Bring a zoom camera if you want to get close-up photos; the standard tour doesn’t include getting really close to the site. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...700b9c29_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4812/...262b53c2_o.jpg Stonehenge, you’re not as big as I imagined. Seriously! I thought you would be more impressive. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1902/...b4170ca7_o.jpg Tip: Download the Stonehenge Guide app and bring headphone for your smartphone so you don’t look like me holding a cheap cell-phone guide to your ear the whole time. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4886/...187588a5_o.jpg The back side of the site is actually the most visually appealing because it’s the only side that has the standing horizontal slabs. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1941/...052e033e_o.jpg I definitely had a different idea of what Stonehenge would be like. I imagined it would larger and more remote. Instead I found it to be overly touristy but still worth the experience. In the end, I’m still glad I went because it’s one of those “been there, done that” kinda places. Perhaps I would have liked it more if I was at this event: Paul Oakenfold DJs at Stonehenge! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1962/...14640b0c_o.jpg This lovely Royal Enfield parked next to our mules at Stonehenge. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4873/...128a0681_o.jpg The company is making a comeback to US markets. After Stonehenge we made our way north and enjoyed some of the most beautiful narrow roads and countrysides. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4916/...af015694_o.jpg Speed cameras! Every road in the UK and Ireland seemed to have these cameras. I tried to find how many are installed and found this site: www.SpeedCamerasUK.com. Their database list over 3,500 cameras in the UK which doesn’t include Northern Ireland. That’s a lot of cameras! We’ll be very fortunate if we didn’t get a speeding ticket mailed to us during our 23 days of riding. More of Day 4 to follow… |
Day 4 - Monday, 27 Aug (continued)…
Along our trip, we accidentally stumbled across this great restaurant when Chantil noticed some long canal boats floating near a stone bridge.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4903/...5af95df2_o.jpg Honeystreet Mill Café was a perfect place to enjoy brunch. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4810/...2787d966_o.jpg Just some of the finely decorated artwork around the restaurant. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1976/...777d7707_o.jpg Chantil enjoying a hot coco. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4859/...1233d6ee_o.jpg We shared this heavenly tasting carrot cake. Well done Honeystreet Mill Café! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4883/...89a418c3_o.jpg Alton Barnes White Horse is approximately 180 feet high, 160 feet long, and was cut in 1812. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1917/...7f9a9b4b_o.jpg Launched the drone to grab a closer look. During winter solstices locals outline the geoglyph with candles and even hosted a lantern parade in honor of the horse’s 200th birthday. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4830/...af5d0a00_o.jpg Before landing, I also captured this image of England’s south-east countryside. A beautiful day! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4912/...4201728d_o.jpg Passing a horse-drawn carriage of http://www.whitehorsegypsycaravans.co.uk/]gypsy travelers[/url]. I prefer my carriage to have more than 1 horsepower. Our 47hp seems about right! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1914/...be2edb90_o.jpg These stones are part of the largest megalithic stone circle in the world, located near Avebury in Wiltshire. Unlike Stonehenge, people can get right up to them and enjoy them. I wonder what the main reason was for placing them? Still a mystery but there are some theories. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1902/...1c67c129_o.jpg Although we plan to see a few things along our route each day, it is often the unplanned things that capture our attention... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4837/...c4fb159f_o.jpg ...like these wooden benches designed after iconic British WWII fighter and bomber planes of the Royal Air Force (RAF). https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1939/...53b32e00_o.jpg Or a tiled mural just tucked away behind an obscure wall… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4892/...f7ff54fe_o.jpg …that remembers a history of WWII that this region provided to the war effort. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4886/...01641d37_o.jpg It wasn’t too long, and we were passing through toll booths and crossing into new country. Great news, motorcycles don’t have to pay to toll! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4825/...de578143_o.jpg Crossing the Severn River via the, apply named, Severn Bridge. Welcome to Wales! We continued onward to Puzzle Wood where we enjoyed a hike through some JR Tolkien inspired forest. This is a unique and enchanting place, located in the beautiful and historic Forest of Dean. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1953/...f1796051_o.jpg The grounds have colorful and interesting flowers. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1937/...29cdacf3_o.jpg I lucked out with this picture. The fly just stayed there posing for the picture! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1946/...d883eb3a_o.jpg Gotta’ wonder how these sunflowers grow without sun ��. I kid, of course there is sun in the UK. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1940/...294ef962_o.jpg A tiny donkey posed for the camera at the kids petting zoo. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4902/...8ef66ba5_o.jpg Taking time to smell (or at least capture) the flowers. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/...0190f367_o.jpg Into the enchanted forest! A forest of adventure and fairy tales! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4842/...f1f2a4e0_o.jpg We explore the outer trails which included about a mile of meandering pathways, with its fantastic tree and rock formations. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4861/...3c04f5e7_o.jpg There are 14-acres of ancient woodland. It has an atmosphere unlike any other woods we’ve visited. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...b9b81f2f_o.jpg In an enchanted forest? Then why not eat one of my favorite candies - HARIBO Smurfs?! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4875/...794352d5_o.jpg The forest is pretty large considering that much of the surrounding area is flat farmland. We ended up spending almost two hours at Puzzle Wood. It was definitely worth the visit and admission of £7.00 ($9.00) per person. |
Day 4 - Monday, 27 Aug (continued)…
It was now time to make our way south to Cardiff. We arrived after 6PM so we didn’t get to go inside the castle but we did get to see a giant T-Rex!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4863/...c828f00d_o.jpg The side entrance into Cardiff Castle. Locked up tight and I didn't bring my army to storm the entrance. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4902/...2c04cdbe_o.jpg It seems Welsh is also spoken here. In Wales, go figure? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4818/...0460208d_o.jpg Ducks swim in the moat around the castle. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4914/...d22bbd1f_o.jpg A GIANT T-REX!! Not something I imagined we would be seeing today! The maintenance crew was taking down what looked like a food court event with life-sized statues of dinosaurs. RAAWWWRRR!! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1931/...6a7cea23_o.jpg The octagon gothic-inspired tower stands 75-feet high and was completed in 1439. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1954/...728ae421_o.jpg The Cardiff Castle 150-foot high clock tower was built in 1868. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4872/...f8f8e97c_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4886/...5a08d2a3_o.jpg Many statues guard castle entrances. One of the most popular is the noble lion… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4818/...bee3d852_o.jpg …but what about an AARDVARK?... https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1955/...62f2d969_o.jpg …or this bear full of personality? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4846/...183dd2f5_o.jpg Perhaps it’s his energetic orange eyes. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1943/...35097268_o.jpg Can you guess what country we’re in? Any flag with a red dragon on it has got to be a wicked cool country! After some pizza in Cardiff, we continued north where we finished the day at Grawen Caravan & Camping Park. Tomorrow we’ll continue north through Wales and then catch the ferry to Ireland. At least that was our initial plan. Murphy has a different idea in store… |
Day 5 - Tuesday, 28 Aug:
We woke up, broke camp, and were on the road by 7:40AM. It was not more than 1 mile down the road when Chantil’s mule overheat light came on. Shucks!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1929/...9f130de9_o.jpg High temp light. The crazy thing is that we don’t have any other indications of overheating. Could it just be a failed sensor? We pulled over in a quite parking area and went over options. Our model of motorcycle has a history of coolant pump drive shaft problems. Was it our time? Unfortunately, we don’t have this part with us. We called around from 08:40-09:10 and finally found a part that could be in Liverpool by tomorrow morning! Now how to get to Liverpool and back? It’s three hours away making a parts trip at least six hours of riding - a whole day lost:becca ! Perhaps we can let Chantil’s bike cool and try to get us both there or at least closer to Liverpool? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4887/...252225e8_o.jpg Only 210 km of riding today as we make a straight shot to Liverpool to the BMW Motorrad dealership. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4902/...4978a156_o.jpg As we passed through Brecon Beacons National Park the view was too good not to capture the beauty via the drone. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4912/...e4774fb0_o.jpg Even though we didn’t stop much, the roads offered plenty of great scenery. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4885/...2de0ebf1_o.jpg During our first fueling stop we ran into James and Laurence who recommended Greggs restaurant chains. Nice guys! In fact, everyone we came in contact with, here in Wales, has been really super nice. Anyone else feel this way about Wales? https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1920/...a8df8752_o.jpg Funny hay bales on the side of the road. When I first saw them, I thought they read “We support Terrorism!” Thankfully not. Riding to Liverpool together turned out to be a good plan because we got more than half way before the light came on again. We stopped to grab a quick bite while waiting for Chantil’s mule to cool down. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1916/...9f919ee6_o.jpg I ordered lemonade and this Sprite tasting beverage showed up in a glass. Is this the UK version of lemonade? https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1921/...df8cdfff_o.jpg Enjoying the open road. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4862/...2a0eb1b3_o.jpg Part of the fun of a new country is trying different food items. Oaty Bites! Little biscuits full of good fun! We arrived at the BMW dealer about an hour before it closed. They were all wonderfully nice people who did their best to accommodate us. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4891/...eaec3c44_o.jpg Gary and Harry at the BMW dealership. Both super helpful and very generous with their time. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4908/...2c9808c4_o.jpg Ted, one of the mechanics, was also incredibly nice. He is also a motorcycle traveler and has ridden from Europe to South Africa via the east side of Africa: Touring Ted We left Chantil’s mule in their care and then rode two-up to the hotel nearby. We enjoyed some good Mexican food at a nearby restaurant and then made plans for the next day. If all goes well, we’ll have Chantil’s mule back and be on our way to Ireland before the end of the day tomorrow... |
Day 6 - Wed, 29 Aug:
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Today’s route: 270 km with a bit of sightseeing around Liverpool and then to the port in Hollyhead where we boarded a ferry to Dublin, Ireland. We decided to make the best of this minor delay and try to see some interesting things in the Liverpool area, so we both hopped on my mule and rode two-up. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4869/...50ca6a4c_o.jpg No wonder Chantil wanted her own motorcycle almost immediately after I bought one! Just look at the view taken up by my fat head!! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4910/...be1154f0_o.jpg The morning was cloudy but dry… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4815/...257041c7_o.jpg … until we reached this section named “Scotland Road”. Is this a sign of things to come once we reach Scotland in a week? https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1972/...41106344_o.jpg We arrived early enough at Crosby Beach in Liverpool that it was just Chantil, me, and... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4844/...9e5caeb9_o.jpg ...100 cast iron figures facing towards the sea. Each one labeled with their own number. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1974/...6a022e07_o.jpg The 100 human figures are a modern sculpture called Another Place by Sir Anthony Gormley. The figures are modeled after the artist’s own body. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4814/...354a40bf_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4905/...46d33bbd_o.jpg Another Place was first exhibited on the beach of Cuxhaven, Germany, in 1997 followed by Stavanger in Norway and De Panne in Belgium. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4854/...79dd1c88_o.jpg As you walk further out to sea the figures take on a very different look... https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1919/...62e7c9dc_o.jpg ...because the sea starts to create its own version of the statues. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4888/...4af1306b_o.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1939/...e17490e6_o.jpg Even the statues furthest from the ocean are sculpted by the harsh wind and blowing sea spray. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4849/...ce9f5496_o.jpg Chilling out with Sir Antony Gormley. As far as art goes, this is one of the more interesting pieces because it covers such a large area and allows the viewer to draw their own conclusion on the meaning. What does Another Place mean to you? https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1914/...968befcb_o.jpg One of my favorite vehicles is the Land Rover Defender. The UK has its share of them. I would love to find a decent one to bring back to the USA. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4845/...a5fedbb0_o.jpg An advantage of a motorcycle here is that many tolls are free. Thumbs up! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4843/...0e1df1cd_o.jpg We then rode over to the area that inspired the Beatle’s song Strawberry Fields Forever. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1967/...9c028b40_o.jpg There used to be a Salvation Army here that housed a children orphanage. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4881/...1135cfb4_o.jpg John Lennon grew up near here and one of his childhood treats was the garden party that took place each summer - on the grounds of Strawberry Field. We returned to Chester BMW Motorrad to pick up Chantil’s mule. They confirmed the high coolant temperature switch was bad but didn’t have the part until next week. We asked them how much we owed, and they gladly said “Nothing, we didn’t fix anything. Enjoy the rest of your trip!” Admittedly, I felt they should have received at least some payment for the labor of troubleshoot the sensor, but they refused. I hope that I can repay their kindness by putting the good word out to the world – Go to Chester BMW Mottorrad, their service department is excellent and their customer service is awesome! Repeat… Go to Chester BMW Mottorrad, their service department is excellent and their customer service is awesome!! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4872/...cfbcd15d_o.jpg It’s shaping up to be a beautiful day! Next stop Denbigh Castle… |
Day 6 Continues...
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Denbigh Castle sits on a hill overlooking the small market town of Denbigh. Small Welsh town = very narrow streets. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4912/...a0ce883a_o.jpg Denbigh Castle is part of a fortifications built to control the lordship of Denbigh after the conquest of Wales by King Edward I in 1282. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1907/...1472f03a_o.jpg After being raided and burned through multiple wars all that stands today in the ruins. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4875/...e8f9d800_o.jpg Personally, l like exploring ruins more than a finished caste. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4825/...b47a91c7_o.jpg The ticket area and small cafe also has some dress-up clothing for children like me. Here I am looking tough in a plastic helmet for kids! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4860/...54d0fff9_o.jpg Incorporating a modern cafe into the ruins seemed well designed and provided a chance to raise money in order to preserve the grounds for future generations. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1937/...e26139b5_o.jpg The large central well is about 40 feet deep. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4874/...489809d7_o.jpg Chantil enjoying the view and the sunny day. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4904/...5ec0cd39_o.jpg The Welsh flag flies proudly overhead the ruins. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4828/...9183e5c5_o.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1978/...632658ee_o.jpg On our way out, we had to take this adorable picture of two sisters having fun. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4833/...61f8044b_o.jpg Overall, a great break from riding and definitely worth the £4.00 access fee. After the castle, we made a quick pit-stop to this unique place: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4804/...c52fa1a7_o.jpg The village known as Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysilio gogogoch!! Try and pronounce that in Welsh!?! The name means "St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the fierce whirlpool of St Tysilio of the red cave" in Welsh!!! Crazy! After passing through the town’s name I’ll never be able to pronounce in my lifetime, we bagan the process of boarding the ferry to Ireland. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1910/...f2d454f0_o.jpg My mules boarding pass to Ireland Ireland! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4858/...a093dae2_o.jpg Passing the long line of trucks waiting to board the ferry with goods for Irish merchants. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4912/...312cb9b0_o.jpg Our two mules were the only motorcycles on the ferry. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4847/...d5ab13bb_o.jpg Boarding the ferry to a new country! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4905/...0446a416_o.jpg All strapped down for the 2 hour, 15 minute journey. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1922/...9ac59060_o.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1948/...841aca4a_o.jpg We rode the HSC Jonathan Swift, a fast ferry that was built by Austal Ships in Australia. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4894/...84cb277e_o.jpg The Holyhead Breakwater Lighthouse was our last view of the UK. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1971/...4ca40110_o.jpg There were not that many people aboard; one of the advantages of traveling at the tail end of summer. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1929/...03df35e4_o.jpg On our way to a new country! Ireland! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1965/...ef95f0b8_o.jpg Time to put away the Queen’s money until we return to Northern Ireland. Ireland had endorsed the Euro since 2002. We will also have to switch our GPS units from mph to kph. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4856/...958c983a_o.jpg Poolbeg Lighthouse in Dublin Bay was built in 1768 and marked our arrival to Ireland! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4826/...e6dbd3eb_o.jpg We arrived in Dublin and made our way through town. I can’t imagine how people navigated on a motorcycle before the age of GPS. Dublin would have been very difficult with all of its one way and narrow streets. It was well after dark when we arrived at the campsite, so we quietly set up camp and then drifted off to a well-deserved sleep. Tomorrow will be our first full day in Ireland! Perhaps, with a little bit of Irish luck we may have a surprise in store… |
Day 7 - Thu, 30 Aug:
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410 km today as we go from Dublin to the west coast of Ireland, stopping along the way at Kilkenny, Blarney Castle, Killarney National Park, and the first portion of the Ring of Kerry. Great day! We woke up to an email from www.skelligrocks.com; one of the few companies that boats folks to Skellig Island. When we started planning our trip back on May and June, all of the landing boat trips to Skellig were booked. We booked a standby, crossed out fingers, and hoped for some Irish luck. It turns out that there were some cancellations for Friday! Perfect timing for our trip!! Now to get from Dublin to the pier in Portmagee... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4833/...a1404e03_o.jpg Cloudy skies this morning. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4862/...b00d6b07_o.jpg Ever wonder what happened to Popeye the Sailor Man? He lives in a camper van in Ireland! Funny saying on the back of the van. Side story: I had an extremely elated moment this morning. We were riding under grey clouds; the sun and blue skies were just ahead of us promising for a beautiful day. At that moment, one of my favorite songs started to play - U2’s Where the Streets Have No Name. The beginning of this song is incredible, especially if you’ve seen their Rattle and Hum concert. Anyhow, here I was, riding a motorcycle, on a beautiful day, with my best friend and wife, Chantil, in the same country where U2 came from!! It was a bit overwhelming. I hope everyone can experience pure joy like this someday. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4831/...4110d029_o.jpg Life is good! About mid-morning, we stopped in Kilkenny. When I hear the name Kilkenny, I immediately think of South Park - “They killed Kenny!” Anyone else? https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1913/...a5af65e3_o.jpg Interesting how the shade on this wall caused the vines to fade from green to red. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4914/...d7a76485_o.jpg Close-up of the red leaves. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4851/...fb9b776c_o.jpg A Scottish Westie in Ireland :D! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1935/...7669cac3_o.jpg Kilkenny Castle, Ireland was built in 1195 to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...a7db802b_o.jpg Just an idea of the detail that went into something as simple as a balcony. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4832/...3765a32c_o.jpg Most of the rooms were restored and decorated in the fashions of 19th century nobility. This room shows the original wallpaper design only is small sections. It needed to be restored but artists decided to show the difference by just using outline art. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4899/...958c9b26_o.jpg Close-up of the original (middle) vs the outlined art. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4828/...e95d6d5d_o.jpg This is how the rich or nobility ate meals. Which utensil am I supposed to use?! What one of the four glasses are for water?? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4809/...0e659a20_o.jpg The wallpaper and curtains are all custom made to match. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4851/...53a2c2b6_o.jpg Fine wood and craftsmanship are shown throughout the home. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4803/...78d19d32_o.jpg A tapestry room to display all your fine art. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4807/...14879e09_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4877/...92e27374_o.jpg Even children had high end toys like this doll and custom doll-sized chair. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4816/...b200142d_o.jpg Just an idea of some of the artwork and level of detail in the wall coverings. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/...5f9454c6_o.jpg Close-up of the graphic like quality of the wall-papering. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4899/...4cf2dd2c_o.jpg Carvings at the ceiling are even exquisitely done. |
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More of the stairwells showing the dramatic colors and level of details. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4916/...71000ec7_o.jpg A tapestry showing the overly glorious death of Decius, the Roman Emperor from 249 to 251. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4892/...07b3ac59_o.jpg (drawing of castle with trees) https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4850/...488f9291_o.jpg The kitchen area used for the workers was converted into a great coffee shop... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4856/...f0f180be_o.jpg ...with delicious baked goods. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/...c4c048c0_o.jpg The garden area was also impressive and well designed. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4888/...8cab8acd_o.jpg A pigeon relaxed in the garden area. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4882/...3a216ede_o.jpg The castle stands central and above the city below. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1955/...03388986_o.jpg The rose garden was as beautiful as you could imagine. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4808/...d06da018_o.jpg A farmers market in Kilkenny had delicious breads… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4912/...9f3336a8_o.jpg … and other foods. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1953/...c886d451_o.jpg Waiting at a cross-walk in Kilkenny. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4811/...60a9284b_o.jpg The flag of Ireland. The orange stands for Irish Protestants, the green signifying Irish Catholics and the republican cause, and the white representing the hope for peace between them. Back on the bikes. We’ve got to cover at least 400 km today… https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1974/...f4f4e4f1_o.jpg Riding through Kilkenny. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1951/...c52ee90b_o.jpg Along the route we saw this cool globe in the middle of a round-about. Inside the middle looking out at North America. Our next stop Blarney Castle… |
You can’t go to Ireland without a visit to Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone. Can you?
