My First Mini Tour on the Motorbike


Way back when (August 2003) I got my Bike License and then a bike [see Bikes menu option for more details]

Now it's been great fun having the bike, but i've not spent more than a few days away on the bike yet so...

As i was going to head off home [see Where to see where this is] for my Birthday i thought i might take a long way home

The Story

Friday 27th June

Plan:
Leave work bang on 4pm, rush home, put all my packed bags on the bike and start on my way.
Catch the late ferry and stay in a B& B just south of Dun Laoghaire overnight.

Reality:
By about noon i realised that i wasn't going to get away from work and worse than that it was really pissing it down.
I got in tired, wet and not in the mood for a ride in the rain through rush hour traffic.
That decision made... Unpacked some of my essentials and dived into a lovely long bath with a cheeky glass of wine - a good start to my holiday :o)

Saturday 28th June

Plan 2:
Get up early - Catch the 1:45 PM ferry, ride down the east coast and find a nice place to stay late in the afternoon

Reality:
Up late!!!, Oops
Realised i'm not going to catch the 1:45 ferry so i'll not rush around
That's it! i'm not making any more plans for a while! LOL

Packed up the Bike and got ready to go
Left the house eventually at 12:30 - it was such a beautiful day I really enjoyed the ride... well except for getting lost in Manchester
On the way I spotted a wonderful castle in the side of a hill (somewhere in North Wales) I must go back and see that properly but that's for another trip.
Got to Holyhead in plenty of time for the ferry which was late anyway - oh well, there were 2 other bikers on the same trip, both were great and we ended up chatting while waiting for the ferry to turn up, and I stayed chatting to one of them all the way over - a really nice guy who said he knew a little short cut out of Dun Laoghaire - got into Ireland at about 8:40 PM and it was such a beautiful evening, perfect for a little buzz down the coast.
I had tried to book a place in a nice hotel just down the coast but they were full, but the recommended a place called Tinakilly Country House and me not knowing what to expect I decided to "give it a go", when i turned up i was VERY pleasantly surprised

What a wonderful place, i think i'm going to like it here LOL
after checking in and a quick shower it was straight to the bar

My First Pint in Ireland!
Before i had enjoyed a few drinks of my pint i was already chatting to a few of the people there - The barman was ace, i really got on with him and one thing he said was that if i was looking for a nice place to visit locally i should check out Glendalough

Sunday 29th June

Woke up late (this is getting to be a habit) at least i was not too late for breakfast

Looked out the window and the weather was stunning, i made up my mind to check out Glendalough and some of the country roads round about

What a day - The sun was shining, the birds were singing - all was right with the world - a wonderful ride up there and when i was there everywhere was so serene i fell in love with the place

I took a lot of pics of the place, there were hundreds of things to see (churches, grave sites, lochs, waterfalls and a lot of other stuff) i may put a little slide show of all the pics of there but none of them do justice to the place.
I sat by the loch and just enjoyed the place, daydreaming and reading [i had just bought the latest Harry Potter] and even tho i was careful to stay in the shade when i got back i was doing a good impression of a cooked lobster LOL
wandered back at around 5ish and took a long route back to tinakilly [i had already decided that i was going to stay another night there]
Just in time for a shower and down for tea - oh WOW lovely i has a 5 star chef mmmmmmmmm :o)
got a touch of hay fever that evening which was a bit annoying but it was nothing a few glasses of wine won't fix <Cheers>
I'll miss that place, i love being pampered and having a few people around to help out - i think i need to be "Stupidly Rich" LOL

