Dates

Hi folks. Happy New Year! I thought I'd get in early with my preferred dates for the Ireland trip. Could we maybe have the ride on much the same week as last year's ride, ie week beginning Mon 23 May 2011? Failing that, the week before, Mon 16 May, plus or minus a few days on either side of those two weeks (for me a Monday start is not essential). Did anyone have any ideas which differ vastly from these dates? Has anyone had any new thoughts about where we are going?

Ireland 2011

My experience during and after the French trip suggests that our next tour could be a little less intensive with perhaps 3 days of cycling about 50 to 60 miles and then a rest day doing something different before another 3 days of cycling. I have visited much of both Northern Ireland and Eire over the last 10 years and it is all very cyclable. I suspect the cheapest/quickest way there is by air and there are a variety of cheap carriers serving the main airports (Cork, Dublin, Belfast) as well as less well known places like Shannon, Galway and Knock. There are ferries from Fishguard, Holyhead and Liverpool to Dublin (or Dun Laoghaire) and Stranraer to Belfast. I believe there is also an overnight boat from Swansea to Cork. It would make sense to begin and end the tour near an airport town - most airlines quote single fares so the start and end need not be the same and it is possible to get by train, boat and train or bus to most places which have an airport. Being a sensible country, Ireland integrates its rail and road systems and, even better, the long distance coaches take bikes.
There are 185 tours of different lengths and degress of difficulty on the Discover Ireland website so we should, as suggested, be able to select a number of tours which integrate. We may be able thus to stop in the same place for more than 1 day and do circular trips. There are 26 Youth Hostels in Eire (An Oige is the organisation), scattered around the cities and touristy areas. There does not seem to be a formal organisation in Northern Ireland but there are independant Hostels available. There is also, as one would expect, plenty of B&B accomodation but the Euro exchange rate makes it a tad expensive. Last time I went (2009) I was paying about 50 Euros a night for a single room. If we are to visit Northern Ireland then the area of Eire we could cover is limited to the northern counties unless we transferred by train or bus - both time consuming and expensive.
I have the 4 1:250,000 maps of the island, plus a number of OS 1:50,000 maps for different areas and also most of the Sustrans series for  Northern Ireland (Belfast to Ballshannon, The Kingfisher Trail, The Loughshore Trail and The Sperrins.)
Given time, perhaps I could look through the tours on the Discover Ireland website plus those on the N. Ireland equivalent and come up with a suggested itinerary?
Maybe Keith has some ideas as a result of his presumably numerous visits to relatives there?

Hotel de la Gare, Thouars

I have posted a review of this Hotel on TripAdvisor.

Martins Cold

Anyone else aquired Martin's cold from our trip?

Thanks Martin! I hope you're better now.

I also have tingling fingers (Ring and Pinky on both hands) which I have self diagnosed as Ulna Nerve Compression (checked out on Google!! ) at the wrist from holding the flat bars in one position for too long. A week or two off the bike looms. How will I manage the withdrawal symptoms?

Photos now on Facebook!

Check out my facebook homepage for a collection of Photos from 'le Parcours'

I have even included a special album of 'Panneaux de Routiere' pour vrai anoraks seulement.

Enjoy

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=220077&id=525612872&saved#!/shawn.brotherhood

Further musing on 'Le Parcours Mystere'

We started out from Caen not knowing how hard this ride might be with permenant blue skies and a gentle easterly breeze to cool us as we sped along. From Maldwyn the 'tour virigin' to Martin who suffered both 'La grippe' and was delayed by 'un greve' (something about anaesthetists on the line in Paris Monpanasse) we were all confident we get to Grignols by Monday evening.

The sun continued to shine and it got a little hotter each day, the hills continued to roll and the countryside was a real highlight.

We met many friendly & helpful french people along the way aswell as the odd surly waitress and agressive petrolhead as at home. Keith in particular enjoyed charming the beautiful ladies, of which there were many,both French and English. It must be the relaxed way of life that brings out the elegant charms and the 'joie de vivre'.

The accomodation in the F1's was as expected 'Functional,clean and when you could find them at the back of the Z.I. constantly consistent. The Hotel de la Gare in Thouars was a real highlight..a family welcome, wonderful tapas and rose wine exotic ladies(!)asking us for a light on the terrace,trapped in the showers but best of all beautifully clean and dry kit delivered in the morning after unprompted offers by our wonderfiul hostess the night before.

Back to the cycling, long days in the saddle with relentless climbs followed by adrenaline fuel descents- one region was even known as 'little Switzerland'- lead us ever onwards to our ultimate Goal -Clyde and Sylvies charming place dans la foret in Grignols,Dordogne. The relief and self congraulatory glow that came over us as we transversed a rough forest track for one last time will remain 'un souvenir' for always.

Sylvie, notre hotesse charmant et gentil, then provided us with the best meal of the week, a real treat of pork loin cooked in milk on 'le casserole' with fine wine from 'Le Ventoux' (how appropriate) with a night under the stars on a spectacularly clear night awaiting Peter and I.

A memorable end to a memorable week.

Felicitations a tous de nous

A bientot

Shawn

First Drink of the Day