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4831/...35bb1729_o.jpg Blarney Castle (Irish: Caisleán na Blarnan) is a medieval stronghold in Blarney that dates from 1446. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4850/...0f315a58_o.jpg Beautiful designed grounds full of colorful flowers. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4879/...e2b2204a_o.jpg There is much more to the area than the castle and stone. There are gardens, miles of trails, and many modern sculptures that decorate the grounds. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1907/...a7615053_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4823/...729b2f6c_o.jpg There are three main structures that remain of Blarney Castle; the main castle keep, and two smaller towers. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1934/...eefb4804_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4813/...0bb77a90_o.jpg A good reason for visiting in the off-season. This is easily how long the line can be in the summer. We only had to wait about 15 minutes. Worth the 15-minute wait – not worth an hour wait. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1926/...0fa562ce_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4872/...0e363a1b_o.jpg One of the grated windows was decorated in yarn doilies. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1932/...94166224_o.jpg Close-up of some of the doilies. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4805/...6f6c16e7_o.jpg People, unfortunately, carve their names into the walls, but all these carvings also have an artistic quality for some reason. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1980/...55ee2bfd_o.jpg The castle walls and windows as we head up the tight and narrow stairs to the roof of the castle where the famous Blaney Stone resides. No picture of the stairs because your “nut to butt” in the narrow staircase. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4897/...f77808d1_o.jpg Selfie at the Blarney Stone (shown just between us in the background). https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4883/...fc8acf4e_o.jpg While you’re waiting in line to kiss the stone there are some great views and plaques that have some stories about how Kissing the Blarney became so popular. The process of kissing the stone is a bit silly. You lie on your back, on a stone parapet, hang onto a metal railing with your head lowered between a slot in the rock wall, bend over backward while reaching out your neck to plant your lips where millions of others have kissed before. A bit silly, but perhaps that’s the fun of it. Is herpes fun? After the stone, we took some time to enjoy the surrounding gardens and walking trails. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4894/...348b29e1_o.jpg A detail of the sculpture that goes into something as simple as iron fence. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1902/...58335166_o.jpg The Blarney House is also on the property, but we did not tour it. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1976/...2b444207_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4870/...519b1942_o.jpg There is a small walk that takes you around some modern sculptures. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1907/...f93c568b_o.jpg A fun little wooden mushroom with its tiny door and... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4904/...b1b000e0_o.jpg ...wishes from people around the world. We quietly stole all their wishes after taking this picture. I kid, of course I wouldn't still wishes - even if they are two euros. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1975/...42758150_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4898/...05b1ec94_o.jpg Butterflies were flapping around in the light breeze and this one even stopped long enough for me to take this close-up. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4902/...6c6f8a54_o.jpg We found this rabbit running... https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1978/...dde81dfa_o.jpg ... from this fox. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1946/...3e9af554_o.jpg A wonderful summer day with a slight breeze. Perfect! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4917/...9b04257d_o.jpg Before leaving I made a wish before tossing this five-euro cent coin into the wishing stream. Not going to tell you my wish until it comes true. |
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Ireland has a lot to see. The poster shows all the things you can do... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4894/...4ac4cef2_o.jpg …like Killarney National Park. Beautiful and FREE! National parks here don’t have a fee to enter like they do in the USA. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1975/...db013d4c_o.jpg We discovered a narrow road that took us through some dense forest land. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1920/...3ea9b0b3_o.jpg Flying the drone to capture some video and this image of Chantil riding through the forest. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4840/...e1406177_o.jpg Great narrow and twisty roads perfect for motorcycles. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4847/...a15a31bf_o.jpg Enjoying the open road with minimal traffic. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1907/...88ac757b_o.jpg We did notice a lot of small same-brand motorcycles traveling though the national park. All of the riders were smiling – just like us! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4825/...a9c16866_o.jpg Left to Live. Your life is to short not to make your dreams memories. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4803/...a011399d_o.jpg We found a campsite, at Glenbeg Caravan and Camping Park. A great spot right on the beach to finish our first full day in Ireland. Tomorrow we’ll see if the “luck of Irish” continues with favorable weather… |
Day 8 - Fri, 31 Aug:
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Only 150km of riding because today was mostly about getting to and exploring Skellig Island. We woke up early so that we would make it to Portmagee with enough time to get some breakfast in town before we boarded the boat to Skellig Island. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4860/...0ae2f51b_o.jpg Starting my morning off right with a walk along the beach. A bit cloudy but at least no rain! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4827/...fa6ab525_o.jpg The drive along the Atlantic Ocean did not disappoint with views like this... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4835/...912678f6_o.jpg …and this… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4885/...65bc1d19_o.jpg ...and this. On the way to Portmagee we did a quick stop in Waterville to take a picture with Charlie Chaplin. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4871/...60be8a62_o.jpg Waterville was a favorite vacationing spot for Charlie Chaplain. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4823/...9143fa4f_o.jpg Chilling with Charlie! Once we reached Portmagee, we found that the boat was delayed due to weather on the Island. The captain seemed confident that the trip would still happen; we just had to wait a bit longer. Instead of waiting at the nearby café we decided to explore town and then ride to see the Telegraph Field on Valentia Island and the Kerry Cliffs. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4840/...50fecdbf_o.jpg We found Portmagee to be a small but very charming tourist town. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4887/...2241d5ab_o.jpg This stray dog seemed to enjoy the attention of tourists like us. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4885/...56f31219_o.jpg Small fishing boats docked in Portmagee. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4883/...6d6f7672_o.jpg Decorated walls with a seaside nautical flare. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4894/...0999973e_o.jpg Apparently Barbie has a vacation home here. Who else would paint their house this color? (https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4894/...e513c61e_o.jpg Actually, truth is, I find pink to be a pleasant color. I just wouldn’t paint my house that color… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4909/...a6cd8872_o.jpg …or my mule. Here he is, waiting patiently, while we explore Telegraph Field on Valentia Island. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4807/...76075a2c_o.jpg The plaque marks the first successful transatlantic telegraph transmission. The laying of the cable under the ocean was completed on August 5, 1858. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4836/...cec8cd51_o.jpg This is the size of the cable used – about 6” diameter. Four ships—two from Britain and two from the United States, successfully installed the cable without it breaking halfway, allowing messages to be sent from Valentia Harbor in Ireland to Trinity Bay in Newfoundland. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4916/...38906827_o.jpg Views from Valentia Island. It was clearing up enough that you could make out the Skellig Islands on the Horizon. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4847/...045bf96b_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/...f072e899_o.jpg The narrow roads on Valentia Island are barely wide enough for two motorcycles. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4906/...2a736dc1_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4907/...5ebcd1cd_o.jpg Views from the nearby Kerry Cliffs was stunning - but really, really, windy. Based on the level of winds I knew the trip out to Skellig would be a bit rough. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4833/...2f11aa29_o.jpg Don’t fall off the cliff! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/...6687b56a_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4908/...bb87d99d_o.jpg A last view of Kerry Cliffs before we return to the marina… …for boarding the boat to Skellig Island! We are more than excited!! I just hope the weather is good enough to safely unload us at the island… |
Day 8 - Fri, 31 Aug - The Skellig Islands:
Skellig Michael Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So what! What makes it so special compared to the other 131 heritage sites in Western Europe? Star Wars!! That’s what! Skellig Michael was a filming location for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
It can be difficult to get a landing onto this island located 11.6 kilometres (7.2 mi) off the isolated coast of Ireland. The island is only assessable during the summer months, spots fill up quickly, and weather often forces boats to cancel landings. Getting here takes a bit of planning and a lot of luck. For us we had both! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4823/...38571fb6_o.jpg During the movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I was mesmerized by this coastal island where Luke Skywalker was believed to be in hiding. Once I realized it was a place that you could actually reach it became a bucket-list destination. *Picture from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4862/...68cbfff1_o.jpg We were all given foul-weather gear. Based on the high winds, I expected that we would need them in our open-top fishing boat. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4880/...7c5b51a3_o.jpg About 5 to 7 other boats, similar sized, joined us on the ride out to the island. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4895/...e49dfa32_o.jpg Getting to the island took a little longer than an hour. Some of the folks on our boat couldn’t wait to be on solid ground. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4875/...2f920dfa_o.jpg It was rather foggy, so we could not see the upper part of the island. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4842/...e6e89a6c_o.jpg A helicopter pad for emergencies. Somehow I doubt the Millennium Falcon could land there! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4857/...d791d683_o.jpg A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4848/...820cb7ef_o.jpg Does this rock look familiar? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4811/...06b05112_o.jpg Perhaps this may jog your memory? *Picture from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4840/...82ca21df_o.jpg The rock stairway leading up to the Monastery area was built by monks during the 8th century. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4840/...8e8dfa01_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4815/...7c822e9c_o.jpg Chantil standing in the archway that opens to the monastery area at 550 ft above sea level. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4870/...aacaa1bb_o.jpg An idea of the level of detail that the monks used in the building of the stairways and dome enclosures. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4824/...744365d8_o.jpg A panorama of the small monastery area where the monks lived and worked. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4841/...30c65d5c_o.jpg For some this was a spiritual experience; this gentleman meditated in the same spot that monks would have done the same thing hundreds of years before. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4827/...11c3612f_o.jpg Gravestones mark the passing of fellow monks from their Earthly lives. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4828/...92347330_o.jpg The dwellings are built with rocks layered to cause the water runs outside. To say they were dry inside would be an overstatement, but they were dryer. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4879/...77d583cf_o.jpg |
Day 8 - Fri, 31 Aug - The Skellig Islands (continued)...
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Visitors actively listen to the guide as she explains what life would have been like for the monks among the challenging terrain. Thankfully, she kept it informative and respected the lives of the monks and didn’t even mention the word “Star Wars” once. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4822/...30baaa34_o.jpg The myriad of grey lichen on the rock face creates natures version of modern art. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4914/...4a933dd4_o.jpg Walking back down to “Christ’s Saddle”. This was near the area where Ray handing Luke his lightsaber in the movie. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4861/...d4efa33e_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4886/...781ed59b_o.jpg It’s quite amazing that a group of monks lived in this harsh and desolate environment. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4900/...aee61391_o.jpg Standing on the main walkway up to “Christ’s Saddle”. Another walkway continued upwards from the saddle area to the monastic site. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4848/...6582774b_o.jpg Returning to the “Wailing Woman” rock. The fog lifted enough to see Little Skellig in the distance. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...27bc9980_o.jpg Seabirds of various types live on this and nearby islands. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4803/...4a36b637_o.jpg We never did see a Thala-siren, or get to taste their unique green milk. Apparently they migrate to the Faroe Islands during the summer :D *Picture from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4839/...f147db9e_o.jpg The departing view of Skellig Island was better than when we arrived since most of the fog was cleared. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4860/...c28fc5d2_o.jpg Little Skellig is not populated by humans so a quick boat ride beneath the rocky cliffs gave us a magnificent view of... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4873/...e114764c_o.jpg ...the millions of birds roosting and flying around the island. It was awe inspiring to see so many birds squawking and flying around. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4885/...9245839a_o.jpg Each of those tiny white dots is a bird. Millions of them. Learn more about the various types: HERE https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4886/...108f1664_o.jpg The last view of the Skellig Islands as we say “goodbye”. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4826/...42a34815_o.jpg Heading back to Portmagee. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4874/...24fc8d96_o.jpg Captain Dave even let me drive his boat back into port until just before we had to dock. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4804/...f8c29751_o.jpg Thanks to Derek (left) and Capt Dave (middle) for a wonderful day. Thanks to Skelligs Rock: Boat Tour to the Skellig Island for the memory and destination of a lifetime! |
Day 8 - Fri, 31 Aug (cont…)
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We worked up quite an appetite hiking the stone stairways in Skellig; Time for an early dinner at Smugglers Cafe in Portmagee. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4865/...6ddec0c0_o.jpg The restaurant was decorated with seaside and nautical art pieces. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4887/...61548683_o.jpg I find the look of a high-quality colored chart to be very appealing. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4826/...bcfc03d1_o.jpg A rope covered hanging lamp lit our table. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/...9aa4cf53_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4858/...b5256edb_o.jpg The clam chowder was some of the BEST we’ve ever eaten. I would have been very content finding a hotel room in Portmagee and relaxing for the night, but we needed to move along while we still had some daylight. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4822/...20f03ab1_o.jpg The Ring of Kerry continues north through the town of Cahirciveen – population 1,041. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4824/...30869861_o.jpg During a fuel stop this dog kept barking at us. Perhaps he wanted to ride on our mules instead of his Toyota? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4854/...05069a5c_o.jpg Monument to St. Brendan the Navigator by Éamonn O'Doherty is a sculpture that represents the monks’ voyage to the monastery at Skellig Michael. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4826/...4039a33b_o.jpg We continued heading northish along the route marked the “Wild Atlantic Way”. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4816/...20202a6e_o.jpg All hail King Puck, Lord Goat of Killorglin! This statue of King Puck in Killorglin, Ireland is a monument to the country’s oldest festival, the Puck Fair. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4890/...6cb79775_o.jpg During this ancient celebration, a wild male goat (known as a “puck”) is crowned king of the town for three days before being returned to his normal life in the Irish hills, his royalty all but ignored by his fellow goats. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4893/...e760846e_o.jpg Continuing along the Ring of Kerry and the Wild Atlantic Route. Today was a great day! One of the greatest!! |
I rode around Ireland in May. I absolutely enjoyed every day, but words can't describe the beauty of the Glengash Pass, Slieve League Cliffs and the Antrim Coast. I definitely would go back in a heartbeat.