Monday 30th June

Up late again - this time it was by plan coz it was absolutely chucking it down, i was very cozy in this nice old house listening to the rain falling outside, i was seriously considering spending another night there - but the call of the big city was stronger so i packed up, had a stupidly big breakfast and hit the now very wet road for Dublin
Luckily it wasn't raining much by the time i left the house and headed off, but still enough to nice and wet.
Got into Dublin about noon, straight to a hotel [what a disappointment from the previous couple of nights, this place was the same price but just a standard hotel, clean enough, just not very attractive] dropped off my bags, put my clothes to dry and had a shower - all ready for a day of the tourist thang LOL
First stop the book of kells and the long room - WOW! what a stunning place worth a visit if you're going to Dublin - you're not allowed to take pics in the whole place so i've not got any, but there are tonnes of pics on the web if you're interested. But all the pics i have seen don't show what it's like to be staring at so much history or the unique smell of old books you get in the long room [a really old library]. I would have loved to have just pulled up a chair and quietly read a book there but alas that wasn't allowed and i think i could hear another bus load of tourists
Now to the Only place to get my first pint in Dublin - the Guinness Storehouse :o)

The tour was not up to much, but it was worth it to be sitting on the 7th Floor looking out onto the Dublin vista sipping a pint of the finest black gold straight from the brewery. Writing this and making plans of where to go and see - oh dear there goes another pint - maybe i'll just find a good pub and settle down for the evening.
Left via the gift shop LOL

Ah Mulligan's, this used to be the best pint in the world [before Guinness opened the Storehouse] - and in my book there's not a lot between them and i had quite a large sample :o) - it got very busy latter on so i decided to drop off my tourist stuff and get changed for the evening.
Found a nice little Italian and an even nicer old style pub with a friendly barman and a few chatty people - looks like i've got my evening sorted

Tuesday 1st July

OH DEAR! the bear monster has attacked me and i have come off a lot worse then he did. Stumbled into the shower - that didn't help much - breakfast helped a lot more "more coffee please!!"
After a nice site seeing afternoon and a light lunch i needed to head back for a nap before heading out for the evening, it's going to be hard just having a couple of pints LOL. The fact that it's still raining doesn't bode well for tomorrow, i am planning to head up to the north.

Wednesday 2nd July

YEY it's a great day! perfect for the bike. A nice run up to the North is exactly what i fancy.
What a ride up, beautiful scenery after i got past belfast and headed further north - i was heading to Bushmills [a place they make one of the best Irish Whiskeys]

Dropped my bags off and went straight out for some sight seeing - big chunks of rock [giants causeway] and coloured water [bushmills itself] - then when it was getting to the evening, headed back for a few glasses of the black stuff
Before i had taken 2 drinks in the bar of bushmills inn i was chatting to a couple of guys that were also enjoying a little drink. As it happens they are Tour drivers and were full of interesting places to go [i have taken a few notes for my next trip] - one of them (Noel) said he knew a great place to have a nice steak - and boy was he right mmmmmmmmm. The other one Frank Fitzpatrick was mentioning places left right and centre - what fun it was - a very pleasant night in great company.

Thursday 3rd July


Coming down the stairs for breakfast - I think i may have had a pint too many, Oh well at least the weather is perfect for a wander in the countryside down by the coast to clear the cobwebs - then a nice pint by the open peat fire, and a wonderful meal at the hotel [it seems it's another 5 star restaurant - i really can pick 'em]

Friday 4th July

I really could get used to being waited on hand and foot, but i have already spent longer in Ireland that i had planned [i don't think a single plan will work LOL]
The draw of home is getting strong and i have to get home for my birthday LOL
A nice early start and a quick ride to Belfast to catch the ferry - i was nice and early as usually, and the ferry was late [as usual] and a couple of bikers were there so another nice friendly chat all the way over the crossing :o).

The rest of the holiday was wonderful - catching up with a few of my closest friends - and family. My Birthday was a lovely quiet affair and i had a perfect chance to totally chill out - Bliss.........

I was going to split the journey back to Sheffield with a visit to the Lake District, but i was having a nice ride and missed the junction [by quite a lot LOL] so i decided to find a nice restaurant have a nice relaxing lunch and go all the way

Got in and put the water on for a nice relaxing bath - ahhhhhhhhhhh :o)