Kate's Cycle

Mon, 28 June 2010: 100km
BADEN – ST NAZAIRE

Tues, 29 June 2010:  92km
ST NAZAIRE – CHALLANS

Wed, 30 June 2010: 75.2km
CHALLANS – JARD-SUR MER

Thurs, 1 July 2010: 89.18km
JARD-SUR MER – LA ROCHELLE

Fri 2 July, 2010 – Monday 19 July, 2010
LA ROCHELLE Rest days

All good things must come to an end, well so the saying goes.. It was a great week on the bike, clocking up some serious milage, bugs, heat and waving goodbye to my cycling buddies.

After a boozy night in Quiberon on Saturday and having a pretty sluggish start on Sunday, it was time to get back in the game and start the week off right. We all made an effort to be on road early Monday morning so we could punch out some k’s before our lunch stop and reduce time in the roasting midday sun.

Cycling through cities always scares me, and Vannes was no exception. It was actually easier than any of the others we has passed through. In my head its always worst than reality. In Lorient, I had myself in such a panic on where to go, that I obliviously went straight through a red light. If it wasn’t for the 3 others missing from behind me I would have never known! Ooops. Vannes is a beautiful city, scattered with old building, cobbled streets and a nice marina to sip decadent cream cappuccinos while waiting for the Tourist office to open. It was a bit early to stop in the long day that we had ahead of us, but I wanted to see if the tourist office had a more detailed map of where we were going, in case Gary decided to play games – which he did, later on in the week… See pics below of Gary’s legitimate ‘unpaved road’…

Once back on the road, it didn’t take us long to get back into the rhythm of it, pushing out the lunch stop for as long as possible. A quick stop into Casino (a supermarket – not an actual Casino) to pick up some supplies and find somewhere to eat. Meals are such a treat and nice break from cycling that we always try and get somewhere nice to picnic. By this time though, we were all so ravenous that we just picked the first semi-shady place out of town and prepped up for lunch. Before we even started to eat we knew this particular lunch spot was special and unlike any other spot we had eaten before. On one side was a dump and the other a Jesus crucifix. There was also a lovely little stream running under a nice stone bridge which was where we decided to sit and layout our lunch spread. Straight away we were getting wiffs of something decaying, but didn’t take too much notice, as our stomachs were screaming out for food. Midway through my second bite of my baguette I looked down from the top of the bridge only to see one of the most shocking, disturbing and stinky sights! I thought it best that the others didn’t see what I just seen, but of course as soon as you say DO NOT look under the bridge, its the first thing you would do. I love my dogs, so it wasn’t easy seeing someone’s pet so carelessly disposed of..

The next few days of cycling weren’t as eventful, but made us more aware of the crucifix’s roadside. On ‘Dead dog Monday’ we counted 6, and 8 on Tuesday! The games you play on the road to break up the day are pretty funny. We even started to do arm signals to truckies to get them to beep their horns. Anything to distract us from the sweltering 30+ degree heat and lighten the mood a little.

The heat really started to got to us all this week. Every day was relentless, with temperatures soaring in the 30’s and swarms of tiny bugs getting stuck in your sweat when your cruising along. Its tough going when your on the road for up to 5 hours and pushing it. The day we arrived in La Rochelle the head winds kicked in and the pace picked up. We all took turns at the front this day, which was a nice break for me.  When we arrived in La Rochelle we were relieved and excited to take a few days off. Unfortunately the heat had gotten to Bradford and he ended up with heat stroke and throwing up all evening and into the following day.

Erin, Bradford and Dan (aka The Wolverines) then had to say their goodbyes and pack up their bikes for the airport back to Edinburgh. After spending the last 5 weeks with them it was sad to see them go, although funny to actually see them go – their bikes were ridiculous!! Needing to get to the airport, but also have their bikes in boxes proved to be a bit of a logistical nightmare. Look at the pictures below, they tell the story…