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Day 9 - Sat, 1 Sep:
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We covered quite a bit of ground today in order to get back on schedule – 350 km! That’s a lot for us. We continued clockwise along the Wild Atlantic Coastal Route of Ireland’s west coast, stopping at Clare Abbey Burial Ground, Cliffs of Moher, and Aughnaure Castle. We found a campsite, well after dark, at Kings Caravan & Campsite. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4828/...d3d2742f_o.jpg “Did you see that sign?” This ended up being an impromptu spot that we discovered from the highway. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4816/...fc89517d_o.jpg Heading to the ruins of Clare Abbey. The abbey was founded in 1195 https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4872/...65da2946_o.jpg Could this cool place really be without any tourists? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4860/...05bd1480_o.jpg No people to disturb? Time to fly the drone and captured some great videos that we’ll post in a future video of our trip. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4877/...ce609239_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4915/...3551fc47_o.jpg The Celtic cross seems to be the gravestone of choice for most Irish. Story: This is a bit creepy, but during our visit I heard voices of children laughing in a playground. I just shrugged it off because sound can travel in peculiar ways... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4863/...4ae28e1f_o.jpg ...however, as we were leaving the site, Chantil mentioned she also heard voices! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/...1e2339af_o.jpg The weird thing is that there was nothing around except for some cows and goats in the surrounding fields. Why the sounds of children playing at school on a Saturday? Haunted? Nah. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4807/...be8f6192_o.jpg Next stop, the Cliffs of Moher. The entrance fee of 8 euros included parking for our mules. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4830/...e1ae18c0_o.jpg The famous Cliffs of Moher! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4813/...64f15e7f_o.jpg Pinnacle Rock. Pan around to see the bay from 200 meters above. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4911/...069e8f95_o.jpg It was a perfect day. The sun was warm. Musicians were playing Irish songs. People were smiling. We were in Ireland! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4835/...8c444991_o.jpg The word “Mothar” means ruined fort in ancient Gaelic. A fort from the 1st century BC stood at Hags Head where Moher Tower now stands. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4836/...ea78ff46_o.jpg O'Brien's Tower was a popular spot for taking pictures and enjoying the views. The tower was built in 1835 as an observation spot for Victorian tourists https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4900/...9c062179_o.jpg Pinnacle Rock. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4808/...3d51ec36_o.jpg A group of young adults relaxing in the grass above the cliff walls. Just a few feet from the guy on the left is the edge where it drops 200 meters onto a rocky shore. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4838/...81bf88d1_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4883/...0ef2530e_o.jpg Cows enjoying the afternoon sunshine and multitude of fresh green grass. By the way, that fence is electric. Guess how I know? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4811/...b5542410_o.jpg A black bird enjoying his perch above all the tourists. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4852/...c3e8ac90_o.jpg Just up the road from the Cliffs of Moher is this restaurant called Stonecutters Kitchen. We sat next to an older Irish couple who recommended... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4849/...4985e87c_o.jpg ... the Traditional Beef and Guinness Stew with Cidona apple drink. It was delicious! |
Day 9 - Sat, 1 Sep (continued...)
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Although we were pushing to get back on our scheduled timeline, we did stop and enjoy the scenery along the way. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4817/...b9756b35_o.jpg The narrow roads combined with the sunny weather made riding a joy today! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4911/...5b4160f6_o.jpg Near the end of the day we came across a sign pointing to Aughnaure Castle. Why not? We parked our mules and walked past a pasture to a walking trail leading to the castle. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4817/...74207232_o.jpg We ended up being the last tourists of the day. We walked around as the caretaker was tidying up the castle. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4833/...d367a3f7_o.jpg The picture shows what the original looked like when it was built in the 16th century. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4886/...08502b4d_o.jpg The design and wood of the rafters of the ceiling. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4843/...76ed2af1_o.jpg It seems a lot of castles we went into have this murder hole where you could pour hot coals or shoot arrows down on unwanted guests. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/...82c254b9_o.jpg The castle owner and caretaker is a loving and kind lady that showed us the keys to her castle. The keys looked just like you would expect castle keys to look like. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4810/...330afce7_o.jpg The caretaker was such a warm and friendly lady. Meeting wonderful people is part of the adventure! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4849/...2603f5c5_o.jpg It was well after dark before me made it to Kings Caravan & Campsite. It was so late that the office was closed but Chantil was able to find the camp host who opened the bathroom doors for us. |
Day 10 - Sun, 02 Sep:
A day of aviation history, rainbows, church attendance, and more exploring of the beautiful Irish coastline.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4805/...c911e4a6_o.jpg 450 km today! Unfortunately, we passed by some great places that would have been worth the stop. On a positive note, we are closer to being on our planned schedule for our trip. We were definitely ready for some sleep once we reached Northern Ireland. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4804/...067b385f_o.jpg Ask most Americans who was the first person to fly a plane non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean and they will most likely tell you Charles Lindbergh. They would be wrong. Lindbergh was actually the 19th person to fly non-stop across the Atlantic. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4803/...773b1f0c_o.jpg In a remote bog of northwestern Ireland known as Derrigimlagh,… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4838/...df9d1d44_o.jpg …two British aviators, John Alcock and Arthur Brown, completed the first non-stop transatlantic flight in June 1919. They flew a modified First World War Vickers Vimy bomber from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Clifden, Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4824/...b23ddce5_o.jpg Their landing wasn’t glamorous, but they completed the trip in less than 16 hours. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4814/...9605b0b1_o.jpg The hike out to the “landing” site is not difficult but it is shared by sheep. Watch out for their droppings. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4869/...4de517a3_o.jpg The site where John Alcock and Arthur Brown landed was definitely a rough boggy landscape. It’s surprising they were not seriously injured in the landing. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4864/...03b00a23_o.jpg A simple white cone marks the site where aviation history was made in 1919. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4804/...080e8372_o.jpg A display shows the damaged Vickers Vimy bomber where it “landed”. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4822/...8e662882_o.jpg Some may wonder why they decided to land here but it’s important to remember that the ground looks much different from the air and they had been airborne for nearly 16 hours with some pretty terrifying icing and storms. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4910/...87318359_o.jpg The two aviators who made aviation history - John Alcock and Arthur Brown. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4889/...aef88846_o.jpg As if it wasn’t crazy enough, they brought two cats with them on the plane!! Actually, I read that wrong... Two toy cats were given to them for the journey. One of them, named Twinkle Toes, later flew a similar flight 60 years later in a RAF F-4 Phantom. The F-4 was a bit faster at only six hours and it landed without mishap. Twinkle Toes is in the RAF Museum in Cosford, England. As an aviation buff, I enjoyed the remote and quite corner of Derrigimlagh. However, this experience made me question my education since I had no idea about Alcock and Brown growing up. Perhaps the textbooks in the United States tend to focus on American accomplishments? After all, Charles Lindbergh was an American born in Detroit. We continued along the route, making good time in order to attend church services in the town of Sligo. Along the way, the rain clouds lifted and we had the joy of experiencing one of the brightest rainbows we’ve seen for quite some time. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4874/...f045f7ea_o.jpg It’s no wonder rainbows are often associated with Ireland. This was one of the most vivid rainbows I seen in recent history. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4907/...77fdc884_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4870/...e9b6245a_o.jpg Along the way we noticed the Church of St Joseph and St Conal in the town of Donegal. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4821/...b19c9126_o.jpg It was open so we peeked inside... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4904/...e648246b_o.jpg ...to find this charming altar... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4864/...9a73d1d2_o.jpg ...and beautifully designed stained-glass window. We decided to take a diversion to Bunglass Point, based on a recommendation from some motorcyclist we met at church earlier. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4889/...72b1ff7d_o.jpg In many ways, I feel the BMW G650GS is the ideal adventure motorcycle. It's not too heavy, a world traveled proven engine with adequate power for riding on highways, gets great fuel mileage, has more cargo capacity than we’ll ever use, is easy to maintain, and doesn't cost much. The cost of purchasing, outfitting, and customizing our two mules was about 14K USD. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4914/...3cc27104_o.jpg On our way to Teelin we stopped to take some picture of grounded, broken-hulled boats. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4859/...28093046_o.jpg The Rusty Mackerel near Donegal looked like a nice place to eat but we only stopped long enough to snap a photo of their mural. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4807/...f58a7992_o.jpg The mules parked at Bunglass Point. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4886/...cb351039_o.jpg Although, I would have liked to see more of the coast, the day was getting late. Bunglass Point ended up being our last stop before we reached Northern Ireland. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4850/...ff367d65_o.jpg Welcome to Northern Ireland! Time to switch our GPS units to miles per hour, put away our Euros, and pull out our Pound sterling. *Picture from www.thesun.ie It seems many are in support of the Irish reunification where the whole of Ireland would be a single sovereign state. This is a complicated and emotionally charged issue for lots of Irish folks on both side of the border. As an American who was just traveling through, I don’t have the history or information needed to form an opinion. I just hope for a democratic and peaceful agreement for the future of Ireland. Tomorrow is Day 11! Join us, along with some wonderful sunny weather, as we continue our travels clockwise around Northern Ireland… |
Day 11 - Mon, 03 Sep:
A few days ago, we were talking to a gentleman about our plans to ride around Ireland clockwise to Northern Ireland. He responded, “Northern Ireland is always rainy, cold, and cloudy.”
Our experience was the opposite - sunny and relatively warm. Luck of the Irish for us! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4873/...d7d736b0_o.jpg Only 102 miles (165 km) of riding today. We experienced the beauty of Northern Ireland’s north coast: Downhill House and Mussenden Temple, Giant Causeway, and The Dark Hedges. Then we rode south to Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland and the birthplace of the RMS Titanic. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4862/...3873059a_o.jpg Sunny with white fluffy clouds this morning. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4851/...e2861b39_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4873/...0bdc439b_o.jpg Dry roads. No raingear. It’s going to be a great day! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4858/...0acef904_o.jpg Our first stop, and right along the northern coast, was the Downhill House. This palatial home was built in the late 18th century but was destroyed by a fire in 1851. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4876/...958c1e78_o.jpg The nearby Mussenden Temple was built in 1785. It is perched picture perfectly on the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4845/...d86a190f_o.jpg An inscription around the outside of the building reads “"Suave, mari magno turbantibus aequora ventis e terra magnum alterius spectare laborem."; meaning "Tis pleasant, safely to behold from shore. The troubled sailor, and hear the tempests roar." https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4809/...ea616ac7_o.jpg I imagine it was quite a nice place to study or just look out over the ocean below. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4906/...2e85cace_o.jpg The Downhill House is now just stone steps and walls ever since a fire destroyed it in 1851. It was rebuilt but then fell into disrepair after WW2. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4852/...74a49de6_o.jpg I imagine it must have been quite the elegant residence. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4886/...56d77199_o.jpg Since there were relatively few visitors, we launched the drone to capture some video and this photo of the Downhill House. Here is one of my favorites. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4843/...0fbf172b_o.jpg Looking down at the foundation and layout. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4887/...54dc5998_o.jpg Passing through the seaside town of Portstewart. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...f05e85b0_o.jpg Dunluce Castle sits proudly on the cliff edge surrounding by cows. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4909/...5b79b0d6_o.jpg Originally built in the 13th century; the last resident lived there until the 1690s. It’s been slowly deteriorated ever since but is now managed by the Northern Irish Environment Agency. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4884/...8fa114a1_o.jpg The views from the coastal road are some of the best. As we got closer towards Giant’s Causeway, I started to get a bit nervous. Were we heading into another tourist trap? The multitude of tourist buses and large parking lots suggested that it would be. Travel advice: Do not park in the visitor’s center parking area and pay the £11.50. There are much cheaper alternatives that are just a short walk away. We parked by the train station for £5.00 https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/...2fa5acc9_o.jpg The visitors center is definitely a unique architectural design that was built to compliment the basalt columns of the Causeway. We didn’t go inside because of the high cost. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4814/...7f8827d8_o.jpg The walking trails, Causeway, ocean views, and today’s sun was all free. |
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I definitely recommend taking the Red Trail since it’s less crowded and give great views from the cliffs above. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4872/...0afb2652_o.jpg[ There were even blackberry bushes… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4818/...05615b42_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4916/...ec60d2a0_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4892/...2f1de349_o.jpg Some benches had some informative wood carvings on them. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4905/...a4062e5c_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4829/...49608f54_o.jpg We even found this lady bug that kept moving making getting this picture difficult. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...b8400b2b_o.jpg The Red Trail winds down the cliff and drops you into this picturesque beach. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4809/...da46233b_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4809/...0d657832_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4820/...40dd2b71_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4826/...81021c23_o.jpg Love the different colors of lichen on the dark rocks. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4911/...e31f7cac_o.jpg There are over 40,000 interlocking basalt columns that make up the Giant Causeway. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/...2e90ab2c_o.jpg These unique shapes and columns are the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/...ed4e1a35_o.jpg The ocean waves splash against the lower columns turning them into a darker color. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4885/...864664bb_o.jpg Lots of folks! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4826/...08226a02_o.jpg The parking lot uses the unique but complimentary hexagonal patterns. Giant’s Causeway, you surprised me! I thought you would be a tourist trap but your many miles of trails and views from the cliffs above the Causeway made the visit definitely worth the time. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4900/...dbf87161_o.jpg The nearby restaurant called The Nook had tasty sandwiches and a side of potato and lentil soup. We continued along the coast enjoying the views, and wonderful sun, along the way... |
Hi guys
As a long time lurker I decided to register today to comment on your ride tail ... I live in the UK so find your trip report incredibly interesting I think it's very true that you never notice the incredible locations on your own doorstep while dreaming of far off lands I've been riding for a couple of years now and have always had the urge to travel by bike - particularly exploring my own country ... currently though my travel is the 15 mile communte every morning and every evening Look forward to seeing more of your trip as the Ireland element has already generated a number of Points of Interest to plug into my planning GPS Love your photography style as well + the drone captures are gorgeous Mal Skelton |
Day 11 - Mon, 03 Sep (continued…)
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The northern coast continues to impress! White Park Bay. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4887/...d37872a5_o.jpg Looking northeast to where the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is located. It would have been fun to cross the bridge, but it was very crowded, and we wanted to push on to Belfast before the evening. On the way to Belfast, we stopped at the Dark Hedges. Signs directed us to a parking area since cars and motorcycles are not allowed to drive through the hedges. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4873/...4ee8193d_o.jpg The Dark Hedges. It was bright and sunny today, but the trees still do a good job of blocking out a good portion of the light. It would have been fun to walk through this area at sunset or on a misty morning. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4860/...451d2230_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4821/...fcf48d56_o.jpg A bit more menacing in black and white? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4837/...de92b491_o.jpg On the walking path back to the parking lot we came across a village of sorts with tiny houses made for Smurfs or something that sized. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4814/...6f01d2a8_o.jpg Nice Smurf duplex! I would live next to Smurfette! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4917/...bcc581fc_o.jpg There was actually quite a lot of things to do in the area, but we had to press on to Belfast before the Titanic Experience closes. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4841/...0b82c14c_o.jpg This is farm country with narrow roads and wide tractors. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4842/...13d4de6c_o.jpg It was difficult to put down my camera with so much memorable scenery passing by. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4881/...126927de_o.jpg Bummer! We arrived at the Titanic Experience a half hour to late. Apparently, the last tickets are sold two hours before the closing time. Read the fine print! We’ll have to wait until tomorrow morning if we want to see the museum. We decided to spoil ourselves and book a room at the Titanic Hotel. No more bummer! Belfast, Northern Ireland is known for many things but arguably the most famous is the birthplace of the RMS Titanic. This modern architecture was created right next to shipyard, Harland and Wolff, that created this historic vessel. Besides being quite beautiful, it houses the Titanic Experience, a museum and interactive experience that takes you on a journey through the early 1900s. More about the Titanic Experience tomorrow… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4845/...31ca1dfc_o.jpg A modern building shaped to represent the forward hull of a massive ship. The height of the structure is the same height of the RMS Titanic’s hull at 126 feet (38 m) high. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4912/...5a2d3d31_o.jpg The building and experience were completed on 31 Mar 2012. The same day the Titanic was launched in 1911. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4905/...a4fda598_o.jpg Modern architecture and sculptures make for a dramatic icon to the city of Belfast. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4894/...f1ae5f34_o.jpg Inside looking out is also dramatic with views of the city and shipyard. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4893/...a8c9f100_o.jpg The building's façade is clad in 3,000 individual silver anodized aluminum shards. It glistens in the sun and some locals have, ironically, nicknamed the building “The Iceberg”. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4832/...735b2109_o.jpg The texture of the shards and dark glass contrast nicely. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/...96ee37d8_o.jpg As a photographer who loves modern architecture, it was difficult to put my camera down. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4909/...ee6aca72_o.jpg Quite a striking and beautiful building that will bring visitors to Belfast to remember the great ship RMS Titanic. |
