"Never will play the Wild Rover no more"

My trip to Dublin was Delayed by the Bank Holiday weekend, which booked most places right through Sunday night. So, I stayed in Kilkeny another two days, and got to see a few more attractions before heading out on Saturday morning. Most notable was the is St. Canice round tower, which is one of two towers still open to the public in Ireland. The 4.5' wide, 100' tall tower stands on a 24” foundation and has a series of ladders and platforms to the top, and is view able through the city.

I stayed at B&B near the Wicklow Mountains, which put me in a good position for my last day of riding into the city. I went through Hollywood, complete with hillside signage replica, and rode two somewhat major passes through the national park. The bike was light, and a effective tailwind made it a moderate day. There were many other cyclists, most with racing bikes that looked frail for the conditions and climate. As I passed the treeline the misty rain made me feel bad for the riders climbing in the other direction. Overall the views were good, traffic was low, and it was a good last glimpse of the Irish countryside. Being a national park, it was surprisingly undeveloped for being so close to the city.

I was doing well enough to visit the Powerscourt House and Gardens. After throwing on a pair of paints and a jacket, I visited one of the top gardens in Europe (number 3 I believe). The house had a fire in the 70's, and was only partially rebuilt or open. The gardens fared much better, and have portions of traditional English and Chinese gardens, forest parks, walled gardens, expansive rose gardens, statuary, fountains, even a castle tower built for aesthetics. You can tell they had a lot of weddings there. Some of the windy “hidden” paths in the Chinese garden were well done, as well as a wide assortment of plants, many of which I didn't recognize.

The ride into Dublin was fairly about what I expected. The city has done a very good job with bicycle paths, and I was glad to see other people riding. I ended up riding in the dark, which was unusual for me, and plenty of one way streets made things tricky. Roads were also closed for a Marathon, which I did not participate in despite assumptions at the Hostel reception. They were able to put my bike in the utility room, and I shared a 12 bed dorm with a bunch of french guys. The hostel was busy, with many tour groups packing the kitchen and lounge area. There were hundreds of beds in this place, and it was somewhat less warm and welcoming then the smaller hostels at smaller cities. This was more regimented. More German.

I did a lot of walking in the city. I was here in 2005, and it was good to see some things again. The Spire, one of my favorite monuments and landmarks, Temple bar, Trinity College... After the bank holiday I was able to visit the national museum which had a large collection of gold and religious artifacts, tour the Jeanie Johnson replica immigrant ship, take another walking tour. I decided to be part of the problem and do my first pub crawl tour, which went fine but was not well cultured with bud and bud light specials. I left before the tour ended at about 1:00. My last night I did a full dinner with music and traditional dance, which was a nice way to spend the last night before heading out early the next morning. Dublin is a great city, but it does support a drinking problem with some reports of over 1000 pubs in the city. There is also a moderate degree of homelessness, which is troubling to see.

The bike is great for riding, but it becomes an anchor when you try to do anything else with it. I rode to a bike shop that opened early for me, but the owner was still nearly a half an hour past our meeting time and admittedly hungover while boxing up my bike. We managed to fold the seats down and fit the box into the back of a taxi, where the airport took the bike on prior reservation. Still, it was very rushed through security and customs, and fortunately there was no issue as boarding had already begun by the time I reached the gate. A lot of things had to go right, and it was good that they did. The flight was long and uneventful, I was tired and hungry throughout, but most of the stress was gone.

Once in the US, I was able to collect my belongings on a luggage cart and, after much trouble and many phone calls, eventually find my shuttle. I had a half a mind to unpack the bike and ride off, but 170 mile ride in the rain was a bit much, at least at that time of day :) Buses and trains don't take bikes, and finding transportation was difficult. The box is big and cumbersome to move, and simple things like escalators are impossible. It is logistically challenging to manage a packed bicycle, particularly when you are on your own. Even hitting the bathroom was a risk. At least the bike was well packed and I was somewhat confident it would have a safe trip.

Overall reflections: no regrets except perhaps I should've gone sooner. After I resumed my trip, my ambition for camping was greatly reduced, and I was starring to become somewhat self conscious sleeping in youth hostels. The comforts of home were missed more, and I want some regularity and stability in life besides living out of a suitcase. I do want to become an active member is society and not jut a transient observer, to be involved and not just take pictures. The constant uncertainty, physical demand, and exposure to the elements take a cumulative toll that makes you question your sanity when riding, but somehow wanting to go further the next day. I will never again experience the same sort of freedom and self reliance that bicycle travel affords. Watching the clouds and the direction of the wind on the open lands, meeting fascinating people in the cities, overcoming all sorts of challenges and emerging myself in far flung lands and language barriers, were people were amazed to meet an American. I would encourage more people to undertake such a trip, and may very well put these (more polished) thoughts into a book. I may do more cycle touring, but I feel I got done what I wanted to do, and it's time to go back and make a life for myself. Thank you all for following along. Please send your comments and stay in touch. All photos have been uploaded to my flicker account below. Best of luck, and Goodspeed.

-Keith