Day 70
The Bog Road
Tom and I started the day with another swim at 7.30am (!), and due to the kindness of a fellow camper fresh fuel for our stove, so we were able to linger over breakfast with a cuppa enjoying the view.
Finally we tore ourselves away. After the ride yesterday we didn’t think the scenery today would inspire us. We were wrong. First we rode the 16k loop called the Sky Road on the Kingstown Peninsula. It gave us a challenge with the hills to climb but views all around and a summit that took our breath away. An ice cream and a great chat with ice cream seller on his vintage bike and ice box cooled us down. The heat was incredible.
Then we were off to ride the Bog Road. This area of bog land is Ireland's rain forest. Not only absorbing carbon, but supplying the water that fills the streams where salmon spawn, containing many rare species of wildlife and even carnivorous plants! It is surrounded by a range of hills called the 12 Bens. We were too early to see the heather in full flower but it still had a unique beauty, and a fabulous flat road!
Running low on water we stopped at a pub to have a drink and fill our water bottles. There appeared to be a wedding party taking place, though most of the guests were very noisily watching the Kerry vs Tyrone Gaelic semi-final football match. One young woman popped out and opened the boot of her car. She took a step back and Tom called out in shock as she disappeared! She had plunged down a bank hidden by the undergrowth. Tom managed to pull her out, as her friends who had rushed out to help, simply couldn’t stop laughing. She was fine, and much amused Tom and I set off to find a wild camp spot.
We had seen on the map a series of small islands linked by a road. We found a white sandy beach with crystal clear water on the island of Mweenish. Another swim and bed before the midges came out!