Day 11 - Mon, 03 Sep (continued…)
We checked into the hotel and then decided to walk around the city and get some dinner at the nearby shopping center.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4861/...35bdfde9_o.jpg That’s one fat pigeon! He was so fat and lazy that he didn’t move as I got near him for the picture. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4808/...b9cd57d0_o.jpg We decided to walk into the shopping area and grab some chow. Along the way we enjoyed sculptures and architecture of Belfast. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4903/...140f2134_o.jpg A fun sculpture titled Titanic Kit reminds me of the plastic models I used to build as a kid. This sculpture was made by Harland and Wolff, the Titanic's original builders. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4878/...8416258a_o.jpg Belfast has some very modern architecture. The Obel Tower is the tallest storeyed building in Ireland. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4860/...47190e09_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4848/...1723db84_o.jpg The Boat by TODD Architects and Planners is a mixed development featuring leisure, commercial, and residential areas all in one unique building. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4822/...4b00a88f_o.jpg Holy Mackerel! That one big fish sculpture! Actually it’s a Salmon; The Salmon of Knowledge is a printed ceramic mosaic sculpture by John Kindness and is a whopper of a fish at 10-metre-long (33 ft)! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4846/...c5303cda_o.jpg The outer skin of the fish is a cladding of ceramic tiles decorated with texts and images with each scale "telling a story about the city". https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4879/...f97b14ba_o.jpg The Victoria Square Shopping Centre has many restaurants and shops. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4827/...95e4f0dd_o.jpg The nice guy who was managing the parking garage gave us some dinner advise and recommended Cosmo. An Asian all-you-can-eat place with excellent food and service. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4836/...b5d2ef0f_o.jpg This was plate one of three! One of the best all-you-can-eat restaurants I’ve been to. The evening walk to the hotel from Cosmo was also enjoyable... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4908/...17c01f19_o.jpg The large dome covering the Victoria shopping center was lit up with purple lighting. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4845/...8d28ac4e_o.jpg An interesting shrine sculpture just outside the Victoria shopping center. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4812/...f9cc82a8_o.jpg Beacon of Hope by Andy Scott. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4917/...cabbcc54_o.jpg The Titanic Belfast lit up for the night. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4916/...17c01f19_o.jpg Close-up of the evening colors. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4911/...ea248b6c_o.jpg Our home for the night - Titanic Hotel Belfast. Tomorrow is a new day! We’ll be exploring the Titanic Hotel Belfast and the Titanic Experience in the morning, followed by a short ride to the Dublin area… |
Quote:
Cheers, Travis and Chantil |
Day 12 - Tue, 04 Sep:
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Only a short 150 km of riding today since we spent most of the morning in Belfast. We enjoyed a relaxing morning touring the Titanic Hotel while taking in all the design elements and 1900’s era posters and pictures that decorate this unique hotel experience. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4803/...378d7df7_o.jpg Titanic Hotel has a well-designed logo incorporating an anchor into the letter ‘T’. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4855/...7e25ea6f_o.jpg Our room - 214! Even the room numbers are a classy shadow casting projected from a laser-cut metal plate. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4854/...64a7a3ea_o.jpg The front door looks like a slab of riveted iron. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4877/...81224ba2_o.jpg A nicely appointed room in dark, masculine, colors. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4892/...20999cda_o.jpg Nautical appointed lighting. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4833/...6330b266_o.jpg Posters from the early 1900s highlight the success of White Star Lines. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4836/...b24fa9c7_o.jpg Photograph of the launching of Titanic. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4818/...873638fb_o.jpg The elevator is decorated with classy embossed coverings. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4842/...e7c44898_o.jpg A stairwell in this hotel is one that you actually prefer taking over the elevator. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4828/...9fe72b36_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4875/...7cda21c3_o.jpg Artists representation of the launching of the Titanic and the Olympic. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4876/...836da765_o.jpg RMS Olympic After exploring around the hotel, we made our way to the breakfast area. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4893/...d0c66d99_o.jpg The Titanic Hotel knows how to do breakfast! This is the juice bar... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4820/...7bdb4ce8_o.jpg ..and a small sampling of all the delicious food. Cheese and grapes are good with any meal. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4869/...34d57c52_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4828/...95e0829e_o.jpg Some of the details of wall decorations of the hotel. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4843/...1d28c07d_o.jpg Art and pictures reminiscent of the best years of the White Star Line era. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4836/...156b664c_o.jpg Posters are proudly displayed around the hotel. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4809/...e6197b10_o.jpg Some of the furnishings that are in the lounge and bar area of the hotel. After breakfast we made our way next door to the Titanic Belfast. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4839/...bf3b880d_o.jpg The reflecting pool makes for an elegant and bold architectural structure. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4869/...4b874439_o.jpg No Photoshop filter – this is an effect created from the reflection of the Titanic Belfast. The Titanic Experience is a self-guided tour through 9 interactive galleries that explore the full Titanic story. Cost: £12.50 per adult. Well worth it considering that the experience lasts about two hours. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4896/...f3acd1ec_o.jpg The tour starts in the early 1900s with Belfast being a booming town. Many people are employed in either the shipyard or textile industry. It seemed like a great time to live in Belfast, especially if you had money. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4907/...7d565956_o.jpg If you had money you could invest in manufacturing. If you didn’t then you were working to make end meet – working long and hard hours. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4907/...dc44f9d9_o.jpg Irish-British relations were a point of contention in the early 1900s. Some would say they still are today. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4875/...442025d4_o.jpg A map of Belfast in the early 1900s. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...66faba0f_o.jpg The tour did a great job of showing how difficult it was for the workers. 56 hours was the norm and under harsh conditions with little, if any, safety gear. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4837/...57279fff_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4821/...a7496ffa_o.jpg This part of the tour took you through the process of heating a rivet, tossing it up to the workers, and then holding it in place and hammering the molten steel into place before it hardened. A ship the size of Titanic used three million rivets. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4865/...d788b28c_o.jpg Monarchs of the Sea |
Day 12 - Tue, 04 Sep (continued…)
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31 May 1911, the launching of the Titanic. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4894/...a217bda6_o.jpg Original tickets to the launch event. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4861/...e563efd7_o.jpg This shows where Titanic was launched in relation to the Titanic Belfast building of today. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4847/...01dd18c0_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4883/...ba8462d6_o.jpg An expansive window shows where the launching took place in 1911. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/...cf5f5bfe_o.jpg A balcony, located between displays, lets you see the inside of Titanic Belfast from the upper floor looking down. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4804/...31b5e411_o.jpg Look at the size of these boilers! 24 double-ended and five single-ended boilers fed two reciprocating steam engines for the wing propellers, and a low-pressure turbine for the center propeller. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4830/...f9ddaac7_o.jpg The 2 outer propellers had a diameter of 23 feet and the center propeller had a diameter of 17 feet. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4872/...cce16f91_o.jpg An example of the White Star Line china used on the Titanic. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4847/...18757296_o.jpg Sadly, the Titanic only visited three ports before crossing the Atlantic to New York. She never arrived... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4894/...af58f604_o.jpg ... because she struck an Iceberg at 11:40 PM on 14 Apr 1912. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4892/...1711645d_o.jpg By 2:20AM she sank below of surface. She was only outfitted with 20 life boats which was a contributing factor in the deaths of 1,517 people - 832 passengers and 685 crew members. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...e147bda0_o.jpg The arrival of Titanic in New York City. Sadly, this never happened. Perhaps there is an alternate reality, where the Titanic successfully arrived in New York and delivers all of her passengers and crew safely to Pier 54. It makes me wonder what kind of future each of those people would have had? Experiencing Titanic Belfast, the Titanic Hotel, and the Titanic Experience provided the best opportunity to learn more about the tragic story of the Titanic. It also gave me an appreciation of the building process and the legendary shipping company White Star Line. |
Day 12 - Tue, 04 Sep (continued…)
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The TX4 is a purpose-built taxicab manufactured by The London Taxi Company. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4829/...7c1dae60_o.jpg After the Titanic Experience we went across the street to tour the only ship the remains of the White Star Line fleet. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4867/...849d86bb_o.jpg The SS Nomadic was built in 1911 as a tender to transfer passengers and mail to and from RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic. In shallow ports, a tender would be required to deliver passengers to the deep draft vessels like the Olympic and Titanic. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4882/...3281395b_o.jpg A photograph of Nomadic heading to Olympic. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4823/...697f975a_o.jpg An interactive hologram display tell the history of the SS Nomadic. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4824/...02592b29_o.jpg Cubbies for luggage being transferred. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4812/...07f3768c_o.jpg She was well outfitted with different class sections that delivered you in style to the cruise ship. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4827/...0c7f07ae_o.jpg The Nomadic was used in both world wars as a auxiliary minesweeper, patrol ship, and for ferrying troops. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4880/...bd394af0_o.jpg These hulls have quite a history. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4886/...1ca54ace_o.jpg Some of the original sailors aboard. By the looks of the kid on the right, this was before child labor laws. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4902/...28f5daff_o.jpg I always thought that large ships like the Titanic were built strictly to shuttle the rich and famous from port to port in opulence. A vast majority of passengers were regular folks migrating to the United States. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4902/...3c06cef3_o.jpg Just some of the details of the Nomadic. Rust and all. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4813/...7ab2523a_o.jpg A unique colored orange was used throughout the bottom section of the ship. Perhaps it was chosen to hide the rust? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4862/...bf5a4888_o.jpg The exhaust vents were not needed any longer once the engine were converted from their original steam boilers but they were kept to retain the look of the original. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4903/...5b0c3c2e_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4843/...e29507e4_o.jpg After Belfast we made our way to North Beach Caravan Park. We went for a walk on the beach before eating a light dinner and then going to sleep. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/...f6a57472_o.jpg A cloudy and cool September evening. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4854/...0577f44a_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4841/...bb3f47c0_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4880/...52c25613_o.jpg Two teen-age girls were laughing and enjoying the setting sun from the cliff above. This is our last evening in Ireland. Tomorrow we board a ferry for the Isle of Man... |
Day 13 - Wed, 05 Sep:
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A short ride to Dublin to board a ferry to Isle of Man, followed by a ride around the TT Mountain Course, then exploring the north side of the island. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4810/...a49e69e6_o.jpg We woke up early enough to catch the sun rising over the Irish Sea. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4881/...e9ed46b5_o.jpg13-2 by Travis Gill, on Flickr Ireland! Our ferry check-in closed at 10AM so we rode a short distance to the port in Dublin with plenty of time to check in. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4898/...cfafe56c_o.jpg Yikes!! The picture costed us €20 in toll fees! We wondered why so many cars were leaving the freeway. It turns out they were getting off to avoid the high toll fees (€10 per vehicle) of the Dublin Tunnel during peak times of 6-10AM. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4904/...2d182a5b_o.jpg Passing through the ferry terminal and getting our tickets. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4869/...34058081_o.jpg Waiting at the parking area for our time to board the ferry. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4809/...c18d8f20_o.jpg This custom trike arrived just before boarding. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4813/...8d5a1ae0_o.jpg Cool headlight. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4884/...687b28c0_o.jpg He seemed to be into the skull thing. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4864/...da817d65_o.jpg The mules all strapped down for the journey to Isle of Man. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4836/...38529616_o.jpg Failt Ort “Welcome” in Gaelic. The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Limited is the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world, celebrating its 180th anniversary in 2010. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4832/...a55a3c4e_o.jpg HSC Manannan is high speed car ferry built in Tasmania, Australia. It was used by the US Army and Navy from 2001–2008 under the name Joint Venture (HSV-X1). In 2009 she was repainted, refitted, and renamed after Manannán mac Lir, the Celtic god of the Irish sea. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4914/...4c7867c7_o.jpg She offers a great forward deck with lots of windows for visibility. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4858/...52ab3c84_o.jpg HSC Manannan has four Caterpillar diesel engines and pump-jets to propel this vessel up to speeds of 42 knots, although efficient cruising speed is closer to 20 knots. It takes just under three hours to motor from Dublin, Ireland to Douglas, Isle of Man. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4874/...1cc0847e_o.jpg The cost of the ferry to and from Isle of Man was a bit expensive at €132.50 per person plus motorbike, but I was excited to ride the famous Mountain TT Course. Was it going to be worth it? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4857/...dfc59030_o.jpg We made it to Isle of Man. Technically this is not a country but a self-governing British Crown dependency. It’s got a flag - good enough for me. We ended up making a new friend on the ferry! Monsignor John Devine was returning from his own motorcycle trip and offered to let us stay in one of spare bedroom at his congregation of Saint Mary of the Isle in Douglas. I asked, “How many Catholic Priests ride motorbikes?” His reply, “Not many.” John led us to the church where he quickly said hi, showed is the room and gave us a key, and then escorted us through the streets of Douglas to the beginning of the TT course. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4830/...d490425e_o.jpg At the end of the TT Mountain Course is the famous Grand Stand. Right next door are a police station and a gravesite. Coincidence? Those that survive the Isle of Man Mountain Course race get a speeding ticket by the police. Those that die are placed in the gravesite. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4862/...5bb8eb95_o.jpg The Mountain Course is one of the, if not the, most dangerous motorcycle race courses in the world. There have been 242 competition deaths in its 107 years of existence. It also happens to be the oldest race in motorcycle history. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4804/...3f529655_o.jpg The TT Mountain Course is 37.73 mi (60.725 km) long with 219 turns. All on public roads. Each year, the roads are closed for the Isle of Man TT in the spring and the Manx Grand Prix in the late summer. We were not here to break any records, especially on a weighted down, 47hp, single-cylinder, adventure bike riding on knobby tires. It was more about experiencing this legendary roadway. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4847/...f78f2247_o.jpg The course runs through the city of Douglas and the nine other towns and villages. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4893/...00f794c2_o.jpg Although much of the course is open two-lane roads. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4880/...a76de9e7_o.jpg Crash barriers for those that lose control after a sweeping curve to the left. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4886/...b1730cb4_o.jpg Cars, tractors, speed limits, and stop lights all do their best to keep your lap time down. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4830/...a9fe1dea_o.jpg Each of the sections is marked on the left. The miles are marked on the right. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4873/...614a740b_o.jpg I only ended up passing five cars, and was passed once by a Kawasaki sport bike rider. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4873/...64778c51_o.jpg A beautiful day! Even with traffic, stoplights, and slower cars it was still a great road with nostalgia in spades. On the longest straightaway I only felt comfortable reaching a speed of 72 MPH before braking for the next turn. Professionals reach speeds of over 200 MPH!! Insanity!!! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4826/...57c0c748_o.jpg My time, around the course, was 56 minutes and 47 seconds, with an average speed of 39.8 MPH, and a top speed of 72 MPH. Chantil wasn’t far behind at 60 minutes and 54 seconds. No close-calls or accidents, so it was fast enough for us. |
Day 13 - Wed, 05 Sep (continued…)
After we reunited at the Grandstand (finish line), we made our way back to mile 26 to explore a bit
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4915/...61a11834_o.jpg At mile 26 along the TT route is this building with a mural of Joey Dunlop on his famous No. 3 Honda. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4890/...7648f871_o.jpg A statue of Joey Dunlop astride his Honda overlooks the Bungalow Bend at the 26th Milestone area of the TT course. This bend is appropriately named "Joey's". https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4849/...8a044d15_o.jpg Joey Dunlop was the king of the TT where he won a record 26 races and 40 podium finishes. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4839/...23bf0a2a_o.jpg This area is also a memorial to those who died pursuing their motorcycle passion. Sadly, Joey Dunlop died on 2 Jul 2000 during a race in Tallinn, Estonia. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4819/...33b224e2_o.jpg After the TT course we explored some remote roads on the north side of the island. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4838/...f9933e97_o.jpg Wildlife refuge areas to the north were all but abandoned except for us. Miles of beachfront property all to ourselves. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/...d19eda3c_o.jpg This chalk marking points north to the next country on our list - Scotland! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4850/...ffa35413_o.jpg The Point Ayre Winkie Lighthouse recently sold for only £10,000. It sounds like a bargain however it doesn’t have a bedroom, kitchen, or bathroom. But it does have some great views! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4816/...5e946e9e_o.jpg It would be a cool house if it had electricity and plumbing. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4891/...1f37d4f7_o.jpg The beach was made of millions of these flat rocks. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4915/...e26690b0_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4903/...0f60cb76_o.jpg The newer Point Ayre Lighthouse is a bit further up the beach. The flowers around it were an amazing yellow and purple color. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4902/...ed330ae7_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4829/...d4d22777_o.jpg Making our way back south to grab some dinner. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4832/...cd6ae352_o.jpg For dinner we stopped at the The Famous Creg-Ny-Baa located between the 34th and 35th milestones of the TT. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4910/...95718f13_o.jpg A historic food stop for many a hungry motorcyclist. It was well after dark when we returned to our unique accommodation for the night at the Saint Mary of the Isle in Douglas Catholic Church. Tomorrow we will continue to explore Isle of Man and then make our way back to England via the city of Liverpool… |