After the guys left it gave me the opportunity to sort out my plans and figure out where I was at. I was lucky that I had a friends brother living in La Rochelle so he offered to take me in for as long as I liked, until I got myself all organised again. Like explained before, my french is less than basic and Cedric’s English was good but not great… The first few hours were pretty funny with hand gestures and constant reference to my English to French book – Google translate came in very handy!  Cedric runs his own business as an Aqua instructor, teaching all kinds of aqua classes including Aquabike! What a strange but rad concept – cycling in the pool! I had to try this…

I ended up staying longer than thought, enjoying the sights of La Rochelle and getting comfortable with my brioche and nutella breakfasts. Just as I was thinking of heading off I was invited to a family wedding in Albi with Cedric and my friend Morgan – an offer I couldn’t resist. Another occasion where French would have come in handy. I didn’t have much of an idea what was going on for most of the day but had a great time all the same. The French know how to eat! All weddings I have been to both in Australia and Scotland have only consisted of 3 courses. At this wedding there were 4 courses, plus cake and fruit and coffee etc! What a great way to prep up for another week on the bike. I had a great few days hanging with Morgan and his family in Albi and checking out the sights before heading back to Bordeaux for the next bike stretch.

If you haven’t already donated to the charities please do so now. Simply go to www.katescycle.com/cycle/donate/ and select the charity you would like to support. All donations go direct to the charities, so help improve mental health and environmental awareness now.

Sun, 20 June: 65.57km
ARRIVED FROM CORK-ROSCOFF – PLOUGUERNEAU
Mon, 21 June: 76.14km
PLOUGUERNEAU – BREST – LOGONNA-DOUGLAS
Tues, 22 June: 44.03km
LOGONNA-DOUGLAS – TELGRUC-SUR-MER
Wed, 23 June: 59.38km
TELGRUC-SUR-MER – LOCRONAN – QUIMPER – CONCARNEAU
Thurs, 24 June: 0km
CONCARNEAU (REST DAY)
Fri, 25 June: 66.11km
CONCARNEAU-LAMOR-PLAGE
Sat, 26 June: 65.47km
LAMOR-PLAGE – QUIBERON
Sun, 27 June: 33km
QUIBERON-BADEN

You would think after spending a few weeks together and already making Erin endure several fishing boat/sea sickness incidents we would have pre-warned her when booking the 15 hour ferry trip from Cork, Ireland to Rosscoff, France. The ferry was pretty impressive to say in the least. There was a pool bar on the top floor and heaps of other stuff to keep us occupied. Having spent the last few weeks living off our bikes, camping and staying at peoples places, we kinda didn’t expect too much – although it did cost an arm + a leg!

The 1 hour time difference was brutal on Sunday (20 June) morning trying to wake up, when we arrived at Roscoff. The five o’clock start was pretty harsh on the four of us, making the language barrier, cycling on the other side of the road and strange place names (we couldn’t pronounce) all a bit daunting! First stop, the safety of a patisserie and coffee shop to sample our first (of many to come) french pasty delights. How hard could it be to order a cappuccino and croissant…?  Pretty hard as it turns out! To say my french is basic would be a major understatement! My friend Ali, tried to teach me for a while there, but I didn’t get too far… Luckily I purchased a french phrase book on the boat which became a hotly sort after item.

The next week was trial and error, drinking our way through an impressive selection of super strong espressos until we finally figured out what to ask for. The language barrier is also pretty funny when your lost, getting really annoyed at Gary (the Garmin GPS), and think that ‘informatique’ (or something like that) means information – turns out it means computer shop. Maybe I should have just left Gary there, and taken computer man with me instead. He had a good-ish grasp of english, and was more than happy to help me with directions!

Gary didn’t stop there. On the first day, he took us through some pretty funny places – through a forest, sand and then over a rickety log bridge that looked like a child hand made it! Surely not the most efficient route Gary…

There is this great program that comes with the Garmin when you purchase it, which allows you to plan your route and then upload it to your device. The only problem is, you need a code that comes on the packaging, and when you don’t realise you need this,  and don’t get the thing until the day before you leave, its then impossible to get in contact with the Garmin tech support to rectify the situation. Im sure there will be more exciting adventures to come…

France really is king when it comes to campspots! We have stayed in some really really nice places + met some truly nice people. Everyone has been really interested in the trip, wanting to follow my blog and Facebook, and one of the campsite caretakers even gave us a complimentary bottle of red wine!

