Last Full Day of Nanci & Carl's Ireland Adventure

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July 19

We made it home safely. Here is an account of our final trip in Ireland.

On our last day in Ireland we had a wide range of experiences. We began with the challenge of ascending Connor Pass. This pass is 1300 feet and 6.7 kilometers to the top, a 6% slope. Three members of our group decided to do the ride, and the other three rode in the van. Carl, Nanci, and Bill started in the mist and finished in the clouds. We were told that the scenery was fantastic, but we rode in a full fog of mist. When we got close to the top of the pass we were literally in the clouds. It was one of the toughest physical experiences we have ever done. We were both happy that we did it, and our guide provided rhubarb pie for us at the top of the mountain. She also had dry, clean shirts for us, as we were soaked to the skin. I know some of you reading this will say, “And this was fun?”

The rest of the day’s cycling was of a more level nature and the sun came out to shine on beautiful coastline. We rode to Tralee, the city that is noted for the Irish song, “The Rose of Tralee”. It is a nice city with a large square and lots of outdoor cafes. We toured the rose gardens and visited the office of the “Rose of Tralee” program.

Then it was on to Ballyseed Castle. This was our final lodging place on the trip. It is a true castle, with all of the amenities of a five star hotel. The castle grounds were lovely and it felt like we were in a dream. We have included many photos from the castle. Our final meal was 5 courses and included our tour group and guide. We had gourmet food and wine, a fitting end to a wonderful trip. We lingered in the dining room and recounted the highlights of the trip, amidst great laughter. We certainly could not have found nicer couples than Bill and Karen, and Pete and Kathy to share our vacation. Desiree, our guide was fantastic.

We hope you have enjoyed reading about our trip. It has been fun to recount each day’s highlights and review the photos at the end of each day. The trip was even more than we had hoped for: great food, fantastic views, new friends, the friendliness of the Irish people, and much more of a biking challenge than we were expecting.

Nanci & Carl

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