great travelogue really looking forwards to your next instalments :scooter:
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Day 14 - Thu, 06 Sep:
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Our 24-hours in Isle of Man comes to an end, but not before we explore the south of the island. In the early afternoon, we boarded the fast ferry to Liverpool, UK, then rode to Preston, where we found lodging at patron services of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Preston Temple. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4897/...aff4fcff_o.jpg Clear and sunny skies this morning! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4829/...7fd1c048_o.jpg Isle of Man is a beautiful island that surprised me with the amount of open land. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4846/...03b77fa1_o.jpg What about motor bikes? Let's check it out! What a surprise! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4833/...2d1b7e21_o.jpg We enjoyed a bit of what the English refer to as “Green-laning”. Not to technical but at least a change to practice our off-road skills which have been lacking since we left Iceland last year. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4845/...10842fc9_o.jpg Never expected to have a chance to ride off-road in the Isle of Man! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4845/...81eac4bd_o.jpg I would have been very content just spending the whole afternoon here, but we only had a limited amount of time to see more of the southern part of the island – gotta keep on moving on! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4881/...3532e1fd_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4839/...9523d614_o.jpg We saw many of these red call boxes, but none seemed to be the Tardis (Dr. Who). Perhaps we couldn’t find the switch?? Actually, after further research we were looking for the wrong box! The Tardis is a blue police box - not a red call box. Silly us! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4909/...bf201f86_o.jpg Riding under sunny skies and beautiful roads without any traffic. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4836/...25ff9b81_o.jpg The Thousla Cross in memory of seaman who lost their lives near here in 1858. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4916/...b2275a08_o.jpg Chantil enjoying the view of Isle of Calf, a small islands on the south of Isle of Man. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4885/...443b0bde_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4852/...001e2571_o.jpg We rolled into the quite seaside town of Port Erin to find some breakfast. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/...aff40884_o.jpg Nautical decorated homes along the beach in Port Erin. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4833/...bdb238db_o.jpg A quaint, country-side, postal box. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4900/...ae804840_o.jpg For breakfast, we enjoyed an English Breakfast (minus the beans; I don’t understand beans for breakfast) at the Cosy Nook Cafe in Port Erin. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4841/...cf3758b9_o.jpg Enjoying the beach air and sun. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4911/...7607939a_o.jpg A Morgan Plus 4 painted Corsa Red was parked in Port Erin. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4861/...1331e483_o.jpg Top down in a classic roadster would be great way to travel – perhaps when we’re older. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4822/...2750c01d_o.jpg I was surprised to see so many flowers this late in the summer. Must just be the beauty of the Isle of Man in September! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4819/...615ac3e1_o.jpg Yellows and purples! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4825/...6c396ae2_o.jpg Summer flowers and the Irish Sea. |
Day 14 - Thu, 06 Sep (continued…)
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A great day of riding and exploring. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4870/...9aa5a0ee_o.jpg Folks here use stone walls instead of fences to protects their livestock and mark their property lines. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4862/...74a8d923_o.jpg A memorial remembers a B-17 bomber that crashed at this location in the Isle of Man. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4817/...21bd74ff_o.jpg Remembering those who died. The Eighth Air Force accounted for half of the U.S. Army Air Force's casualties in World War II with more than 26,000 dead. The cost of WWII in human lives and devastation is very apparent throughout Europe – even 73 years later. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4811/...b10ca318_o.jpg Near the village of Cregneash is an impressive collection of fissures cut deep into the cliffs - appropriately named the Chasms. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4854/...7a175419_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4843/...c00caa70_o.jpg The Chasms was a nice last stop for us before we had to make our way to Douglas to catch the ferry. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4889/...bb29e098_o.jpg Sheep enjoying the warm afternoon sun. We made our way back to Douglas and then prepared to board the ferry. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4844/...41062d1d_o.jpg Time to board the HSC Manannan again... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4870/...8401c604_o.jpg …that will carry us and our mules across the Irish Sea to Liverpool, England. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4814/...dfcbbffb_o.jpg I asked if I could get a tour of the bridge and they invited me up to speak with the captain, first mate, and chief engineer. The first mate took me below to watch the jet pumps up close. Man, they are loud and the amount of water shooting out behind the vessel is impressive! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4914/...1e69ec40_o.jpg Making good time at 25 knots to Liverpool. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/...5c223707_o.jpg The dock is located right near the old part of town with their historic buildings. From left to right: Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building Port of Liverpool Building. These three building are known as the Three Graves. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4864/...e2514532_o.jpg Leaving another boat, bound for another country. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4844/...7a12083e_o.jpg Another icon to grace Liverpool was The Beatles who started in Liverpool during the 1960s. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4914/...fd548dbf_o.jpg The sculpture, Andy Edwards, did a great job of creating life and emotion in the sculpture. Here is a close up of John Lennon. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4866/...9daf3e3b_o.jpg Chilling with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4849/...d1b12c2f_o.jpg Edward VII, by Sir William Goscombe John, stand proudly in front of the Royal Liver Building. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4904/...b6932094_o.jpg We made our way to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Preston Temple just before dark... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4888/...46a894bb_o.jpg ...and the wonderful folks at patron services were able to find us accommodations even after their closing hours! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4847/...2d951836_o.jpg Tomorrow morning we’ll spend some time inside the temple. If you would like to know more about LDS Temples click on this link: https://www.lds.org/temples |
Day 15 - Fri, 07 Sep:
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Almost 300 km of riding today: Preston, Singing Ringing Tree, Kendal, Lake District National Park, Castlerigg Stone Circle, and Hoddom Castle Caravan Park in Scotland. We woke up early in order to have enough time to clean up our room and dress for the Temple’s 8 AM session. Afterwards, we walked around the temple grounds and then readied the mules for another day of riding. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4864/...79979eb7_o.jpg The Preston Temple is located on a raised circular plot of land with reflecting pools and flower gardens surrounding its entrance. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1906/...991e8ed0_o.jpg Unique stained-glass windows and flowered hedges. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1951/...0f96b36d_o.jpg Each of the side walls has panels showing the phases of the moon and sun. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4808/...62fb6164_o.jpg The stained glass windows on the chapel side of the building. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1966/...8c099d5b_o.jpg Photo capture from drone footage shot by John Melling. Chantil and I enjoy roadside oddities, so the next destination was a choice between either the Singing Ringing Tree or the Blackpool High Tide Organ. Since the tide was going to be low and there was a good chance of wind, the choice was obvious – Singing Ringing Tree. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1914/...c9230754_o.jpg Although it was raining all morning, it was starting to look like it was improving. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4842/...d04831fe_o.jpg The trial down to the Singing Ringing Tree is just a short hike from the parking area and is well marked. Burnley, England can be seen below the horizon. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4900/...10ec100f_o.jpg The Singing Ringing Tree is a wind powered sound sculpture resembling a tree set in the landscape of the Pennine hill range. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4808/...b634f8aa_o.jpg Designed by architects Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu of Tonkin Liu, the Singing Ringing Tree is a 3-metre tall construction. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4838/...35b6fc02_o.jpg The sculpture is comprising pipes of galvanized steel which harness the energy of the wind to produce a slightly discordant and penetrating choral sound covering a range of several octaves. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4805/...d3d7892a_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4878/...f0c8115d_o.jpg Quite beautiful in a natural setting such as this hillside in Pennine. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1906/...11bdc00c_o.jpg Few clouds and relatively warm for early September in Northern England. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4813/...60a0cefb_o.jpg We stopped at an Aldi groceries store where we enjoyed a lunch of cheese and green grapes while sitting in parking lot next to our mules. Some folks looked at us a bit oddly, perhaps our German plated mules kept them from asking questions? Kendal wasn’t on the agenda, but after a few hours of riding we pulled over at a rest stop and saw a sign that read “Kendal is much more than mint cakes!” Having never heard of a mint cake, we wondered what that was – so off to Kendal to discover mint cakes. Kendal was alive with cars, people, and tourist shops. We parked the mules and walked around looking for a restaurant that served their famous mint cake. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4917/...de766279_o.jpg The town of Kendal seems to have a lot of support for its military, specifically the Royal Air Force. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4888/...6699f9c5_o.jpg A monument to those who left Kendal to fight in the major wars of the 20th century. Each corner is draped with the Royal Air Force Ensign. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4885/...5d3e4d04_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/...8c463607_o.jpg Found it! Although, it wasn’t a restaurant that served mint cakes – it was a cigar shop!? Apparently, Kendal is known for its famous Romney’s Mint Cake factory – not a mint cake bakery or restaurant, like we expected. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4830/...69a27c71_o.jpg It’s basically a harder and much larger York Peppermint Pattie. Or should I say that a Peppermint Pattie is a smaller, softer Romney’s Mint Cake. Romney has been making mint cakes since 1918 - 22 years before a York Peppermint Pattie. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1955/...3ce21be8_o.jpg Kendal had a relaxing vibe even though it was a bit of a tourist town. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4806/...669775b2_o.jpg A narrow alleyway between streets of Kendal. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1956/...1f699648_o.jpg Along the fence were these poems from students of the local school. I especially liked this one titled ‘click’ by Anne Banks. She sounds like a photographer. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4823/...cd2da4ce_o.jpg This mural even had a Kendal Mint Cake delivery truck on it! |
Day 15 - Fri, 07 Sep (continued…)
Time to continue heading north…
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4869/...acc78a55_o.jpg Passing through Ambleside within the Lake District National Park. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4881/...31461a6d_o.jpg The surrounding hills and green forest and fields were beautiful, but it was very cloudy with drizzle and light rain for most of our time there. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1925/...9aeef104_o.jpg Enjoying the views… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4829/...cd23fd0d_o.jpg …and the narrow roads… https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1946/...a9073edd_o.jpg …that got even narrower,… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4883/...21d343be_o.jpg until… Fortunately, there was a passing area, but you can see what four cars and two motorcycles look like on these narrow roadways. I can imagine traffic in the summer must be somewhat of a mess here. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1925/...ea66d114_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4905/...7bc54947_o.jpg Next stop: Castlerigg Stone Circle. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1979/...8a09b109_o.jpg I was surprised how many of these stone circles exists in the UK. Stonehenge, of course, is the most famous... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4823/...54b4b8b1_o.jpg ...but I prefer the quietness and natural beauty of these lesser known ones. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1922/...f6c8913d_o.jpg Just a relaxing late afternoon with sheep grazing among the ancient rocks. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1933/...08fc42c9_o.jpg Just us, some grazing sheep, and the distant buzzing of the drone. We made it to Scotland and Hoddom Castle Caravan Park well after dark, but the camp host generously set us up in one of their camping pods, even though we were only staying for one evening. Well, we made it! We’re officially in our last country of this trip – Scotland! I’ve heard some amazing things about the natural beauty of Scotland, but I’ve also heard that it rains A LOT! We’ll see… |
Day 16 - Sat, 08 Sep:
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350 km of riding today as we made our way deeper into the north of Scotland. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4877/...cde6d413_o.jpg We had a great night’s sleep in the “hobbit pod” at the Hoddom Castle Caravan Park. Our pod looks much cooler with motorcycles parked next to it! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4817/...2cacedba_o.jpg A tiny home for sure. A small deck and porch. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4854/...df19ca9f_o.jpg We stayed in Pod 2... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4848/...c5ae9e23_o.jpg ...with keys for the pod bay door (ha-ha), a shared kitchen, and shared bathrooms. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4823/...38e15678_o.jpg Inside the pod are sleeping accommodations for four folks. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4892/...5984abd2_o.jpg Hoddom Castle provides a unique backdrop to this camping experience. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4884/...d9ab5b42_o.jpg It looks like much of the castle is in need of restoring. Perhaps visitors will be allowed inside in the future. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4864/...c3a00072_o.jpg A nice bridge with a pathway underneath takes you to the golf course. Of course, there’s golf - it’s Scotland! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4810/...64d2b204_o.jpg A few days earlier we bought some packages of Lego mini figures. We felt the packages and knew they contained the Lego brick costumes but had no idea that we got both the guy and girl until we opened them this morning! Woot! This is one of the few places we would have liked to stay for another night, unfortunately we’ve got a schedule to keep. Moving on to Glasgow, Scotland! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4903/...c734991c_o.jpg Fellow Glasgow Residents is a mural at the Ingram Street Car Park created by Australia artist Sam Bates a.k.a. Smug. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4835/...71c6a3e0_o.jpg The four seasons are represented in this mural. Close-up of the detail involved in painting the bee and dandelions. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4816/...aa19246b_o.jpg Imagine this parking lot without Sam Bates’ mural. It would be just a boring dirt parking lot. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4825/...52ca98c0_o.jpg Incredible detail and photorealistic quality. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4836/...9d91ceff_o.jpg I don’t know what King Pong Ping Pong is, but I want to find out! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4902/...3c302f6a_o.jpg A vinyl sticker that caught my camera eye. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4914/...33e88f02_o.jpg Inside the TRONGATE 103 is an exhibit... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4894/...ac3c1fe4_o.jpg ...called the Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre. Unfortunately, it was a late afternoon showing and this would have put us too far behind schedule. The darned schedule! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4907/...ca62a183_o.jpg An interesting barber shop called Safe Hands with its famous skull and scissor mural. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4916/...e677c9dc_o.jpg Who is this man wearing a cone head?! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4877/...e3a9c829_o.jpg The World’s Most Economical Taxi by artist Rogue-One. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4878/...75e556ed_o.jpg Some random graffiti by an unknown artist. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4843/...7bc6c56b_o.jpg Honey... I Shrunk the Kids is another great mural by artist Smug (Sam Bates). https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4888/...3e7cb62b_o.jpg Rogue-One and Art Pistol created this mural titled Wind Power. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4884/...e7dfbaee_o.jpg Wind Power is in two parts. This close-up of this section is "downwind" the previous mural. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4905/...5d93fa8c_o.jpg Glasgow’s Gordon Lane is home to the... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4889/...5a5caec3_o.jpg Glasgow Panda by artist Klingatron. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4869/...cc9980d3_o.jpg Buchanan Street had a lot of shopping and sculptures such as this one. |
Day 16 - Sat, 08 Sep (continued…)
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Princess Square Shopping Centre is hard to miss with its famous Art Nouveau, Peacock made from metalwork, built by Shepley Engineering in 1990,… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4810/...5c30b654_o.jpg … and its glowing colors beckoning you to come inside for a closer look. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4897/...5e080108_o.jpg Princess Square Shopping Centre from the fourth floor. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4824/...47588e29_o.jpg Beautiful hard wood accents throughout. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4844/...4993c120_o.jpg All Saints clothing store with its unique design of glass walls and thousands of old sewing machines. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4830/...3a0b4538_o.jpg The equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington was created by Italian artist Carlo Marochetti and erected in 1844. Ok, why does it have a traffic cone on its head? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4811/...df4805f2_o.jpg It is believed that climbing the statue to place a cone on the head of the duke started in the 1980s and it’s been a part of the city ever since. It’s iconic and I don’t think the city would be the same without it. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4875/...b867b406_o.jpg How can you turn down a sign like this for ice-cream? Even if it is a bit chilly. Definitely one of my favorite cities of this trip. After leaving Glasgow we were making good time until a police officer, at the side of the highway, motioned for us to pull over. Both Chantil and I pulled over along with a vintage VW travel van. It turns out the travel van was speeding - not us! The police officer motioned for us to continue along our merry way. Not sure how a gutless VW van was speeding but we’re glad it wasn’t us. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4911/...eca41a2f_o.jpg Balloch Castle and Park offered a short walk and some rest from riding the mules. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4865/...1d235697_o.jpg Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park was nice but very foggy with misty rain. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4893/...5c704469_o.jpg Tarbet Isle lies on Loch Lomond. Locals refer to it as 'Honeymoon Island'. If newlyweds spend a week on the island without killing each other, it was deemed a sign that the marriage would be successful! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4811/...d1346520_o.jpg A map of Scotland at one of the rest areas. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/...73667626_o.jpg North of Trossachs National Park you climb into the West Scottish Highlands. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4873/...ac2b3066_o.jpg Glencoe Mountain Resort was our first experience trying haggis. This double burger has a beef patty and a haggis patty. It wasn’t bad actually! I guess enough flavoring will make any sheep parts taste good. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4849/...ac9a62fa_o.jpg I thought this flag was kinda cool looking until I researched it and realized it’s from Harry Potter? Still cool looking - just not as cool. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4916/...df6a055e_o.jpg We’re both glad the weather lifted enough to enjoy… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4862/...a81be183_o.jpg … this beautiful valley pass. I’ve heard the views get even better as one continues north. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4844/...09330704_o.jpg As we continued North along the A828, the evergreen trees started to return. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4903/...3ee4c6c6_o.jpg The Ballachulish Bridge crosses the narrows between Loch Leven and Loch Linnhe. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4856/...9f7c24ec_o.jpg The second oldest operational cruise ship in the world, MV Astoria, cruises through the Loch Linnhe near Fort William. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4878/...23972303_o.jpg We covered a lot of ground today. I was hoping to make it to Isle of Skye, but we would soon run out of daylight. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4854/...e7d2994d_o.jpg We found a secluded dirt lot and pitched our tent in the woods next to a beautiful view of Loch Garry. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4822/...fddca2e7_o.jpg *Image from WillCopestakeMedia.com Side note: In Glencoe, we first noticed hikers with netting over their heads making them look like post-apocalyptic scarecrows. “Are the bugs here really that bad?”, we wondered. The answer – A RESOUNDING YES! THEY ARE THAT BAD!! Flying insects called Highland Midges are ruthless here! So far, they haven’t been more than just super obnoxious. I hope they don’t bite because I hear they are worse than mosquitoes. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4883/...d948d7b2_o.jpg Goodnight Scotland. I’ll dream of Scottish Highlands without midges. Until tomorrow… |