Im not sure if there was some kind of sale on waterslides one season, but they all seem to have one. Ranging from the very slow (where we are at the moment) to the extremely fast – just see the pics of Dan flying!

Every day consists of at least one baguette and a block of some kind of delicious cheese. Its just so cheap here and amazing! Luckily we are burning so many calories a day cycling, or else we would be packing some serious pounds by now.

Eating is something that is kind of challenging… I am always so so hungry but its hard to carry fresh fruit and vegetables when its a roasting 30+ degrees outside, and you only have limited space on the bike. Replacing my standard dinner of meat + 3 veg (more like 5 veg for me), has turned into somewhat of a challenge. Brad and Erin have been getting experimental with interesting tinned goods, embracing the lentils with ham (not so great), and cabbage, sausages and potatoes with “logs of things”.

I tried out my dried packet of instant Thai green curry the other night – just add water and let stand for 10mins and presto – just like Thailand. Well not really, but it was actually really nice! My best friend from home sent it over as joke with my christmas present, knowing that its my favorite meal. – Thanks Kate!

Between Roscoff and Quiberon, we have seen some beautiful places. I forgot how much I loved lighthouses! All those years ago when I saw posters of the lighthouses perched ominously on rocks in the middle of the ocean, with massive waves cracking against them are real! They weren’t photoshopped after all. They are all here – from this region of France. SO exciting! There is also a fair amount of hills. Our legs are getting stronger, but still not Tour de France contender. We have kind of come to realise that  what goes down, usually ends going up twice as far!

As the adventure continues there will be plenty more stories of Gary (the GPS), patisseries, beaches and random language breakdowns. If you haven’t already donated to the charities please do so now. Simply go to www.katescycle.com/cycle/donate/ and select the charity you would like to support. All donations go direct to the charities, none of the funding goes to me in any way!

Just a few pics from our last week in Ireland… I miss timed the boat to France so we ended up with an extra week in Ireland to hang out… We didn’t do much cycling, but none the less made the most of my last week in Ireland. Check out the photos…

I never got a change to post these earlier but didn’t want to leave them out!

Thanks to Eamonn for letting us crash at his gaff in Timoleague and for taking us fishing too! We all had such a rad time! Pretty cool hospitality considering we met him in a bar that saturday night (while staying at James’ place – another random hospitality offer) we arrived to this small town pub expecting a few quiet ones, and instead were greeted by a raging 4oth dress up party. That is where we met Eamonn – he was dressed as a 118 guy (similar to an 80’s tennis player…). The guys then met him again in the pub the following day + so we took him up on his fishing + accommodation offer!

Onto Cork for our final black pints before leaving on the overnight ferry to France…

Wednesday 10 June 33.84km:
Castlegregory, Co. Kerry – Dingle, Co. Kerry (via Connor Pass 440m above sea level)

Thursday 11 June 68.55km:
Dingle, Co. Kerry – Killarney, Co Kerry

Friday 12 June 78.7km:
Killarney, Co. Kerry – Bantry, Co. Cork
(Via 2 persistant hill climbes – Ladies View + Caha Pass 322m above sea level)

Saturday 13 June 67.2km:
Bantry, Co. Cork – Timoleague, Co. Cork

I knew that week one would be a challenge and I was ready for that. Week two has already come and gone and I feel as though time is really flying! This last week has been a lot easier than the first, with things just getting easier and easier from here on in. As I get used to life on the road with my bike + everything I need to live, its surreal to think this trip is really happening. This week has also seen the addition of our newest team mascot – The miniature BBQ.

Apart from the new addition of the humble BBQ, week two was full of other changes (and hills!). We left Strandhill as a team of five, a week later, left Kerry as a team of four. Cameron joined me as a support cyclist for the Ireland leg, and although we are both still touring Ireland, had different timetables so have parted ways for now.

