Riding Stats (Link to Tom’s Strava)
Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)
Route Tracker (track our northbound ride on a Google Map)
Today we had one of the best rides…
But first we had to get off the island to catch a sunrise ferry from Inishmore to mainland Ireland (which is also an island).😂
We said goodbye to yet another glamping pod grateful for a good and dry night of sleep.
The overcast, misty day was an ideal setting as we pedaled through miles of bogs on either side of the desolate, one lane road. We had sheep to keep us company and occasionally witnessed a local harvesting turf.
At first when we saw the white trash bags, we thought about the unfortunate idea someone had to collect discarded litter. However then we rode past several piles of black rectangular shaped pieces and realized there were what appeared to be geometric shavings from land in the bogs and that someone was harvesting something for someone.
It really is the most fun trying to figure out what we are seeing while riding by without being told. The convos on the bike can be the best part of the ride.
Later we learned that the piles of dark blocks were turf—peat cut from the bog and dried to be used as fuel. Traditionally, the sod is cut with a special shovel called a sleán, stacked to dry, and eventually burned in fireplaces and stoves for heat and cooking.
And of course the white bags scattered around the bogs are used to collect and transport the dried turf. All of this is an Irish tradition that’s still very much a part of life in the west.
By the way, since we arrived in Ireland on September 1st we’ve seen not one policeman, not one hint of sketchiness, crime, violence or homelessness. We did have a B & B stay next door to two Guarda (Police) Stations so we know there are police here.
Slainte to our Pub of the Day, Lowry’s in Clifden!🍻 Lowry’s has been in the Lowry family since 1949, when Patrick Lowry, a former Garda (police) sergeant, bought the pub and renamed it after himself.
The atmosphere is cozy with lit candles on every table, an extensive selection of shelved whiskey and my favorite… glass front cabinets of medicines, candy jars, food stuffs and other miscellaneous items an old timey store might offer. Plus they claim to offer live music daily but Tom and never stay long enough or late enough to enjoy.😬
And they must be doing something right, it’s been awarded “Best Traditional Bar in Ireland” three times.
Light another candle for Lowry’s! ☘️🇮🇪💚🕯️
Click on the link below to view today’s vid:
