Hill, bang, hill, brownie
Another Saturday, another blowout!
Bit of a tough start to an An Óige cycle. Still a bit tuckered out from Thursday (oops, no update), short notice, late night, no breakfast, bracing ride up the hill to the start point in Grange. Then over hills to the south to Ballygarvan, which was also Meeting Point 2. Then south again and... another blowout. Dangit! Evidently that tyre I'd fished back out of thr spare room was on its last legs. But at least I was changing to the foldie I'd had with me then (and since) in the day, and with an extra pair of thumbs to help... Back rolling reasonably quickly. Highways and byways through I think it was Ballyfeard and then Nohaval. Then we were at a crossroads debating whether to go to Oysterhaven, where we weren't sure if the cafe was open, or Belgooly as originally mooted. Glad we went the former -- the creek and then the bay proper were amazingly pretty in the sunshine. The cafe is rather picturesque too, as was my brownie -- no danger of me going elevensesless on this occasion -- I'd been flagging a little on one of the hills getting there. Rather more "notions" and less "homely" than the Belgooly place. Smaller brownie, too! The cream on the side is a nice touch, though. But they took their time about it -- tea was actually rather cold by the time they served the brownie! Not sure if they were being excessively "Russian service" -- at least one of us was having a starter/savoury -- or there was just a long queue in the kitchen. Or a broken electric whisk. Also rather dearer than the "tea and scone cartel", but not as bad as I'd feared. Variety is good, though. Maybe I should have had the carrot cake, to avoid invidious comparisons!
Back through Belgooly, whereupon the heavens opened. Road off to the right, which had most of us puzzling where we were going. Group split at a crossroads with a couple heading off in Carrigaline direction. I eventually recognised our route back then I realized we'd were just about to go down a hill I had very slow and wheezy memories of going up on our previous trip to Belgooly! And taking a panorama too, IIRC. Our leader offered us a "spin" in his car from his place, but we personfully declined and continued on. I think yet another new route for me, via Bowen's Cross Roads, which I only really twigged at the top near the crossroads with "The Workshop" quite where we were. All very seat-of-the-pants when you've brought the wrong map. 66k, 16.7kph, max of 45.3 somewhat terrifyingly right at the end, going down a rather damp Matthew's Hill into Togher.
Bit of a tough start to an An Óige cycle. Still a bit tuckered out from Thursday (oops, no update), short notice, late night, no breakfast, bracing ride up the hill to the start point in Grange. Then over hills to the south to Ballygarvan, which was also Meeting Point 2. Then south again and... another blowout. Dangit! Evidently that tyre I'd fished back out of thr spare room was on its last legs. But at least I was changing to the foldie I'd had with me then (and since) in the day, and with an extra pair of thumbs to help... Back rolling reasonably quickly. Highways and byways through I think it was Ballyfeard and then Nohaval. Then we were at a crossroads debating whether to go to Oysterhaven, where we weren't sure if the cafe was open, or Belgooly as originally mooted. Glad we went the former -- the creek and then the bay proper were amazingly pretty in the sunshine. The cafe is rather picturesque too, as was my brownie -- no danger of me going elevensesless on this occasion -- I'd been flagging a little on one of the hills getting there. Rather more "notions" and less "homely" than the Belgooly place. Smaller brownie, too! The cream on the side is a nice touch, though. But they took their time about it -- tea was actually rather cold by the time they served the brownie! Not sure if they were being excessively "Russian service" -- at least one of us was having a starter/savoury -- or there was just a long queue in the kitchen. Or a broken electric whisk. Also rather dearer than the "tea and scone cartel", but not as bad as I'd feared. Variety is good, though. Maybe I should have had the carrot cake, to avoid invidious comparisons!
Back through Belgooly, whereupon the heavens opened. Road off to the right, which had most of us puzzling where we were going. Group split at a crossroads with a couple heading off in Carrigaline direction. I eventually recognised our route back then I realized we'd were just about to go down a hill I had very slow and wheezy memories of going up on our previous trip to Belgooly! And taking a panorama too, IIRC. Our leader offered us a "spin" in his car from his place, but we personfully declined and continued on. I think yet another new route for me, via Bowen's Cross Roads, which I only really twigged at the top near the crossroads with "The Workshop" quite where we were. All very seat-of-the-pants when you've brought the wrong map. 66k, 16.7kph, max of 45.3 somewhat terrifyingly right at the end, going down a rather damp Matthew's Hill into Togher.