Cameron’s addition to the team was unique, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge, nudity and good laughs! Having him around for the first week was a great help. From operating my gps, bicycle maintenance, healthy appetite and unique fish filleting skills, he had it all!
(I will try + post a video later…)

Saying goodbye to my friends in Kerry was once again traumatic, but after a good few days rest, my team of Wolverines (Erin, Brad + Dan) were keen to get back on the road and stretch their legs. What better way to get back into it then to tackle the Connor Pass between Castlegregory and Dingle. The weather wasn’t ideal for seeing the stunning mountain-top views, but luckily we were able to experience this from the luxury of a car days earlier. Although it was only a short cycle and rubbish weather, we still managed to stop for a mandatory mountain-top tea + biscuit break – kinda necessary since we all thought our hearts were going to jump out of our chests!

Coming down the other side into Dingle was a treat. All the hard work was over and we could just enjoy the freewheel into Dingle… or so we thought! The winds were so strong and gusty coming down the hill we all had to go heaps slow to make sure nobody stacked it. Once in Dingle and settled into our hostel/camp site, we ventured into town for a mini pub crawl to experience the pubs.. or were they hardware stores…? hmmm…

With Connor Pass out of the way, we all thought things couldn’t get much harder… That was until we left Kilarney on our way to Bantry! What a day. (sigh) 78km would usually take us about 4 hours but that day it was more like 8hrs of cycling! Leaving Killarney we cycled through the National Park which was stunning, but then came Ladies View. Rewarding ourselves with another mandatory coffee break at the top, gave us a chance to catch our breaths and naively think the day would be easier from there on in. We all soon realised how wrong we were! The Caha Pass was long and steep and seemed to just keep going and going and going…. I still haven’t decided if I prefer short steep inclines or long painful ones…

Entering into County Cork was spectacular and exciting for me – and it wasn’t just the fact that we got to freewheel down the other side for about 10km. Although having lived in Ireland for the last 12 months, I had never gotten the chance to venture this far down the country. It was unfortunate as my mums side of the family (The Flynn’s) were originally from County Cork, and I would have loved to be able to trace back some of their footsteps.

The day just seemed to keep on challenging us. Once we reached our destination for the day Bantry, we couldn’t find anywhere to camp (having somehow missing the turnoff for the campsite + all of us too stuffed to retrace our tracks) we had to settle for a dodgy (but cheap) hostel for the night.

The following day I was eager to leave Bantry but the thought of another tough day of hills was killer. Luckily enough after a massive brunch, we all climbed back onto the saddle and pushed out a modest 67km through Clonakilty to our host James’ gaf in Timolougue. James contacted me after reading about my trip in one of the papers. He welcomed all 4 of us into his house + has basically given us free reign over his place. Since James is a self employed taxie driver (+ a super nice guy), he has been driving us all around and even picking us up from town in the wee hours of the morning! Such a champion.

Its hard to put the whole last week into a blog so here are a few points/observations that I didn’t manage to slot into the weeks summary:
- Erin likes to dance (+ take on locals in dance offs)
- Bradford + Erin discover the merits of curry sauce
- BBQ spare ribs are a crowd pleaser
- Half pints are for girls
- Dan takes the longest amount of time to get ready
- Johny Cash does a better version of Folston Prison than Erin + I
- All Australians should know the words of Men at Works song ‘Land down under’. You never know when you will be asked to sing it in the local bar.
- Chocolate is addictive

We are off to France next Saturday so have a week to tourist it up here before more stories next week!

Monday 31 May 82.4km:
Strandhill, Co. Sligo – Pontoon, Co. Mayo

Tuesday 1 June 59.4km:
Pontoon, Co. Mayo – Clonbur, Co. Galway

Wednesday 2 June 55.1km:
Clonbur, Co. Galway – Galway, Co. Galway

Thursday 3 June 53.4km:
Galway, Co. Galway – Innishmore, Aran Island – Doolin, Co. Clare

Friday 4 June 70.2km:
Doolin, Co. Clare – Tarbert, Co. Kerry

Saturday 5 June 81.8km:
Tarbert, Co. Kerry – Castlegregory, Co. Kerry

Well, I know this has been a long time coming + now we are at the end of week 2, but I have done up a wee movie/slide show snapshot of week 1 and re-writing some entries from my journal from the first week of Kate’s Cycle…

We cycled out of Strandhill on Monday 31 May with 4 support cyclists: my friend Dan, his mate Bradford, his sister Erin and Cameron – a fellow Pedal Power client. Together we covered around 400km from Strandhill, Co. Sligo to Castlegregory, Co. Kerry.

