Continued from Cycling five countries: Part 1

I left you with a rest day in Dublin, where I spent most of the day walking dazed around town and hanging out with Oscar Wilde while being heavily medicated with cold and flu tablets.

In a way, it was a revelation how much our bodies can take when we put our minds to it. Normally at home, by this stage, I would have given up. Would have wrapped myself in a warm blanket with a cup of tea, preferable with a cat on my lap and just refuse to do anything.

The fact that I made it to Dublin, without giving in to the support vehicle was at least, an achievement. Call it being stubborn if you like but I prefer to think that my mind has finally become strong than my physical being.

Co. Donegal, Ireland

From Dublin, we all hopped in the van and drove three hours to Doe Castle of the MacSweeney Clan on Sheephaven Bay in Co. Donegal. Believed to be built around the 1420s, we lunch in the shadows of its ruins on gourmet sandwiches before we began our ride.

I am not better, but fortified by drugs, I set off with the others to tackle our next stage of the cycling tour: Ireland.

The last time I remember visiting Co. Donegal was the amazing coastline and hills. And this time, we experienced both of them.

I love it here. I know the weather is not always ideal, but this part of Ireland is along the Wild Atlantic Way, and the cycle route is just so beautiful.

We follow the coastline north-west wards, across Drongawn Lough and around Broad Water, past gorgeous beaches and up this brilliant zig zag south of Portsalon, a Strava segment called ‘Knockalla car park to car park’ then downhill all the way to Rathmullan House for the night’s rest before continuing on, still along the Wild Atlantic Way on the Inishowen Peninsula.

We lunched today at McGrory’s Hotel, which accommodated the film crew of Star Wars VIII in 2015! Well, that was a bit of a highlight. The seafood chowder was excellent, if anyone is planning a visit.

By now, I was drained, but I still refuse to get in the support van, took more drugs and continued to cycle through remote villages with colourful doors, up another challenging climb, the Mamore Gap and eventually ending our Ireland segment at the port at Greencastle for our dedicated boat to Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland: Causeway Coastal Route

The ferry from Ireland took us to Portrush, famous for the gold tournament, and we cycled the remaining few kms to Portballintrae for our night stop.

I had a room that looked out to the sea and able to wake up to this serene bay energised me for the next day. I was getting better, but after stuffing more drugs down my throat, we began our N.I leg of the trip along the Causeway Coastal Route.

I’ve been to this part of the UK before, mainly to visit the Giants Causeway and the hanging bridge of Carrick-a-Rede, both of which we rode through en-route.

Roads are not as well paved and pot holes often create some challenge when you are cycling along very narrow country roads but again, it is about the journey, the environment surrounds and the physical challenge that cycling brings.

Northern Ireland is misty, as always, which makes its grass greener but people gloomier. But hey not here to judge! The last stretch of Northern Ireland was along the cliff top Torr Road, which took us to the fishing village of Cushendun, where we had lunch and had another cinematic encounter with one of the ‘doors’ of Games of Thrones.

I’ve never watched the series so had no idea what I was passing through on my way to the toilets was a bit of an attraction!

Scotland!

Our final country, and it was hard not to get emotional, for by now, the group has formed a camaraderie and while we were all looking forward to further travels or going back to our loved ones, it was hard to believe that ten days just went like WHOOSH!

Another reason to get emotional is… I didn’t finish.

It all started so well. The first day was sunny, a deep blue sky that I love and the ride through Scotland fantastic. Having been to Scotland a few times, for city breaks in Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as to hike the Isle of Skye, weather here hasn’t been kind to me.

Yet, this time, the sun made its glorious appearance on both days of our cycle, and all was well. So well! I even fit in a nap under the sun…

And then what do you know… 20km away from the finish line on the last day, within such easy reach of our final destination Drumlanrig Castle.

So it would have all ended so well, but….

I crashed.

There were no cars. All it took was a fast descend down a narrow gravel road, a bee got trapped in my glasses, I panicked and pulled the breaks on a bend.

There was blood. There was pain. I couldn’t move very well afterwards let alone ride, so, in the end, it was a crash that forced me into the support van.

Nevertheless, Drumlanrig Castle was a fitting end to a pretty epic cycling journey, for this is also where (possibly) the first modern bicycle as invented by Kirkpatrick Macmillan is exhibited.

What I’ve learned

There is something about being able to get up everyday after a full day on the bike, and to do it all again. You get stronger, physically, mentally.

The benefits of pushing yourself, is that you will finally know you are stronger than you think you are.

Someone special taught me that, and I’ve just proved it to myself.