Ireland the North 2. Day 11. Portstewart

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Ireland the North.Day11.Portstewart

Another good day in Ireland with untypical weather I believe. The first ferry at Rathmullen was a treat to most people and was easy to ride to. The last time we did this tour we took some minor roads only to find that they were very steep and torture to some, so this time we took the easier route which actually gave us a better view of the coastline. Luckily there was a coffee kiosk at the ferry terminal which gave us the necessary caffeine rush ready for our journey up into the hills. What! Hills? There was a long hill over the moors but luckily we had a tail wind which helped somewhat. We met another couple of cyclists up on the moor who told us it was all downhill from there. People tell lies. However, the eventual descent was incredible and went on forever. The route to the second ferry at Greencastle entailed a bit of a lump which had a steep section followed by a nice descent to the main road to the ferry. Many wading birds were seen on this stretch of road, oyster catchers, curlews and a heron chancing it’s luck with the fish. A sculpture of the ’Flight of the Earls’ was seen next the playground at the ferry terminal. This was the flight of ,the earls after the English stole their lands in the early 1600s. The museum at Greencastle served what was described as coffee but tasted like hot water and something I could not describe, but it was not coffee. At the other side of Lough Foil we encountered the Magilligan Jail so we had to rush past in case we were taken in. A fast run to the hill by the Mussenden Temple located on cliffs near Castlerock in County Londonderry. An undulating ride followed to Coleraine on the busy A2. The days total was 68 miles and we knew about it when we had to climb the last hill towards Coleraine and our final destination at the lovely pristine Carnalbanagh House.

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