It was an emotion filled departure with tears for at least the first 10km of the day! The combination of saying goodbye to my home in Strandhill and all my friends, and the anxiety and fear of the unknown, was taxing. The weather didn’t add to the mix with strong head winds and patchy rain/thunderstorms for the whole 83km day. Luckily we found a spot to camp for the night next to Lough Cullin (near Pontoon), before the rain bucketed down, trapping us in our tents. Starting up our stoves for dinner was out of the question, so cold baked beans it was! Yum!

Day two proved to be more positive and enjoyable. The sun came out and the wind dropped off to reveal a more refreshed outlook. The anxiety was still present but that took a back seat while we cycled through picturesque farmland, ate lunch by a running stream and explored beautiful gardens in Kong. That night my friend Sandra from Strandhill offered to put us up for the night. It was great to see a familiar face, drink Dutch Gold and hang out with Sandra again.

The rest of the week was spent exploring the Aran Islands, Cliffs of Moher and shaking some tins for mental health charity GROW.

After 6 days straight of cycling and over 400km, our legs were well and truly ready for a rest. Kerry from Kerry kindly took us in to his parents house for a few days. We didn’t know ourselves, getting waited on hand and foot! It was a lovely few days with so much sunshine and great craic. Dave gave us a sneak peak of Connor Pass (which we later cycled up) and took us over to Slea Head, Dingle for some beach time.

Overall the first week was great! Such a swift succession of emotions but all ultimately good. We experienced some amazing places, stunning views and met some great people. The hospitality we experienced first hand and the generosity of people we met whilst fundraising in Galway, makes you realise how great the Irish really are.

There were so many funny little things that happened throughout the week but its hard to remember it all and fit it all in one blog. Each day has stories of shenanigans and silliness – from tackling torturous hills to biting fish heads off! (video to still come) I’m hoping the photos will tell a story…

Thank you to the Innisfree Wheelers for the send off on Monday, and all my friends who came out to see me off. It means so much to me to see all the support I have been getting, and helps me out on the tough days. Thanks to Liz for putting us up in Galway, Paul from GROW for organising the fundraiser + lunch, Sandra for letting us stay in her gaf and Kerry for looking after us in Kerry.

My first blog is a bit rubbish but I am hoping they can only get better from here on in!

Anyway, please stay tuned and I will try to be more regular and detailed with my posts. If you haven’t already donated to the charities please do so. Simply go to www.katescycle.com/cycle/donate/ and select the charity you would like to support. All donations go direct to the charities, none of the funding goes to us in any way!

Yesterday was a big day for me. Two things happened that made me really reflect on what I am doing, and help me reinforce in my own mind, the importance of the fundraising I am doing for my two chosen charities.

I was invited to join Loise and Ellen from GROW IRELAND to speak at ESB Dublin as part of their workplace mental health week. While I was sitting there listening to Ellen speak about the work they do, I couldn’t help but feel joyed that I am able to help out this worthy charity.

Ellen spoke about the specifics of the type of work they do and how GROW operates. GROW holds several group meetings every week all over Australia and Ireland (+8 other countries) where everyone is encouraged to talk about their issues. Its a unique model that offers a non-judgmental environment where members are encouraged to open up and talk about what is happening in their lives. They are then given feedback and challenges to help them change and work through their problems. I didn’t realise this structure is actually unique to GROW and what makes them so successful.

The other thing that happened yesterday that made me realise the importance of supporting Sustrans www.sustrans.org.uk, was hearing of a good friends accident. Last night I got a call from Kate saying she had been hit by a car that morning whilst cycling to work in central London. Thankfully she was fine (apart from bruises and cuts all over), but her bike wasn’t so lucky. Kate was to join us for the first week of the trip through Ireland, but with her bike in a bad way now, her cycle adventure may have to be postponed. Kate was really lucky not to have been seriously injured but some cyclist haven’t been that blessed.