Day 17 - Sun, 09 Sep:
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300km of riding around the Isle of Skye today. Sites included Eilean Donan, Kilt Rock at Mealt Falls Viewpoint, and Duntulm Castle. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4869/...81df2ce6_o.jpg Already shaping up to be a wet morning and day. Currently, it’s only a drizzle. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4826/...df4afe3a_o.jpg We arrived at Eilean Donan before it was opened so unless we storm the castle, this is a close as were getting today. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4848/...ce2d9d67_o.jpg Eilean Donan, which means simply "Island of Donnán" was founded in the thirteenth century and became a stronghold of the Clan Mackenzie and their allies the Clan Macrae. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4907/...ea47c38a_o.jpg Fortunately, the sun started to pear thorough the clouds just as we were about to move on. An attractive castle especially with the arched bridge that was added in early 1900s to give easier access to the island https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4875/...5c068183_o.jpg German motorcycles and Scottish castles! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4901/...af199310_o.jpg On the road to Isle of Skye I spotted this sculpture in a yard of a small house. I think it caught my eye because it’s something my dad would have liked. I can hear him laughing “It’s cool, huh?” Mum tattoo and all. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4824/...21295725_o.jpg Some other hearty motorcyclists on a Sunday morning ride. I’m still trying to figure out the wave thing with the left-sided roads. Many bikers just seem to kick out their right foot instead of using their hands. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4859/...6ec13764_o.jpg Before long we were crossing the only bridge access to Isle of Skye via the aptly named Skye bridge. It was completed in 1995 allowing much easier access across the Loch Alsh. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4864/...fcf99e87_o.jpg Herds of cows and fleets of cars on a narrow road make for some interesting confrontations. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4901/...66d956c3_o.jpg The Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls Viewpoint offered some great views of the Inner Seas. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4899/...bc3390e5_o.jpg The rocks and sea from the steep cliffs at Mealt Falls Viewpoint. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4817/...0c8f3cf7_o.jpg Mealt Falls (foreground) and Kilt Rock (background). https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/...5f973a99_o.jpg Looking south towards the Brother’s Point. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4823/...9264b535_o.jpg An old truck makes for a great mobile business selling afternoon tea and sandwiches. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4860/...9b08e22e_o.jpg Duntulm Castle Ruins, located on beautiful hilly cliff, was not accessible to the public. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4843/...2dc18629_o.jpg The sheep roam pretty much anywhere here on the island, leaving their little round balls of poop wherever they go. It’s normally not an issue, unless it’s raining. It’s been raining almost all day. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4883/...cfe5f0ca_o.jpg It would have been a great place to fly the drone, but it was raining and blowing about 30 knots. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4888/...792339b3_o.jpg However, the rain seemed to let up just as we arrived to capture some beautiful views. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4825/...67cd8c75_o.jpg We didn’t go inside the Dunvegan Castle & Gardens but we did enjoy a nice ride on the roads to the north of the castle. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4835/...c4986b0c_o.jpg The Ferry Inn looks like a nice place to stay. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4806/...fd21bd22_o.jpg There were a few pockets of blue skies throughout the day. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4852/...ec8f91e2_o.jpg Typical white cottage style homes and hills of green of the Isle of Skye. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4874/...15863567_o.jpg By 3 PM, the rains returned and was heavy enough that it starting to seep through my gloves, and pants. My pants have a “waterproof” liner that just wasn’t making the grade. If anyone has rain gear that manages to keep you dry for an entire day of riding please let me know - I'll buy it! An hour later, I just wanted to stop and dry out anywhere, so we stopped for the evening at a hostel called Saucy Mary’s. The hostel’s pizza restaurant was not very good. Wait, what?! Is there such a thing as “not very good” pizza? Yes, we found it at Saucy Mary's Pub. Pizza – 1.5 stars. On a positive note, the hostel had a private bunk room for us over the Scottish holiday and a friendly reception guy. He even dried a load of wet riding gear for us! Service – 5 stars. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4904/...36c594a5_o.jpg The hostel had a few clocks showing different times. I got a laugh out of Trump time. It’s funny how folks, nearly half a world away, care about an American president. A week ago, all the news was about Trump coming to Ireland. I don’t understand this fascination with politicians, movie stars, and sports figures. The forecast is calling for solid rain the next four days, so we are rethinking our plans of riding the Scottish North Coast 500. The weather looks better to the east. We’ll see... |
West Coast of Scotland and rain gear
You are in the best touring area in Europe, in my opinion, the scenery is outstanding. Enjoy your tour around the highlands and don't dip out on the NC500, the coastal route is spectacular if you get the weather.
Wet weather gear, buy a Rukka suit would be my recommendation. In July 2002 I bought a suit, the cost brought tears to my eyes at the time but I have never regretted the expenditure. I still wear the suit every time I ride and it has never let water in. I normally do 8000 to 10000 miles per year. This summer I was touring in Cornwall and it started raining as I left the B&B, it rained heavily all day. My BMW succumbed to the rain late afternoon and had to be trailered home but the rider stayed warm and dry, both whilst riding and standing awaiting the breakdown. The only downside is that the suits lack good ventilation in hot weather (30 plus) but I and my wife have learned to cope with the high temperatures. Yes, we bought her a Rukka suit as well based on my experiences. Thank you for making the effort to provide your ride report, it makes for great reading, I check every day to see if you have posted a new chapter. |
Day 18 - Mon, 10 Sep:
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200 km of riding today as we make our way east to the promise of better weather. Highlights include Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition, and the city of Elgin. We abandoned our plans to see the Northern Highlands of Scotland because of the poor weather forecast over the next five days. This was a decision we did not make lightly; I knew we would be missing out on some of the best scenery of our entire three-week trip. Although I was a bit bummed, there was also a concession plan to see a place I’ve wanted to visit ever since my childhood back in the USA. A mysterious place called Loch Ness and the dinosaur creature that lived within its depths – The elusive Loch Ness Monster! The morning was already calling for rain. I hate loading my mule in the rain - Even more than actually riding in the rain. Fortunately, the rain stopped long enough for us to pack the mules. Unfortunately, as soon as we clicked our shift lever into first gear, the rain started once again and didn’t let up until late in the morning. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4912/...5aecd32e_o.jpg Leaving Isle of Skye to head east where better weather is promised by the weather guessers. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4879/...ac6b16e7_o.jpg Curse you gray clouds with your cold and joy crushing rain! Side rant: Our gear keeps us pretty dry until it rains hard or rains for more than a few hours. My “waterproof” boots start taking on water from all the spray that is kicked up the pavement and the front tire. Once the waterproof liner of my pants is saturated, it too starts leaking. Fortunately, we have heated jackets, gloves, and handlebar grips. Without the heated gear we would be downright miserable. There was one particular section of the narrow, curved road where we had to follow a large RV. I imagined they were inside wearing flannel pajamas, listening to relaxing jazz, the passenger feeding cheese slices and grapes to the driver, all while they drove through rain that was isolated from them in their temperature controlled, cocooned, glass and steel, wheeled RV. Yes, I was admittedly jealous of the RVers. Riding for extended periods in moderate to heavy rain is no joy. Moving on… First stop of the day was to Urquhart Castle located on the shores of Loch Ness. What, another castle? It turns out Scotland has over 115 castles! Yes, that’s A LOT of castles! No, we didn’t see them all. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4819/...801e9a79_o.jpg Raining all morning was a bit of a bummer but not bad enough that our spirits couldn’t be lifted with a fresh baked raspberry and white chocolate muffin. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4892/...e19cb429_o.jpg The visitors center at Urquhart Castle had this life-size statue of a deer. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4894/...e51b54a1_o.jpg The present ruins date from the 13th to the 16th centuries, though it was built on the site of an early medieval fortification. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...75ebc288_o.jpg Urquhart played a role in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century. It was subsequently held as a royal castle. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4815/...3d91098b_o.jpg Lighting is used to show where the large fire pit was used for the kitchen area of the castle. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4876/...e47a81a0_o.jpg The Loch Ness. A bit bummed that we didn’t see even one monster! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4881/...139bcd43_o.jpg The Scottish flag waves proudly overhead the castle ruins. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4858/...3ca956a4_o.jpg The castle was abandoned by the middle of the 17th century. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4913/...f1362cc8_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4906/...326ccbb4_o.jpg A ferry takes passengers to other piers located around the Lock Ness. Still no Nessie sightings! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4809/...4288e737_o.jpg If someone has what you want, and they think they can get it, then conflict will follow. The MacDonalds Clan raided the castle numerous times over a two-hundred-year period. Apparently, they also had a very accurate accountant who kept great records like there. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4862/...09cf2a82_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4832/...4ceb723a_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4832/...641997bc_o.jpg Moss covered tree near the banks of the Loch Ness. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4837/...9e4f432b_o.jpg The visitors center has a small museum showing a typical wooden shield covered in leather and studs from the Wars of Scottish Independence. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4905/...fa01bfb7_o.jpg What the castle may have looked like during it most fortified and productive times. Just a short ride from Urquhart Castle to the Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4848/...7c3b5a8c_o.jpg Along the road, Chantil heard a sudden pop sound and then something metallic falling and skipping along the pavement. We pulled over and I noticed she was missing the chain tension adjustment plate that fits on the back of the swingarm. The adjusting bolt ended up snapping in half. Unfortunately, the aluminum support plate, an $18 part, was missing. We rode back and ended up finding the plate on the side of the road. Lucky us! Replacing a standard sized bolt will be much easier than finding a replacement for the BMW manufactured plate. Also, the broken part is only important for adjusting the chain; something we adjusted just a few days ago. If we’re lucky, we won’t have to mess with the adjustment for the rest of the trip. Onward to Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition… |
Day 18 - Mon, 10 Sep (continued…)
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Our BMW G650GS mules parked next to BMW R1200GS clydesdales. Yikes they look heavy! I’ve never ridden on such a behemoth, but I hear they are like hippos in the water – heavy on the eyes but actually quite graceful once on the move. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4906/...c14f12ac_o.jpg The Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition is a great looking building... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4906/...56120663_o.jpg ...with stone headed statues! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4818/...d4d0fe3f_o.jpg The Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition takes you on a journey of discovery and ultimately lets you determine, for yourself, if the Loch Ness Monsters exists. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4807/...91552c65_o.jpg A Scottish design of the Loch Ness Monster. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4806/...c3827107_o.jpg This famous picture, known as the “Surgeon’s Photograph” inspired thousands of people to flock to Loch Ness. It was later determined to be a hoax. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4858/...3c6505fb_o.jpg A few, high profile, studies were done in the 1970s and 80s but nothing conclusive was found. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4832/...af522c85_o.jpg Many of the sightings, although real to the observes, were probably just water and wind effecting sticks, logs, animals or birds. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4822/...2d3dfc9a_o.jpg Does the Loch Ness Monster exist?... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4821/...bf3c7a3b_o.jpg ...It clearly does!! Here is a plastic one… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/...67056b62_o.jpg …and an isle of stuffed ones! Yea, I’d say Nessie lives; even if he’s manufactured in China. We continued along our planned route and made good time along the A96. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4823/...df417cc5_o.jpg This was found on the side of a petrol (gas) station! Seriously, is gas theft that much of a problem that you need four cameras? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4913/...6e370662_o.jpg We made it to Elgin! This is where my mother-in-law served part of her mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...7c0438f0_o.jpg Riding through the streets of Elgin. Chantil is right behind me in the mirror! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4888/...47d97fe9_o.jpg German bikes next to a British jet. We’ve come a long way since the 1950s! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/...99edb3a5_o.jpg The Blackburn Buccaneer was used in the 60’s and 70’s as a carrier-based attack aircraft. Fly Navy! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4803/...596df16c_o.jpg These old jets have a history to tell, I’m sure. We finished the day at the, nearby and nearly abandoned, Silver Sands Camping & Caravan Holidays. Tomorrow we continue our clockwise trip around Scotland… |
Quote:
We will be quite busy over the next two weeks so updates may be a bit slow. Hang in there! |
A short break...
There will be a break in the ride report until after Christmas. Happy holidays to you all! :palm:
|
Christmas
Wishing you both a great Christmas and I look forward to following you in the New Year.
bier |
Loving the ride report. Thank you for taking the time to write it.
I have a 10 year old Hein Gereke jacket that has never leaked. They key is the GoreTex lining, any top speck GoreTex gear should work well - Rukka is one of the best but also costs too $ Happy Christmas [emoji319] [emoji846] |
Day 19 - Tue, 11 Sep:
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250 km of riding today as we continued around Scotland on the east side from Elgin, to Dunnottar Castle, and ending the day at St. Andrews Holiday Park. BTW, the weather is much nicer here than in the Highlands. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4850/...e1c8ed2c_o.jpg Covesea Skerries Lighthouse overlooks the campground. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4857/...16a065bc_o.jpg Covesea Skerries Lighthouse was built in 1846 and deactivated in 2012. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4814/...5148302e_o.jpg We enjoyed a good breakfast as the campground. The hostess was so nice we decided to leave a small tip. Does leaving two pounds as a tip negate the two pounds of breakfast we just ate? https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7828/...1bbc49bc_o.jpg Since the Scottish invented golf in the 15th century we decided it would be fitting to play a round of golf. Does mini-golf count? https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7839/...d44cb9cc_o.jpg Got to hit it through the yellow mountain. By the way, I boogered a hole so bad that Chantil won the match by four strokes. On our way out of the town of Elgin we stopped by the Cathedral. It was a nice morning and a great time to take some great pictures of an interesting landmark. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4867/...7b551b8b_o.jpg Fragments are all that remain of the large rose window of the Elgin Cathedral. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7908/...0fb6e5c3_o.jpg A decorative metal fence surrounds the entire cathedral grounds. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7852/...e2a8e34f_o.jpg The Elgin Cathedral was established in 1224, but multiple attacks and fires over three centuries have left it in ruins. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4912/...a96b2efa_o.jpg There is a fee to visit inside the fence, but we felt like we had seen enough from the outside. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4879/...09bf845b_o.jpg Next door is a Biblical Garden with some nice tile mosaics. Our next stop was Dunnottar Castle. Just before reaching the parking area, I noticed another fellow motorcyclist pulling out of the parking area and then riding on the right side of the road. No worries, except we are in the UK where you ride on the left! No drama, as I was slowing, he recognized he was on the wrong side and then quickly drifted back his side of the road on the left followed by a sorry gesture. He must be from mainland Europe. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7877/...06c5b7c7_o.jpg Dunnottar Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear, meaning "fort on the shelving slope") is on a rocky cliff overlooking the North Sea. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4876/...e544478a_o.jpg It was harvest season, so the fields were laden with golden wheat. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7845/...3b1ab196_o.jpg The ruins of Dunnottar Castle can be seen on the picturesque cliffs. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4867/...f4eb9dca_o.jpg Fields of gold! https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7902/...6c4d957e_o.jpg Some of the fields were freshly harvested with wheat straw still in bails. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7864/...3bb94e7d_o.jpg The fields, sea cliffs, and sea breeze all created a memorable afternoon of hiking. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4839/...85cb9227_o.jpg We hiked about 1.5 miles to the Stonehaven War Memorial which was designed by local architect John Ellis to look like an ancient structure. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4804/...7aa59bcb_o.jpg The names of eight First World War battles are inscribed around the crown of the structure: Gallipoli, Jutland, Marne, Mons, Somne, Vimy, Ypres and Zeebrugge. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4845/...bb7bb1c0_o.jpg Looking back at the Dunnottar Castle. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7824/...0bd8e727_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4917/...a43890ba_o.jpg |
Day 19 - Tue, 11 Sep (continued...)
