The Finish

June 24, 2024 to June 25, 2024

And in the blink of an eye . . . it's over!

Monday, June 24:

We set off from the Tara Lodge on the bicycle path in Belfast and headed to Lanyon Place Train Station to start our journey back home to Foix. We gave ourselves plenty of time to get there and to figure out how to get the tandem on the train. Arriving at 9:50 for a 10:35 departure was a good idea. Instructions stated that the repurchased QR code had to be exchanged for a ticket. So, I went up to the ticket booth. The gentleman looked at the tandem behind me and informed me that we had to wait for the guard to come and talk to us about the tandem storage on the train. All my previous research indicated it wouldn't be a problem as there is a special car to carry bikes. Long story short, the conductor came to see us. Apparently this particular train was an Irish Rail train and not the Translink Enterprise that would normally be assigned to this route. The Enterprise was in for repairs. He described the bike parking area and said the tandem wouldn't fit. We showed him our pictures of how the tandem DID fit when we took their train from Dublin to Cork. He was impressed and then looked at his bookings. The two bike spots had already been reserved. He apologized profusely and said we'd have to wait for the next train at 12:35. He promised we'd get on because it was the Enterprise and not the small Irish Rail train. The guards offered to store our tandem behind the security desks and we set off for two bonus hours of exploring Belfast.

We chose to go visit the Belfast Cathedral, known locally as St Anne's, and it is Episcopalian. It was very impressive and so different from other cathedrals we've seen in France and Spain. The cathedral was built around the old parish church and the first part, the Nave, was consecrated in 1904 and the last parts, the transepts were completed 1974 and 1981. The Spire of Hope was lowered into place in 2007. This spire was created instead of the usual central bell tower because the soil under the church couldn't support the weight of the tower. A competition was held to find ideas for a spire and this stainless steel version was the winner.

Along our walk to the cathedral we passed the Waterfront Hall and this statue of the man that seals the barrels of beer.

I wonder what the narrow part of the building is like on the inside. A clock tower is in the distance, too.

Once we entered the cathedral, it was recommended that we see this ceiling in the baptistery. It is a mosaic comprised of 150,000 glass tiles that two women created. They worked for 7 years to complete it.

This is a Titanic Pall. A pall is what is draped over a casket. The indigo blue background represents the midnight sea in which the Titanic sank. The center cross and the border is made up of smaller crosses that were stitched on representing each of the lives lost that fateful night.

The stain glass windows were very colorful and pleasing to look at.

Across from the baptistery was another chapel with another mosaic ceiling.

The mosaic entrance to the chapel referenced above.

Belfast Cathedral with its stainless steel spire.

Artwork we saw on our walk back to the train station.

Once we returned to the train station, our friends ushered us to our train. The tandem was settled into its comfy car and ended up having about 4 other bikes to keep it company during the 2+ hour journey.

Chinook de Foix traveling in style on the Translink Enterprise.

We arrived in Dublin and went back to our original accommodations at Egan Lodge and claimed our two bike suitcases and proceeded to the courtyard to dismantle the bike. Since we were two hours late, we felt a bit of pressure to get this chore done. Unlike when we assembled the tandem there 6 weeks earlier, we didn't experience any rain and it was the first day we had to wear shorts. It was HOT!

Our tight quarters required us to be efficient.

The courtyard is a sweet spot, but we really needed some shade. During our entire trip in Ireland we experienced 15C/60F weather. This was the first hot day which was 28C/82F. Ouch!

Tuesday, June 25:

Bright and early (4:40 am) we met the cab driver out front and loaded our baggage into the van. Thank goodness the vehicle was big enough and showed up. All went well on our flight home. We made it and all our bags made it. Arriving in Toulouse, it was very warm again. We caught the bus from the airport to the train station and took the train down to Foix. Dan & Suzanne, our house sitters, picked us up.

Our trip was a dream! Ireland is beautiful! We feel that May/June is the right time of year to visit as the weather is quite mild and it is considered a drier time of year. The flowers were absolutely amazing, especially the rhododendrons and fuchsias.

Stats of our 44 day trip:

2,657 kilometers ridden in 36 days. 4 days off the bike. 5 flat tires (punctures for our British friends). 2 broken spokes. 3 worn out tires. 1 set of break pads. 2 waxed chains (with last 3 days using lube). 3 days in rain gear. 33 days wearing cool weather gear. 3 ferry rides with the tandem. 1 boat ride in big swells. 1 passenger only ferry ride. 35 accommodation reservations. 1 accommodation was surprised to see us. 1 "bad" day (Day 38). 40 days consuming a pint. 4 days enjoying some wine. Too many "full Irish breakfasts" to count. Preference order of stouts: craft, Beamish, Murphys, Guinness. One of us consumed many fish & chips. Potatoes consumed every day; many days at more than one meal. Bacon and brown bread with every breakfast. And in the Republic of Ireland the soup of the day is vegetable (everywhere).

If you are thinking of a vacation to see Ireland, we highly recommend it. The Irish are such warm and welcoming folks. The country is stunning. And we found their customs very similar to our American customs.

Today's ride: 5 km (3 miles)
Total: 2,657 km (1,650 miles)

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Rich FrasierIt was so fun to follow along! Congratulations on a successful tour! We’re looking forward to an in-person debriefing later this summer.
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4 months ago

Mike AylingThank you for a great journal!
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4 months ago

Sanna PhinneyTo Mike AylingOur pleasure. Hope you get a chance to try Ireland someday.
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4 months ago