Day 13 Exiting the field the following morning I found myself looking out over an expansive lake, the early sun flickering down upon the water. It was a cold but beautiful ride into the heart of Kinsale, the road leading around one body of water or another. Nearing the centre, I chose a coffee shop …
Day 11 It took five Weetabix and a banana for me to feel anything like human after the long day of wet riding to Dingle. With a plan to cycle the peninsula loop that morning, I realised my bike would first need some attention. At the end of each day I had been diving into …
Day 9 I awoke with a start worried that my tent might collapse under the force of the storm at any moment. The intense whooshing noise from the wind was accompanied by clattering sounds as objects outside were blown around. What to do? It sounded wild outside, should I sit here to wait it out? …
Day 8 The first couple of hours out of Galway were highly uninspiring, and I was soon feeling that the best of the journey had already passed. It is a hard thing to feel motivated when you just see uninteresting road ahead, especially when there is so much of it yet to come. I was, …
Day four My second night as a 30 year old was one of little sleep and never-warming feet. I crawled out of my tent early the next morning with bleary eyes, and hair a matted mess, into a cold, wet world. Throwing everything onto the bike as quickly as possible I set off in search …
Day two Safe to say I started my year as a 30 year old with a slightly sore, but happy, head. I’m quite certain the fuzziness contributed largely to the most ridiculous route I took out of Dublin. Not following the converted cycle way along the canal from the centre, instead needing many direction stops …
In typical English fashion the train was over thirty minutes late. My anxiety increased as it pulled slowly into the station, the doors opened and I struggled out with my bags and bike. Then came the tedious pace of the station lifts, and of course, the platform for my next train placed separately to its …
At 4am I dragged myself out from shelter to stand beneath the dull light of dawn, wanting to be gone without trace before any early risers made their way past on a morning jaunt. I had the joy of packing away under the rising sun. The light blue sky began to emerge behind the clouds, …
Back on English ground, I took the opportunity to explore as I never have before. In the past I used a bike as transport within Leeds city, but generally took public transport for longer distances. This time, determined to see more of England and with a great desire to keep my legs moving, I made …
From the Alps I made my way south once more, this time towards the eastern edge of the Pyrenees mountain range nearing the north of Spain. I had agreed to be a volunteer helping to construct a greenhouse as an eco-build project and was looking forward to all I anticipated learning in the next few …
