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I use Brendan Walsh's book again today for my short tour #3 from Enniskillen. His book is precise, detailed, well-directed, and he knows the Irish by-ways so well. The majority of my 46 miles today are on quiet,
hilly, scenic roads, well off the main highway. On one eight mile stretch I only see three cars and one tractor. It is great. The route takes me high above upper and lower Lough Macnean. My only disappointment on a dry and partly sunny scenic day is the difficulty in getting my fax through to Marcia. Vicksburg either has its fax machine off or it's in need of repair. The nice woman down by the Tourist Office tries all day and gets the same aggravating message, "This number 001-161-649-4031 is not in service. Please
check blah blah blah." I return at 3:30 p.m. after biking and get the same answer from the clerk. She'll continue to try, and I'll check with them Wednesday morning as I head for Sligo. The sky is grey most of the morning, and it is another cool day, maybe high 40's, lower 50's in the afternoon with a cool breeze. I haven't worn my shorts once while biking. It continues to be difficult to dress
for this weather. The hills make me work up a sweat and the flats and down hills are chilling as the cold wind cuts to the bone. My daily riding garb is biking tights with long biking pants over that and then a t-shirt or turtle neck shirt, biking shirt, and windbreaker. The
windbreaker does cut back on the chill, but by the end of the day everything is wet and in need of being hung up for drying. I'm hoping the weather will be warmer on the east coast, as it usually is. But I really have no complaints about the weather since it has been dry for so long. Although it looked threatening at first, the day does remain dry. While Walsh's book does warn of hills today, I find that my
unloaded bike feels good, and I take all hills fairly well with the exception of the last, long hill with just around 5 miles to go. It is too steep and too long for my tired legs; I walk about 100 feet, take a water break, get up my nerve, and finish it off in the saddle. After that it is basically downhill for 4
miles to Enniskillen. Belmore Mountain and Knockmore Cliffs take me through the high country and a pleasant journey. In the Northern Ireland town of Belcoo I want very much to photograph the chicken-wire wrapped police station. I ask a
clerk at a grocery store if that is allowed, and she says she sees "Nothing against it, but I don't know why you'd want to do it." I am not reassured, so I don't take the picture, esp. since there are all sorts of surveillance cameras around the building's perimeter. I envision myself being thrown up
against the building handcuffed and interrogated for half a day. Nope. My friends will just have to take my word for it. No photos. |
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