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This castle definitely has some incredible views! https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7889/...296f0c92_o.jpg Although it just ruins there is a certain beauty to these rock walls. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4887/...e98afaf2_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4849/...8fc01371_o.jpg Squire, a UK based lock company had been in business since 1780. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7820/...4ebd5ec2_o.jpg Moss covers hard rock paths inside the castle walls. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7830/...efb242c6_o.jpg A unique castle for sure and one of my favorites of the few we visited in Scotland. In many ways this was my favorite castle of our trip. I think it was the lack of crowds, the walking trails around the castle, the incredible seaside views, and the great weather that all came together to make it one of my favorites. We continued onward to the city of Saint Andrews… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4823/...c2709c97_o.jpg A somewhat famous (does 5000 facebook followers make one famous?) cat named Hamish McHamish walked the streets of Saint Andrews. Hamish died on 11 September 2014 (oddly our visit was exactly four years later) but lives on through this statue dedicated to his life of wandering around a city who loved him. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4819/...8116223e_o.jpg We wandered around the streets as well looking for a place to eat. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4831/...95540338_o.jpg We settled on a out-of-the-way restaurant called The Vine Leaf. It had a nice quite atmosphere with soft jazz music playing during the dinner hours. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7832/...a02cefe7_o.jpg The food was also presented well! I’ve never has Crab baked with cheddar served in a sea shell before. The seared salmon, chili, coconut milk, coriander, rice noodles, pakchoi was also well made. Unfortunately, we just didn’t think the food was that great tasting or flavorful. After dinner, we rode though the medieval street of the city before rolling into camp at the St. Andrews Holiday Park. Tomorrow, we continue our adventure south around the Firth of Forth with the forecast is calling for clear skies!... |
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Day 20 - Wed, 12 Sep:
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Only 170 km of pavement today; Mostly because we slept in and spent a good part of our day at the Kelpies (B) and (C) Edinburgh. We finished the day at Drummohr Holiday Park (D) It felt good to sleep in today. The shower was especially nice this morning. We got on the road around 0930. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4899/...3046b338_o.jpg We enjoyed some of the less traveled roads this morning. It wasn’t too long before we noticed a roadside place called Blacketside Farms. It looked inviting with plenty of people inside the restaurant and shop. Must be something good inside... https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7842/...291468a6_o.jpg There were lots of fresh vegetables – fresh from the earth. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7853/...f2aca17a_o.jpg But we were most interested in the berries! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4892/...906eee82_o.jpg I ordered some french toast with fresh berries and powdered sugar along with an apple juice. First time I’ve gotten apple juice in a glass bottle. Blacketside Farms was a great start to our day! Our next stop was The Kelpies. If you don’t know what these are then you’re not alone – neither did we before planning this trip. Once you see pictures though you’ll want to see them for yourselves. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4820/...2b27fe41_o.jpg Crossing the Firth of Forth via the Kincardine Bridge. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4844/...cf03ae8a_o.jpg For someone who loves modern architecture and sculpture, this was high on my list of things to see in Scotland. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4890/...4806a1a8_o.jpg The park where the Kelpies are located is quite relaxing with its large grass fields and nearby canals. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7814/...0cfd2041_o.jpg The Kelpies are a monument to horse powered heritage across Scotland. These Clydesdales are modeled after two horses named Duke and Baron. The final sculpture is 30-metre-high and was designed by sculpture Andy Scott. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4890/...e5dcbe45_o.jpg A close-up of Duke’s eye and the stainless-steel cladding. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/...56ceabb1_o.jpg Looking from the inside out. You can see the steel frame and some of the 928 unique stainless-steel skin-plates. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4872/...40d2155c_o.jpg Baron stretches his head up to the sun. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4828/...ba099258_o.jpg Duke bends down to the earth. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7900/...ff733bf2_o.jpg Close-up of the cladding plates. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4895/...bc74d8c4_o.jpg The unique shadow of Baron that is cast against a grassy field. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4832/...da776fc3_o.jpg The “sun” portion of a large stone and metal plaque which reads “Stretch up your long necks to face the sun.” https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7856/...b7330bcb_o.jpg There is also an attached visitors center with the Kelpies modeled using Lego bricks. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7913/...a5d52c77_o.jpg The walls and a monitor tell a bit about the history of this region. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/...7f929f66_o.jpg A drawing area for kids with coloring pages and crayons and colored pencils. I’m guessing Owen is probably Scottish! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4889/...925fe929_o.jpg A monitor displayed how the model and then life-sized structure was built and then fabricated on site. As you can imagine, something this large, takes time to build and assemble. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7811/...cae54d5d_o.jpg View of the Kelpies from the visitor’s center. As you can see, by way-too-many pictures, we enjoyed our time here. |
Day 20 - Wed, 12 Sep (continued…)
We continued along our route and arrived at the city of Edinburg, where we spent the rest of the day.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4843/...0e1d04e6_o.jpg The central part of Edinburgh is watched over by the Edinburgh Castle. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7878/...4c35ac16_o.jpg The oldest pub in town, the White Hart is located on Grassmarket and shares its Victorian architecture with other buildings in the area. Notice the hilarious sign in front of the pub. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4907/...0f3fb655_o.jpg West Bow just off the Royal Mile and it’s iconic colorful shops and restaurants. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7885/...0b0255c9_o.jpg John Kay’s Shop is a wonderful little store full of globes, airplanes, balloons, and... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4831/...8124c4d5_o.jpg ...metal toys to remind you of the UK. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7848/...97e9c425_o.jpg A bronze statue of Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch and 7th Duke of Queensberry, stands above Parliament Square. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7820/...6b6972b2_o.jpg Tourists walk over the Heart of Midlothian - A heart-shaped mosaic, formed in colored granite sets. This area used to be the site of a prison where countless executions took place near the mosaic. Sometimes people spit on the heart to show their disdain for the executions that used to take place here. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7887/...30bc1454_o.jpg This church has been the religious focal point of Edenburgh for over 900 years! The present church dates from the late 14th century, though it was restored in the 19th century. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7818/...96b6e181_o.jpg The impressive 117-piece pipe-organ. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7922/...b8479562_o.jpg Two ornate unicorns, Scotland’s national animal, are depicted on this crest located in the Thistle Chapel. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7865/...827833a1_o.jpg Some of the ornate details of the cathedral. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4862/...772c5e8b_o.jpg The Robert Burns Memorial in stained glass designed by Icelandic artist Leifur Breidfjörd. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4894/...ce127e4b_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4857/...aa06278d_o.jpg A bagpiper plays among the streets of the Royal Mile. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7852/...1463fd5f_o.jpg The Camera Obscura & World of Illusions seemed like an interesting place. Why not? The Camera Obscura was built in 1835. There isn’t much to it really. It’s a dark room with a large table and a beam of light. But wait… …An image of Edinburgh begins to appear on the table. It’s not a recording. It’s a real time projected image! By today’s standards (of GCI where anything you can imagine can happen on the big screen), it’s not incredible, but in the 19th century this was fascinating stuff. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7811/...ca193f0a_o.jpg The views from the Camera Obscura observation deck are pretty good… https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7882/...86a2295f_o.jpg The Hub, with its iconic gothic spire is the highest point in central Edinburgh. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4865/...0cbf784e_o.jpg Adding a bit of modern architecture to the old town. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7810/...bbd34809_o.jpg The floors below Camera Obscura are where the World of Illusions are located. It was fun to walk around and participate in the interesting exhibits. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4909/...1c1ba39f_o.jpg A black light made for some interesting photos. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7894/...0fcbc3de_o.jpg Look closely. This image is actually two female models painted to look like a chameleon. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4907/...809ae8ef_o.jpg Illusion Chessboard by Maurits Cornelis Escher. You most likely know him better by his artist name of M. C. Escher. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7901/...acda4aa0_o.jpg Glow lamps were fun to interact with. Expect to get a little shock though! https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7848/...e80927fa_o.jpg Keith Newstead does some incredible automata all choreographed using a rotating wheel. Amazing! See a video of his sculptures here: https://www.keithnewsteadautomata.co...ree-bind-mice/ https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7823/...bc51d18b_o.jpg Hand with Reflecting Sphere Depiction by M. C. Escher. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7841/...334a167a_o.jpg Thermal image camera shows why Chantil is always cooler than me. Look how much cooler here face is than mine! |
Day 20 - Wed, 12 Sep (continued…)
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Trying something new like these Jelly Slugs candies. Harry Potter seems to be very popular here. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7913/...3d44c664_o.jpg Edinburg is an interesting city that combines the youthfulness of a college city with the old architecture of the 17th century. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7890/...043d390a_o.jpg An entire neighborhood in Edinburgh is named after Greyfriars Bobby; a dedicated Skye Terrier who spend 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray, until he died himself on 14 Jan 1872. A drinking fountain was placed in Bobby’s honor in 1873. The sculpture was William Brodie. It’s held up well, even with the century of rubbing Bobby’s nose. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7893/...f4b0d5bc_o.jpg The final resting place for both John Gray and Bobby is in Greyfriars Kirkland. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4842/...773c6517_o.jpg Well-wishers place sticks in front of the gravestone of Bobby. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7849/...086f0aff_o.jpg Stores are named in his honor as well. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7886/...dcb292de_o.jpg A row of University of Edinburgh buildings caught my eye. This particular building seemed to have something different about it. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7816/...fb203b42_o.jpg Something as simple as white chalk outlines around the original bricks made this building stand out. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4901/...0ab12bda_o.jpg More unique patterns among the streets of Edinburgh. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4917/...7a805667_o.jpg The University of Edinburgh’s Old College Building with its dome stands above fast food restaurants where the students can grab a bite between classes. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7814/...c03dc520_o.jpg Scots seem to have a lot of patriotism for their flag. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4912/...456aea98_o.jpg A mix of modern with a nod to the original 17th century buildings. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4813/...a1a6ed6d_o.jpg The Scotsmen Steps have connected North Bridge and Waverley Station ever since 1899. Each of the 104 steps received a major overhaul in 2011. Each step is now a different colored marble. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4854/...64a38577_o.jpg The major marble quarries are all represented from Italy to India, from Belgium to Brazil. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4892/...548b3818_o.jpg The Royal Unicorn and Scottish flag sit atop of the Mercat Cross in Parliament Square. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4841/...ca990aca_o.jpg The Aha Ha Ha joke and novelties store on Bow Street is hard to miss. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4803/...b2870ec6_o.jpg On the night of 2-3 April 1916 two German airships, the L14 and the L22, dropped 23 bombs on Leith and the City of Edinburgh. Seven residents of Edinburgh were killed during the bombings. Today, over 100 years later, our two German motorcycles are parked just a few hundred feet from this location. It’s important that we remember the past such that we are not doomed to repeat the mistakes but it’s more important to move on and create to a better and more peaceful world. There is definitely A LOT to see in Edinburgh. If we had more time, I think we would have enjoyed the castle and some of the overlooks around the city. Our camp site for the night wasn’t too far away at the Drummohr Holiday Park. |
Day 21 - Thu, 13 Sep:
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300 km of riding today. We left Scotland to return to England and enjoyed Holy Island (B), Northumberlandia (C), Angel of the North (D), and North York Moors National Park (E). We woke up at 7:38 AM and got our camping equipment and bikes packed up by 8:00 AM. A record for us! We took the freeway in order to make good time to Holy Island. This small community is isolated from the rest of England twice a day when the tide raises. Access is via a causeway that can be driven at low tide. We just happened to luck out and were able to visit from 10:05 AM until 15:50 PM today! https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7914/...57cd46e5_o.jpg The entrance road into Holy Island. This causeway is the only way in and the only way out for motored vehicles. Plan your route because twice a day, during the high tides, the road will be covered with salty ocean water. Salt water is not good for our mules, even if they are adventure mules. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4914/...89c1f06d_o.jpg The island’s website lists the safe times to travel across the causeway for each day. Although the website said it wasn’t safe until 10:05 AM, these folks are already on their way at 09:50. I think we’ll wait a bit... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4894/...95e5a5aa_o.jpg ... and take pictures of this guy chilling just behind a concrete barrier. Aweeeeee! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4888/...06b7ef9f_o.jpg Crossing the causeway was no problem; although there was a short section of about 6 inch deep salt water to cross. Just before entering the town, you must park in a large paid-parking area. I imagine this keeps traffic within the small community to a minimum and provides a bit of income to a town that seems to flourish because of visitors. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7826/...5f8d880b_o.jpg A small bird sits on the cross inscribed with the Latin abbreviation “Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm” or "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4823/...d63da174_o.jpg A nicely decorated window sill in the village of Holy Island. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7918/...a66341c0_o.jpg A nature display showing that there is more to the island than just the village and castle. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/...2666ebbc_o.jpg Bird stickers hopefully keeps folks (and birds) from bumping into the glass. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4897/...b981fb73_o.jpg The flooring in the visitor’s center challenges you to find the bird that matches the “foot” print. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4898/...61e89baf_o.jpg The extreme tide not only effects access to the island but access to your sailboat as well. These boats have specially designed twin keels to support the weight of the boat as it sits on the muddy bottom. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4876/...b2ca2800_o.jpg Boats, a small village, walking trails - my kind of place. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4905/...04737463_o.jpg Just up the road is the Lindisfarne Castle, a 16th-century castle built on a hill overlooking the North Sea. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7848/...5c3859a4_o.jpg Fall flowers in full bloom, a nice breeze, sunny skies – a perfect day! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4825/...ccc66588_o.jpg A small garden provides a diversion from the hustle and bustle of tourists at the castle. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4808/...9c2008f6_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4914/...7d62c553_o.jpg A sculpture of a Snipe made from twisted branches. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7805/...c70e6bdd_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4845/...7db889ac_o.jpg Flying with the Snipe. |
Day 21 - Thu, 13 Sep (continued...)
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The rocky beach is full of hundreds of cairns. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4836/...6bb600b0_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4817/...54d41dcf_o.jpg Many folks place the round rocks, from the beach, to form all kinds of shapes. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7842/...604ded2b_o.jpg Next to the castle are the Castle Point Lime Kilns that were used for the calcification of limestone to produce the form of lime called quicklime. These kilns have not been used since the 1880s but are surprisingly well preserved. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7825/...2b9ff919_o.jpg A recycled boat hull is cut on half to produce the roof and walls of this storage shed. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7816/...dc908124_o.jpg Lindisfarne Castle from the rocky beach. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7881/...9b669e63_o.jpg Seaweed with its pods is exposed at low tide. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7909/...b985a42e_o.jpg https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7866/...6b73a13f_o.jpg On our way back to the parking lot we walked through town... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4895/...38e3c71e_o.jpg ...and enjoying a lunch of some creme of celeriac soup at The Ship Inn. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7854/...8c4147ca_o.jpg Some artwork and trinkets above the fireplace at The Ship Inn. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7821/...760daaf9_o.jpg A scarf with the UK flag hangs from a coat-hook at The Ship Inn. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4821/...037fb8b2_o.jpg A lion head door knocker in the town of Holy Island. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4826/...5cfb033d_o.jpg Local venders were selling fresh fruit and vegetables along the road. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4833/...f416061e_o.jpg We left the island well before the tide started raising so that we wouldn’t be like this poor chap. |
Day 21 - Thu, 13 Sep (continued...)
