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The Shannon Pot is a suitably beautiful and mysterious place to start my cycle along the length of the Shannon. Where does all that brown peaty water come from? I've read that the source is ground water, but it must be coming off a mountain somewhere.
After a dull morning the sun broke through again for the afternoon. Standing at the edge of the small pool, I could see a narrow, shallow ledge through ale coloured water which dropped into stout coloured darkness.
A splash caught my attention. A mysterious water beast living in the pool? No, fish rising for the dancing flies.
After the Canadian couple who arrived at the same time as me left, I had it to myself. Such a peaceful place. Nice diversity of flowers. Butterflies enjoying the warmth, orange tip, green veined white, speckled wood and one I didn't know. Could it be a marsh fritillary. I got a bad photo, but might be good enough to check. A pair of dragonflies in their heart shaped mating pose on a stem.
Willow warblers competed in a hedgerow feis, singing competition. A robin darted around the willows, for a second I until I
caught the red flash, I thought it could be something really interesting.
Eventually I made myself move on. I started my 360km route along the cement path, following the first glow if the Shannon. A little stream barely a metre wide, only several centimetres deep.
I was starving by the time I got to Dowra. The little Spar was like an Oasis and I had my wee picnic at the table outside. It was only another 17 km to Drumshambo, but I needed a few calories.
My route followed the eastern side of Lough Allen, but due to the hilly topography and short distance to the lake, I only got a few brief glimpses of it. There wasn't much traffic.
My legs were starting to feel the pain as I checked into Lough Allen camp site. I got a lovely lake side pitch.
I am now enjoying a lovely pint of Guinness in Conway's bar. It was recommended to me by a cyclist who stopped for a chat a couple of days ago when I was having a break in Garrison en route from Ballyshannon. Lovely. Only pity is I hear the trad session on
Friday evening is lovely. I'll be a bit further downriver by then.
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