Sustrans provides creative, innovative and practical solutions to the transport challenges affecting us all. By working with communities, local authorities and many other organisations, they create change by putting people at the heart of activities, enabling many more people to travel in ways that benefit their health and the environment.

We all know people who have been affected by mental health issues at one stage or another, and also the importance of protecting our environment through sustainable transport and making cycling safe for everyone. It doesn’t matter how much you can give – any amount will be greatly appreciated.

I’m not asking for much – just €5, £5 or $5 (depending where you are). If I can get everyone we know to donate a 5′er, we are certain to raise a substantial amount of money for the charities. If you wish to donate more, please feel free to – every penny helps.

None of this money goes to me in any way. Nor do I have access to any of the funding raised through the site. Every penny goes direct to the charity.

So please, if you can spare a few pounds (or dollars), please support the cause in which we are cycling for. Please visit the Charities page to choose the charity you feel best deserves your donation.

I really hope some of you can help out, they are great causes and are grateful for any help they get.

Many thanks in advance,
Kate

Come Join in the Fun!!

There is a certain excitement that comes with getting a new bike. Maybe it all comes back to your childhood, when every kid wants a new bike for Christmas, or maybe its just the anticipation of the upcoming good times together…

Yesterday morning I arrived into London town after a long 16 hour bus + ferry trip from Sligo, Ireland. It wasn’t actually that bad. I was just a bit pooped from not being able to sleep too well – the combination of cold medication that kept me awake and maybe too much caffeine, but I still managed to make my 1 o’clock appointment with the PrOgress Cycle guys to get all fitted up for my new bike.

Choosing a bike that will take you half way across the world isn’t the easiest of choices. I mulled over this decision for months, juggling discounts and offers, but in the end I had to base the choice on what I could afford + knew I would be happy with. Scott and Ronan (from PrOgress) picked out my trusty steed taking into account my measurements and trip requirements. The Kona Sutra it was. Not only a cool name, but the tech spec and geometry looked pretty darn cool too (according to people that know!).

When I arrived at the PrOgress Cycle Fitting studio in Hackney, I think I had a love at first sight experience. There she was, perched up on a work stand with the guys fussing over her like it was their own. Every inch of the bike was being preened within an inch of its life and checked and re-checked.

With Scott off to feed the troops, I donned the lyca and put the Ronan named ‘Koney Moloney’ through its paces on the stationary trainer. Ronan’s trained eye adjusted the bike to my cycling style and positioning, adding a bit of height here + taking off a bit there.

By the end of the day I had a full stomach, new bike and was well on my way to sillyness after a few celebratory pints at the local round the corner.

While in the fitting studio yesterday, and going over the mechanics of the bike, Ronan + Scott explained the importance of building up a relationship with the bike. He said I needed to get to know every nut + bolt, that way I will have more of a chance to recognise potential problems and hopefully remedy them. Just as he said that, the impact of his words struck me. I was going to be on the road for the next 6+ months with just myself, some camping gear, food and this bike! What a thought…

Over the next few weeks I will have to put in some serious k’s to iron out any potential teething problems – stretch the gear cables, break in the punishing Brooks saddle and just generally get used to the handling.

After having the night to sleep on it, today I have woken up excited as ever, to have my shiny new bike peeping lovingly out the hand holes of her current home, the cardboard Kona box. I’m eager to now get it back to Ireland and start getting to know her/him.

First I think I will have to give the bike a gender and name… I was chatting to my friend Kate (Forg – to her friends) this morning about the gender of the bike + we decided that it should be a girl. My current bike being a male, I was hesitant to ‘ride’ a female bike. She insisted that I wouldn’t be sitting on girl all day (as pictured in my head), instead looking at it more from a girlfriend point of view where you can share things, and have as a loyal companion. Satisfied with that, I now have to come up with a name… Suggestions?!

Fingers crossed I’m allowed on the bus back to Ireland with her tomorrow now!!

Huge thanks must go the guys at PrOgress for helping me out and being so patient with getting me over here. They were great and just heaps nice guys. If your interested in finding out more about them check out www.progresscycle.co.uk. Also a huge thanks to Kate (+ Kate’s flatty, Mark) for putting me up in their gaff + feeding me! 