After Holy Island, our next stop was Northumberlandia. Northumberlandia? Sounds like a ferry-tale kinda place!? What is it? It’s 1.5 million tons of earth from a neighboring mine formed into the shape of a reclining female figure.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4896/...e4fbb25e_o.jpg A small cafe and visitors center are at the entrance area. There is no cost to park or visit the park. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4882/...04bbdcf6_o.jpg The sculpture is is 34 meters (112 feet) high and 400 meters (1,300 feet) long. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4863/...f3a98d14_o.jpg From the parking area you walk through a small forest. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4890/...d2174e12_o.jpg The trail has some surprises like this tiny home for Smurfs. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4884/...39564f7c_o.jpg The Lady of the North! Her face and chest are visible from the viewing point. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7867/...f268a054_o.jpg Chantil standing on the... (get your mind out of the gutter!)...viewing hill, located next to the Lady of the North. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7801/...470a93bb_o.jpg On her forehead is this sculpture of a hand and pointing finger. What does it mean? What is it for?? https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7807/...87be6607_o.jpg Picking your nose, I guess?!? https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7881/...af661e27_o.jpg View of the Lady of the North looking down from her forehead. You can see her nose and eyes in the foreground. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7911/...bb5f0b05_o.jpg On her chest is a small plaque pointing to another sculpture – The Angel of the North. Hmm, we’ll have to look that one up. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4895/...72458dac_o.jpg A section of her hip is sculpted with a sitting area to enjoy the green grass and blue sky. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4818/...4daee098_o.jpg The visitors center has an overhead view of the lady. Drones are not allowed due to close proximity to a nearby airport. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7859/...f8feca77_o.jpg A mosaic of the Lady of the North. After exploring the hills and walkways of Northumberlandia we made our way a bit further south to this sculpture titled… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4911/...5400105a_o.jpg Angel of the North; a contemporary piece, designed by Antony Gormley. Chantil is as the base of the statue for size comparison. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/...740e0a62_o.jpg The area is also an informal memorial with items hanging from nearby trees that were placed in memory of those who passed on. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4845/...701fb352_o.jpg The problem I had with this sculpture is the location. From the freeway, you only see the very top of it over the treeline... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4843/...7a94b36c_o.jpg ...I wished it has been placed on top of a mountain and visible from all compass directions. Even so, it was worth the short stop. We continued south. Found a Chinese takeout place. Ate it in the parking lot; something homeless people and motorcycle travelers seem to do. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4884/...94e3cd18_o.jpg For dessert, we shared this Snickers bar and learned a new British word. Faffer: A fussy, indecisive individual, prone to procrastination, dithering between tasks, and who is easily distracted and achieves very little. In-two-minds, he/she flops from one thing to another and starts all over again. We entered the North York Moors National Park where I was expecting a forested area but was surprised by the beauty of the wide-open plains. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4915/...ec08ae97_o.jpg Watch out for sheep! Initially, Chantil would call them out via the Bluetooth headset, but after a km of this, we realized it was futile - There were just too many sheep. At least sheep are not skittish like deer; they seem indifferent to passing vehicles. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7907/...0ee946e4_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4901/...18fa365a_o.jpg Enjoying the sunset and gorgeous views. North York Moors NP, you surprised me! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4855/...d01f2bd6_o.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4804/...b99b02a5_o.jpg I even found a trail that was a bit fun for riding my off-road mule through. I wanted to take it down the hill a bit more, but it looked like it didn’t go anywhere that we could camp for the night. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4891/...7023047e_o.jpg A stone cross just off the road at North York Moors National Park. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4869/...b93629b9_o.jpg We rode until just after sunset and found a place to camp in a field next to the White Lion Inn. Cost £5. One of cheapest places we’ve camped the whole trip! It also came with some great views once we found an area for the tent that was clear of sheep crap. Dumb sheep seem to crap everywhere. Tomorrow we continue south through England. I’m starting to feel a bit saddened that we only have two days left of vacation… |
Day 22 - Fri, 14 Sep:
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261 km. Our trip through England continues south. From North York Moors National Park (A) to York (B), Needles Eye (C), Nottingham (D) and camping at Kelham Hall Camp Site (E). https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4865/...7dfe1c39_o.jpg We packed and left early enough to spend all morning in York. A little wet this morning, but not too bad. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7894/...ae6ede24_o.jpg Good morning random sheep chilling on the side of the road! We arrived in York early enough to see shop owners getting ready to open their businesses for the day. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7836/...38bb1321_o.jpg York Glass provides a fun way to see York and provides a free map for finding the 22 lucky cats York. Gotta’ catch ‘em all! They also sell a bit of luck in the form of a glass cat. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7921/...a846a4ee_o.jpg Here is the map. Two routes are offered; one for an easy walk, and another for a longer walk. We ended up doing both routes – after all, isn’t it unlucky not to find all the cats? https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7865/...f7f8dacd_o.jpg Here’s one climbing the side of the wall! Spider Cat!! https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7876/...18ed2b77_o.jpg A hand-drawn map shows the town of York, unfortunately without the cats, however there are two dogs. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/...109d2e22_o.jpg Another cat! This one is a bit ghostly! https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7866/...32b740ca_o.jpg A lady with a cool hat caught the attention of my camera. She was just sitting next to a storefront window taking notes or drawing. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4906/...614cb119_o.jpg Some of the bright artwork on the market window. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7869/...66ba210a_o.jpg Another cat! This one is on the hunt for a pigeon. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7889/...5e88808a_o.jpg The town has a great Victorian feel to it with artwork on the stone walls. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4878/...968e4a0e_o.jpg The York Cathedral is never too far away and provides bearings through the curvy streets. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4849/...a690f93a_o.jpg This is a bronze cat with his own ledge. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4805/...08fc2247_o.jpg Another colorful map of York, UK. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4903/...00874bb7_o.jpg NOT one of the cats. This one is NOT LUCKY. If you see this one stab it in the brain with the largest machete you can find. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7857/...6c27499c_o.jpg Clifford's Tower. Built originally in 1068, on the orders of William I, to dominate the former Viking city of York. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7860/...9ee94773_o.jpg Geese enjoy grazing on the green grass at Tower Gardens. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7827/...9cee4390_o.jpg Ferry boats pass each other on the River Ouse. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4899/...343a9a8c_o.jpg A cat peering over the edge of one of the stores entrances. |
Day 22 - Fri, 14 Sep (continued…)
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A bright and cheery street where shops of all flavors are selling their wares. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4891/...1c5c9830_o.jpg City of York Coat of Arms decorates a street corner. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7923/...3d445151_o.jpg The stained-glass window in the St. Martin le Grand. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7879/...d3b38676_o.jpg Close-up of the stained glass. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7926/...66224539_o.jpg A reminder of those who bravely took to the skies to protect York from Luftwaffe bombers during WWII. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4857/...5371293a_o.jpg Krispy Kreme donuts in England! A bit of Americana here in the UK! We asked the cashier if there was a place nearby that had freshly made HOT LIGHT Krispy Kremes. He didn’t know what we were talking about. Brother, you are missing out if you’ve never experienced a freshly glazed Krispy Kreme! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4891/...4e4e031a_o.jpg I only ate two! Promise. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4910/...68d0059a_o.jpg These small bronze studs marks the wall trail - another interesting way to explore York. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4886/...e3d133f9_o.jpg The walls of York have stood since 71 AD when they were built by the Romans. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7847/...8b7d45f9_o.jpg The Stonegate Devil is a reference to the printer’s apprentice and assistant, who was responsible for carrying hot metal type. In printing folklore, a particular type of demon haunted every print-shop, performing mischief such as inverting type, misspelling words or removing lines of completed type. Over time, the source of these errors was transferred to the printer’s assistant, who retained the nickname ‘the printer’s devil.’ https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7902/...0a9d9253_o.jpg An interesting orange color of paint made the French based L'OCCITANE EN PROVENCE boutique stand out from the rest. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7812/...f4ea2b33_o.jpg The York Minster is so large that it’s difficult to take a picture of the entire thing. The best I could do was these smaller sections. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7870/...3f496cc5_o.jpg The church and cathedral were finished in 1472. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4879/...2db2ae00_o.jpg We didn’t go inside but I wish we had after finding out the Great East Window is the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the country. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7906/...066e6cca_o.jpg Much of the medieval York still remains. After York we rode to an interesting site that we discovered on the Atlas Obscura website called the Needles Eye. A fun story behind this creation. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7854/...911d33b1_o.jpg What would you do to save face after making a £10 wager that you could drive horses and a wagon through the eye of a needle? https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4821/...b9f3be88_o.jpg If you were Marquis of Rockingham in 1730, you would have had Mason John Carr built this 46-foot-tall pyramid... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4875/...d20b79f9_o.jpg ...just so you could prove to your friends that you could indeed drive a team of horses and wagon through “the eye of a needle”. All this for a £10 bet! Our next location was not planned until last night. I remember watching Walt Disney’s Robin Hood as a kid but had no idea that a place called Nottingham and Sherwood Forest were real places! Off to see Major Oak and perhaps Robin Hood as well! Unfortunately, by the time we arrived the visitors center and access to the park was closed. I suppose if we wanted to live the spirit of Robin Hood, we would have defied the law and rode our motorcycles into the forest and camped by Major Oak. Going to jail or being fined in a foreign country is not my idea of a vacation, so we ended up camping nearby at the Kelham Hall Camp Site. Tomorrow is our last day in England… |
Day 23 - Sat, 15 Sep - Final Day:
Our final day of a spirited motorcycle adventure through England, Whales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, and Scotland comes to an ending today. Of course, we are saddened by this, but we are also extremely grateful for this opportunity. As my late father-in-law always said "Remember the good." It’s been a great adventure!!
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7806/...9bd15364_o.jpg A final 310km push! A morning of Nottingham Forest (B), followed by a Land Rover convention, Ely Cathedral (C), and finally ending the trip at the Harwich Ferry Dock (D) to return to mainland Europe. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/...d779dcbe_o.jpg As close to camping in Nottingham Forest as we could get - camping in a small forest at Kelham Hall. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7862/...bf30c642_o.jpg The current Kelham Hall was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and completed in 1863. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7895/...a61b703e_o.jpg The Kelham Hall stands on 52 acres of land that includes Victorian gardens and statues. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...ce462036_o.jpg Many consider Kelham Hall to be a masterpiece of high Victorian Gothic architecture, entirely asymmetrical, with a gloriously irregular skyline, and crowning 'grandiloquent' towers. *Wikipedia words - not mine. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4889/...a0102dda_o.jpg We walked around the entire residence and enjoyed seeing some of the less frequently visited sides of the hall. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4838/...b8a7b737_o.jpg The Union Jack, the national flag of the United Kingdom. We left Kelham Hall to Sherwood Forest to see Robin Hood - the animated, talking, red fox of my childhood memories. I wonder how tall he is? https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7857/...f1bbc6d8_o.jpg A clear, blue skies day, without having to wear rain gear! We parked (motorcycles were free) and hiked a short distance to see the elderly lady known as… https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4827/...a4a3d0e7_o.jpg …Major Oak! This legendary 800 to 1,000-year old Oak Tree looks a bit aged with braces to support her sagging limbs. Major Oak is rumored to be a hangout of Robin Hood and his Marry Men. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4872/...fe57ecb2_o.jpg Chantil stands next to a sign explaining the short history of Major Oak. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7913/...8c822c68_o.jpg Acorns from the Sherwood Forest!! I know, it weird that I’m fascinated with Sherwood Forest being a REAL PLACE. I just had no idea until a few days ago! https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7899/...9a048cf1_o.jpg https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7801/...c17d7106_o.jpg A cluster of unique mushrooms. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4860/...c3d97cb9_o.jpg Fun signs indicate items are hiding throughout the forest path... https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7909/...b76653ba_o.jpg ...like Robin Hood’s hat. Although Sherwood Forest and Major Oak are real, it’s seems that an animated, talking, red-colored fox, named Robin Hood is not. Big childhood let-down folks!! In fact, no real record of a “Robin Hood” even exist and it’s been debated since the 13th century. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4887/...444cced4_o.jpg The new visitors center was recently opened to the public just three weeks ago and features fun drawings of Sherwood Forest. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4880/...e6eff5e3_o.jpg Kids draw and display their own versions of Robin Hood. After learning about him, I feel he was more of poacher than a charismatic leader running around the forest in attractive green tights. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4837/...b117681a_o.jpg I still think the talking and animated red fox is as good of a guess of who Robin Hood really was. *Picture from Disney’s Robin Hood https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4808/...55a32857_o.jpg A fun Lego figure of the famed Robin Hood! Although, I still believe he was a talking fox. After we left Nottingham Forest, we made good time on the freeway but were distracted by signs pointing to a Land Rover convention. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4870/...c6903c0e_o.jpg These are some of my favorite vehicles, so we stopped to admire rows and rows of custom Discoverys and Defenders. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4877/...0c673167_o.jpg Fun vinyl stickers. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7821/...aff02394_o.jpg Riding through the grass field where thousands of custom Land Rovers are parked! We continued along on a beautiful and sunny-day. Actually it was beautiful, until we ran into a traffic mess on the A14. It turns out that southbound traffic on the A14 was completely shut down! Who shuts down an entire freeway on a weekend? It was a mass of metal and frustrated drivers. We had to find a way around and this delayed us for about 30-40 minutes. Such is life... |
Day 23 - Sat, 15 Sep - Final Day (continued…)
The small city of Ely’s crown jewel is the impressive Ely Cathedral. Its origins date back to AD 672 when St. Etheldreda built an abbey church. The present building dates back to 1083, and cathedral status was granted it in 1109.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4873/...12493f2f_o.jpg An impressive cathedral that stands 66 meters (216 ft) tall at its main entrance and west tower. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7804/...4f474d1f_o.jpg The delay on the A14 freeway turned out to be a blessing because just as we arrived, a new bride and groom were leaving which allowed us to capture this memory. We wish them the best! https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7830/...c985dcd9_o.jpg The cathedral is quite impressive considering the relatively small size of Ely with a population of just 20k. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7910/...68af03c5_o.jpg The octagonal tower forms the most distinctive and celebrated feature of the cathedral. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4830/...46a16960_o.jpg https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7818/...0949acf5_o.jpg The impressive Octagon as seem from inside looking towards the Choir. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4821/...9ecbcf59_o.jpg The Octagon was actually born out of an accident; in 1322 the central crossing tower collapsed. It was enlarged to form the octagon instead of being restored to its original size and square shape. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7916/...b9570cc9_o.jpg A modern sculpture of Jesus Christ hangs from the Nave. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...e27cb181_o.jpg Some of the amazing detail and biblical stories told via the stained-glass windows. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4865/...5cbcfc1d_o.jpg A weeping cherub mourns the death of a prominent religious leader. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7822/...0eea6d02_o.jpg Looking towards the West Tower from beneath the Octagon. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7845/...87cac8a1_o.jpg A modern statue titled Christ and Saint Mary Magdalene by sculptor David Wynne, depicts the moment when Mary recognizes Jesus on the morning of the resurrection. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...a1030194_o.jpg The detailed roof artwork of the nave section of the cathedral. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4889/...738752dc_o.jpg Meridiana by Heleine Blumenfeld. An exhibition titled “Tree of Life” by nationally acclaimed artist and contemporary sculptor Helaine Blumenfeld was on display throughout the cathedral. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7918/...735ab3f4_o.jpg Prayer candles flicker inside the vastness of the cathedral walls. After the Ely Cathedral we did a bit of walking around the shopping square nearby. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4898/...baef56e9_o.jpg A memorial to soldiers who fought for England’s freedom and way of life. The red poppies on the lapel of the soldiers marks the 100 years since the end of WWI. By now it was late afternoon, and many of the shops were closing for the evening. We continued along two-lane roads to Harwich where we would be catching our ferry to the Netherlands. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7846/...21300061_o.jpg We came across this roadside table selling pears (not apples?) where you select a bag of fruit and then leave the money in a jar. I love when the honesty system works! By the way, the pears were delicious! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4877/...05fb6fc4_o.jpg This large and powerful Clydesdale came to the fence to see our funny looking mules. We made our way to the Harwich Ferry Dock where we received our boarding passed for us and the mules. Unfortunately, we had to wait in the parking lot for 1 hour, 20 minutes before boarding. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7843/...232b6593_o.jpg Time to board the MV Stena Hollandica for an overnight crossing of the English Channel to the Netherlands. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4897/...bced3093_o.jpg We had a private cabin with an outside view way up on the 10th floor for this 8-hour journey back to mainland Europe. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7836/...12ee9a26_o.jpg The many stairways and artwork showing different European destinations. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/...ae7befe9_o.jpg A nicely appointed ferry. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7913/...4e4a9ac6_o.jpg Here’s our room! We quickly unpacked and then made our way to the dining area for a final meal of our grand 23-day UK and Ireland adventure. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4909/...78472e61_o.jpg We enjoyed a great dinner with excellent food and service. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4892/...32390c7d_o.jpg The next morning, we awoke to this amazing sunrise as we entered Hoek van Holland. More of Europe awaits exploring. I can’t wait until the next motorcycle adventure in 2019.... |
wonderful photos of a great adventure :scooter:
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