T1me to Ride

 My campsite last night just kept on giving.  This morning I woke to grey clouds, but no rain.  Then it started raining.  Then it stopped. I see. It was going to be one of those days was it.  I made light work of packing up, adept as I was by now of putting everything in its rightful place. A French family had made themselves at home on the table I’d propped my bike against: “you have a lot of little pockets” said Dad, with a wonderful French accent. “Oui” said I.  Then it started raining again. And didn’t stop for 4 hours. It was going to be one of  those  days This morning’s breakfast of kings comprised pastries procured from the shop last night. I was one down having devoured that with a handful of jelly babies in the night to stave off a particularly gnarly hypo.  And energy I would need. Garmin delighted in advising me that I had 14 climbs to contend with today, 10 of which would come in the first 30km. Eventually, when I realised that I...

Some days on a bike are just magical. This was one of them.   Having hit my tent early and slept like a log, it was still 9am before I woke up. Looks like another late start then.  I poked my head outside the tent to find cloudy skies, not the ominous type but certainly not the deep blue I’d become accustomed to.  I made myself a coffee and tucked into the 2 remaining Rocky Roads, breakfast of champions #2 then packed the bike and headed off. As I left a child camping in the neighbouring pitch shouted “goodbye Mr Biker Man!” It was a fittingly cheery comment within a cheery and cosy campsite. Chris and his wife, farmers of the various animals dotted around the site, decided to diversify and build the site (camping pods and campsite) just before Covid hit. They spent months building the site but ran out of money. Eventually lockdown eased and they took lots of bookings, each paying 50% deposit which Chris used to complete the build.  “If we had another lockdown a...

 Saturday nights in Clonakilty are quite something. The bars and restaurants were packed out and I eventually opted for takeaway pizza eaten at a table in the adjacent beer garden. It’s a popular arrangement which seems to suit both pub and pizzeria. I then went in search of some live music, found some, and spent another couple of hours listening to Glen, a medical salesman who packed it all into play music. Fair play.  This morning therefore started slightly slower than I was anticipating, however I was tucking into my pastries by 9:30 and on the road just before 10. Not too bad.  The first few miles were straightforward, hugging the coast and traversing causeways before the road inevitably heading up. I say inevitably - Garmin very proudly showed me in great detail all 18 climbs which today would hold in store.  The sun was already beating down and the heat was bordering on uncomfortable. I needed to not wish it away as the weather forecast showing the traditional ...