The tenth was a typo or wishful thinking, I don;'t know which. I have my calendar clearly marked and just spaced it while I was typing.
I saw part of Donegal when I was on my bike trip some years ago, but decided to head on back to where the cycling was a bit easier!
As for packing, I learned a rude lesson in Ireland. I weighed my bike with all the gear on it just before I left, and it was an amazingly heavy 110 pounds (50 kg.) Coming from here in Denver area, I had not one but THREE water bottles attached to the bike. Several times throughout my trip people brought to my attention the fact that water really was readily available throughout Ireland and it wasn't necessary to import it. I actually only used about a quarter of the gear I took with me, and could have gotten away with less than that except I like clean clothes in the morning! I had intended to camp out but found out that hostels are the way to go when trekking around the country. I'll never forget the little German woman in the hostel on the Aran Islands . . . . well, more about that some other time.
I was in Ireland for the entire month of June, cycling almost every day, and I only experienced three days of wet weather (one soft day as I went around the Ring of Kerry, another as I did a loop through the Gap of Dunloe, which is one of the most beautiful places on earth, particularly when the rhododendrons are blooming, and then a gentle rain on the last full day as I pedaled from Spanish Point to Shannon to catch a plane home.) BTW, the rhododendrons blooms start to peter out about mid-June, or at least they did the year I was there. There were several places where I was cycling slowly through tunnels of rhododendron, with occasional gaps through which I could see people fishing for salmon in the river along which the road ran. And everyone, everywhere, was quick with a greeting; it seemed as though every person in Ireland was happy, at least happy to see me. One of the oddest things I remember is noticing that men would greet me with a quick shake of the head to one side. I first thought it was a sign of disapprobation, but it finally dawned on me that it was the Irish equivalent of a USner's head nod.
I didn't buy an Aran Island sweater, opting instead for one that I had knitted for me and shipped to my home. It was a major error, as the quality of the knitting was poor and the thing fell apart within five years.
I did buy an off-the-rack sweater that I wore early in the morning to ward off the cool until the sun had risen well, and that is as good now as it was in the store. And I don't think I spent more than 10 or 15 punt on it. Around $20. I do intend to get an Aran Island sweater this time! They are beautiful and each one's unique, according to what I read about them.
Among things on my itinerary is I need to get a refill from the Blarney Stone. Peggy suggested the other night that the Irish would pay me to come back and recharge the stone; I resembled er resented that remark.
I also want to go back to Dublin to spend more time wandering through Trinity College and looking at the ancient books on display in the library there. Perhaps I'll stretch the trip out to a whole month! Or maybe I can talk Peggy into moving there.
Gosh, I can't tell you how excited I am about meeting everyone and getting to see Ireland again all on the same nickel.
TEd