Its funny how things work out. The idea of doing this bike trip was to avoid flying and here I am, finding myself stranded and paralyzed cause I can’t fly to London to pick up my new bike. I was to leave for London on friday to meet the kind guys at Progress Cycle Fitting www.progresscycle.co.uk. They had devoted their weekends to help fit me up for my new bike and put me through my paces with getting up to scratch on my (much needed) bicycle maintenance skills.

I found out thursday afternoon that I might not be able to fly due to all flights being canceled and the Volcano in Iceland. At first I thought it was kind of novel and exciting but then realised the reality of it – I wasn’t going to see my friends or pick up my bike! I was so disappointed and felt helpless at first, but then I realised the errors in my way. The very thing I have been trying to avoid and reduce had just given me a kick up the bum, re-affirming my stance on flight travel and alternative travel options.

It’s just so easy to take the first cheapest flight and jump on board. We are all guilty of overindulging in unnecessary flights when there are plenty of other ways to travel. The problem is that it’s easy to just forget about alternative modes of travel. Flights are quick and generally reliable hence the meltdown when all flights leaving to and from Europe and the UK are grounded – leaving people stranded in various destinations across the continent. Over a pint of two last night at the local pub, I was amazed by the number of stories about different people from the village missing out on all kinds of engagements due to the current situation.

I think now is a good time to rediscover the charm of trains, busses and ferries. Ultimately cycle touring would be the way to go (once you can actually get to London to get the bike!!) but that isn’t always possible. Trains and ferries are a great alternative. There are plenty of great websites out there to offer advice on routes and green options.  Two websites that I can’t recommend enough are www.seat61.com and www.greentraveller.co.uk – great advice + links!

As a side note don’t you think its interesting how the press has reported Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Granted I don’t watch that much television or read newspapers that often, but I have been following the progress of this volcano (I love volcano’s!), and good luck to any reporter trying to pronounce the name of this one! Does anyone even know how this volcano has affected the people that live in Iceland? Have you noticed that there hasn’t been that much attention paid to the actual people of Iceland and how this has effected them. I know that Whitney Houston had to take ferries to make her concert in Dublin though!!

Last Saturday kicked off the first of the fundraisers for my charity partners Sustrans (www.sustrans.org.uk) and Grow (www.grow.ie / www.grow.org.au). The stress levels were high in the days/weeks leading up to the event but it payed off in the end. There was some great craic to be had on the day and we also managed to raise just over €1,600 in the process (there is still more money to come in from individuals).

Although hosted by The Dunes Tavern, don’t be tricked into thinking it was a drinking session on bikes – far from it!

Fitness Revolution Strandhill not only provided the spin bikes for the day, but also 4 very enthusiastic spin instructors who were keen to reduce the unsuspecting participants to a exhausted, sweaty heap. The Dunes was transformed into and intense spin session for the whole 8 hours, with music pumping out of the place luring locals in off the street. There were a few that wondered in thinking they were missing out on some kind of Strandhill rave party, only to be surprised by the unusual sight of 10+ spin bikes and crew, all belting it out on the bikes.

Although the day didn’t consist of a pint in one hand and a few token strokes of the pedals (like thought by a number of participants), I did see a Guinness consumed just before its owner climbed onto the saddle for a stab at spinning – Love your work Mark, doing the Aussies proud!

Overall the day was a huge success, but wouldn’t have been possible without all the support from the Strandhill crew. Kerry from Fitness Revolution, for the spinning bikes + wonderful instructors – Aileen, Leslie, Miriam and Siobhan, thank you for doing such a great job. Ken from The Dunes, thanks for hosting the event, sorting out the BBQ, DJ and lending all your support! Tiger Print for printing out all my posters, flyers, sponsorship forms and business cards for no cost and in no time!  Glencar Water, for keeping us all hydrated while we sweated it out, and all the local business who gave vouchers for the raffle – Fitness Revolution, Outer Point, Bella Vista, Voya, Eclypse Beauty, Call of the Wild, Chain Driven Cycles, Tindle Wines + Tra Ban.

Huge thanks also to everyone who came along on the day to give the spinning a crack and support the cause.