3 Bikers, 800 miles, some sun, plenty of rain, great roads
August 2019, a planned motorcycle ride to Northern Ireland via Dublin, Nobber, Castletown, Derry, Sligo, taking in Portrush, Giants Causeway, Ballymoney, Enniskillen around Lake Lough Erne, the West Coastal Way roads amongst a few of the locations visited
This summary map shows the route travelled during 6 days of travel
The weather as always played its part, and for at least one day we hired a car, well we were talked into hiring a brand new Range Rover Evoque, which allow us to continue sightseeing in comfort. Other than a few taxis in the evenings, we rode
This was a motorcycle holiday, not a photographic trip, so the following are snaps and interesting images from our trip. The first and most obvious landmark was the Giants Causeway. It’s a 10-minute walk down to the sea, it started raining on arrival. Its didn’t deter those wishing to get onto the more remote or highest parts, even when slippy underfoot. With the brief shower over I could take some shots
Next day on the way back to return the car, we stopped at Rossville Street, where the Derry Murals are large and prominent on the sides of houses and buildings, which runs through the centre of the Bogside. Three artists completed these from 1994-2008, there are 12 in total. I capture those shown, due to a brief visit
During our wet ride back to Dublin I managed to snap a few shots, as we stopped off for a hot drink by the pier. The farm building was painted, look closely to see the dog in the window
Back in Dublin for one night, we managed to get out on the last morning and have a walkabout, first taking in the Ha’Penny Bridge, O’Connell Bridge and the exterior of the castle and Dubb Linn Garden.
On the way there we walked via Ha’Penny Bridge, through the Temple Bar area with some bars, restaurants and artwork
Next to the castle is Chester Beatty, a museum and roof garden. It’s also free to enter! with exhibits from many countries, this is just a fraction of what was on show
So in summary, six days, just over 800 miles on motorcycles, at least one thunderstorm, multiple rain showers, we make it home safe. We took in the sights and sounds of Derry, Sligo and Dublin centres, listening to local music and of course some Guinness. We didn’t make the Dublin Guinness Stonehouse, but we sampled a good selection of Irish food and ales
Touring involves a lot of travel, unpacking, packing and travelling, doing this by motorcycle adds the complexity of weather and motorcycle gear. Remember to add down days, where you take time to explore the locations you’re visiting. Enjoy the experience, but don’t overdo it, as each day requires focus and effort to reach the next destination and the final destination, home
© 2009-2019 Carl Sumner @ http://www.photographit.co.uk
