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There is absolutely no heat in my bedroom, so the electric blanket feels great. Nothing is ever at the ready in Ireland except beer perhaps. Unlike the States, heat and hot water are available by timer only in Ireland or not at all as I've found at some Hostels and B+B's. So it's odd that in this somewhat chilly environment the Irish are such a warm and jovial people. I wake to sun but scudding clouds are rushing by in the high wind. I soon discover that those "high winds" are coming directly from the north, and I am eating the full force of this gale with gusts up to 58 mph (according to the radio) as I bike to
Avoca through the Vale of Avoca, a beautiful lush, green valley with the Avoca River running through it. The little town of Avoca sits along the river and surprisingly is a flurry of activity. I soon discover that the very popular TV series "Ballykissangel" is being filmed, at
least exteriors, in Avoca. The locals are out in great number along the sidewalk watching the goings-on. I go into the post office to mail some cards only to find that it is a café inside. It is painted green and has the "post" sign outside, but it is a part of
the "set" or the fiction of this series. Everybody is quite friendly including the TV people. There is no shouting or orders given. All are civil and considerate. After a beer at the pub, which is also used for a brief
scene, I take a stroll through the Avoca woolen mill and admire their woolen wear. Being on the bike has saved me money. I would love to buy Irish things, but I can't carry them, and shipping in most cases is just too costly. So I buy a pair of earrings for Marcia which I
can carry on the bike. I continue north to the Meeting of the Waters, the convergence of the Rivers Avonbeg and Avonmore which in turn create a new River, the Avoca. National Poet Thomas Moore made this location famous with his early 19th Century poem called "The Meeting of the Waters." It is an attractive area that has been groomed nicely and there is a monument to Moore at the location. Of course, a pub is set right on the bank of the Avonbeg River. It has a great little beer gardens also. I continue north for a few more miles battling
the wind all the way to Avondale House, the 19th Century residence of Charles Stuart Parnell, one of the great political leaders of Ireland. It is a grand house - he was obviously born into wealth - and the 500 acre demesne is groomed and pleasant. With the wind at my back, the return trip to Arklow is a blur. I move easily up hills and have to apply the brakes downhill or I'd probably hit forty m.p.h. with ease. I have a lunch/ dinner combination when I return to the B+B around 3:30 p.m.; I make sure I am at the railroad track in town for the 4:20 train to Dublin - I want a photo. I stroll the pleasant river walk, and return to the B+B after I mail home my journal
and film. Again with my fingers crossed. Biking totals 27 miles. (604 miles) |
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