County Mayo

The past few days have taken me through county Mayo, which has been remote but “unspoiled.” The ride out of Sligo took me along some spectacular coastline, with roads edging along coastal cliffs, jagged and irregular from the ocean waves beating the layered sedimentary cliffs into all sorts of formations, where the waves continue to pound and play, ever evolving the landscape. The gulf stream winds makes this a popular area for surfers, and I've seen more surf shops then I ever thought. Some palm trees also survive in the temperate climate. The countryside was quiet and unpopulated, with none of the shore side condos that I would expect for such a view. Also, there has been no Wallmart, Petco, Pannara Bread, or any of those other annoying places since I arrive, that has been a mental relief. Instead there has been a mix of inns, B&B's and locally owned pubs. Some of the signs and other literature have been in Gaelic, which has been interesting. The weather has been mixed, but the terrain has been much flatter.

Overall, I've been much more comfortable provided the steady workload. I also found cycling shorts usually sufficient, changing zipper vents in my jacket, headgear, and gloves as necessary. I had been following the Wind Atlantic Way on my way south. Progress was good, but rain and a side wind developed late the first day that stopped me 20 miles short of my destination. I remember watching the water spin off my front tire and get blown sideways. When it starts feeling like the Marine Core, it's time to call it in. Luckily, I found a B&B where a fisherman and his wife were happy to take me in, and provide a fish dinner from his own catch. My bike was stored in the shed along the the peat which they still used to heat the house. We talked at length about local issues, it was a good night.

I backtracked to Céide Fields, a neolithic settlement that was burred by a meter or more peat which grew over the millennia, and only rediscovered in the 1920's. There was an interesting exhibit on the settlement. The settlement was quite large and well organized, the museum had artifacts that were well preserved in the boggy soil. I decided against the field walk, and took a short day in the rain, going to Bangor to refill on food and cash. The chocolate chip mini-breads were good to have on hand, I'm also carrying more fresh fruit and fruit juices. I felt a little wimpy calling it a short day, but the next day would make up for many of the miles. I went to Achill Island and did a loop there, which again, offered some picture perfect scenery in a hilly sort of environment.

 I wanted to camp on the grassy hills overlooking the ocean, but could not find anyone to ask. The riding was amazing and this side trip was well worth while. I then found the Greenway, Ireland's longest off-road cycle path, that lead right to Westport with a good tail wind and plenty of inexperienced rental bikes along the path. I helped someone with a flat, and provided them with a spare inner tube, only partly repaying the generosity people have shown me on my trip.

I don't usually stop for lunch, so when I arrived at Westport I had a pizza, burger, pile of chips and two milk shakes. I tried to rally for a beer, stayed for a song or two, before returning to the hostel and sleeping for 12 hours. Today I did some shopping, bike adjustments, visited the tourist into office, and walked around town a bit. One of the hostelers offered some extra stew around that I've been working on, may go out later for a pint after taking some time to plan my way down south.