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Published: April 23rd 2018
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I woke up feeling bitter sweet as this is the last leg of my cycling trip. As usual, the day started with breakfast at 8:30am. I was tad early as I told Rosaleen that I was coming around 8:45am-ish. She was surprised to see me 15 minutes early and I can sense she was still juggling breakfast preparation for the other guests in the house. At the beautiful breakfast nook, I met an Irish couple from Galway who also checked in the same night as me. We exchanged stories of our travels. Owen is a doctor and during his university years, his internship was in McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario which is an hour away from Toronto (somehow, meeting people with Canadian connection is in the cards for this trip). I learned that their second son who now lives in New Zealand but was born in Canada. Upon learning this, I blurted that New Zealand is in my bucket list. They encouraged me to pursue this saying New Zealand is ‘Ireland on steroids’. That comment made me excited and thought about prioritizing New Zealand trip. Owen’s wife Niamh is a professor. She looks lovely despite her being a septuagenarian. She has
been writing blogs for the Connemara Ponies, which according to Niamh, were the ancestors of the Thoroughbreds. They gave me their business cards and encouraged me to read about her blogs. The couple thought I was brave doing the cycling tour solo and I just said thank you in response. Rosaleen, on the other hand, thought I was a professional cyclist when I asked her to fill my hydration pack (my cycling gadgets were misleadingJ). She also washed my Ireland by Bike water bottle and filled it to the brim. She scored high in hospitality in my books. I waved my new acquaintances and the host goodbye. While outside doing my pre-ride bicycle check, Owen came running back to me to hand me his business card. He was scrambling finding it during breakfast and he finally found it before I took off. He also came to tell me that I should get my ‘birthmark’ on my left elbow checked. His doctor instinct was compelled to warn me that if the size gets bigger overtime, he recommended have it surgically removed. I said I was grateful for the info and the concern. To be honest, I am! I am going to
have a discussion with my family doctor on my next visit. Finally, I was ready to leave
Lisdanar B &B. I took another photo to remember this moment of good company and the best accommodation. Hands down, Lisdanar B & B is the best bed & breakfast for me this trip. I loved the very Irish the green and white color scheme in and out but most of all, the Irish culture that permeates the home.
I passed by the town of
Frosses and Mt. Charles going back to the town of Donegal. There were lots of up hills on the route and more areas where I shared the road with vehicles. The up hills were longer and somehow, the 16C weather which I would ideally find perfect is quite hot for me. I found myself taking more frequent breaks and stretches especially on areas where trees abound. I was donning my Wild Bettys cycling jersey for this leg of the trip and somehow, with more breaks that I took, I did not give justice to the uniform. I was amazed at how vast the cycling routes were in Ireland but on the contrary I was the
only one most of the time the bike trail. It is likely because it a week day or there were more sheep than Irish.
As I reached Mt. Charles, I made it a point to pass by another coffee shop recommended by IBB guide map for their infamous cheesecake. It was called
Tea House. I met Lorraine who was the owner and chef. She gave me the bad news that they do not have cheesecake anymore. Apparently, they catered to a community function the previous day and ran out of supply. Lorraine recommended I take the fruit cake instead and sold it like by saying this cake is a special order by the organizers of an upcoming rowing competition in the area. She said it was full of good protein and good fat and I was convinced hearing those I was the only one in the coffee shop that time. It was a quaint little shop with fine tea sets displayed in the cabinet by the corner. As I chatted with Lorraine, I asked for another helping, this time of caramel cake. Lorraine proudly said this cake was shortlisted for a German-organized cake competition for the weekend.
She was anxiously waiting for the lady who would transport her masterpiece to Kilcar. The lady was late and I could sense she was upset for the ‘no show’. She told me of her back up plan to drive to Kilcar in the event the designated transporter will not show up. This will mean she will close her coffee shop the next day. The cake was simply delicious and I hoped she would win the competition. She seemed to be a great chef, judging from the 2 cakes I tasted. I don’t usually eat that much but I justified that thinking I did not have a decent lunch yet. I came to know too that Lorraine’s sister-in-law hailed from Mindanao, the southernmost part of the Philippines. I was surprised that she knew that the area had been declared under “Martial Law”. Full from my sugar overload, I said good bye to Lorraine and wish her good luck with her upcoming competition. She gave me her business card which I kept as a souvenir and a reminder of yet another Irish friendly nature. ( I am trying to find photos of this Tea House and the cakes but seem to be
missing. I'll update this once I found them)
I continued my ride to Donegal and decided not to take the extra cycle to Lough Eske. Lorraine advised me to conserve my energy and spend it at
Donegal Castle instead. I followed her advice, explored Donegal Castle. I learned history on this tour, especially the rise of the O’ Donnell clan. It also gave me the chance to explore the town center of
Donegal which I did not get the chance to do during my first night. I enjoyed the gift shops and craft shops in Donegal. It was a good decision because I was able to pick up souvenirs for my family and of course, I got more fridge magnets and post cards which I can’t leave without! I returned to The Bridges B&B, my first and last accommodation for the trip. The home owners, Stephen and Bernie and their kids were home already and greeted them hello. I texted Nora and told her what an incredible experience I had. Apparently, she said she was about to text me as well to find out how my day went. She wanted to make sure I made it back
safely. Oh, how I love
Ireland by Bike customer care! After resting for a bit and a good shower, I rewarded myself with a 3-course dinner of braised lamb, red wine and cheese cake at the
Abbey Hotel. I still can’t believe how incredible Ireland is! How I wished I can stay longer.
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