This was a very full day. I visited significant family places and rode up (and down) one of the most stunning mountain passes I’ve ever seen.
It started as I left the B&B on the edge of town. Gina, the host is a bit of an historian and was interested in my family connection to the town. I had a great chat with her about all of that stuff last night.
I pedalled off into town to visit the church where my grandmother was baptised. I don’t know where she lived, so this is all I have about her time in Castleisland.
Next, it was off to Tralee where my Grandfather’s family came from. It’s funny how the families came from towns only 20kms from each other, but they met in Australia. I went to the church that my great grandparents were married in. Two churches in one day. That’s a record.
I also had some lunch and looked around Tralee before heading off. Again, I was following Eurovelo 1, so I expected either small roads or a road with some provision for bikes. What I got was a busy 100km/hr road with no shoulder for at least the next 10kms. It wasn’t a lot of fun, but I often had a view of the water, and the drivers were really good.
I gradually turned onto smaller and quieter roads and normal service was resumed. It was nice cycling but with some scattered showers rolling up the impressive valley. Everytime I stopped and put the wet weather gear on, it would stop raining within a minute and off it would come. This happened about five times today, but I’m still happy and dry.
I knew there was one hill between me and Dingle towards the end but I hadn’t checked the details. It was Connor Pass – a breathtaking and spectacular narrow road that had me ascending 400 metres over 6 or 7 kms.
The views were amazing and I stopped lots of times for photos and to rest.
The downhill was just as good and it brought me into Dingle very near the b&b I’d booked.
Dinner was at Geaneys pub down the road with some Guinness Zero Zero. It was another tiring, spectacular and fulfilling day.