CHARITY CYCLE: DUBLIN TO GALWAY - TRAINING WHEELS

Day 4 on the road, and another beautiful day.

I thought the transition from the Royal Canal Greenway to the Old Rail Trail Greenway would be imperceptible, however it involved a sharp left turn that plopped us onto a different vibe. 

The road itself was smoother, the old railway track that replaced the canal was overgrown with wild flowers, green trees smothered each side of the path meeting in the middle overhead at certain points. There were far less entry/exit points so we were completely alone for large swathes of the ride, something we revelled in. The speaker was turned up and I sang my heart out, which may explain why the others picked up speed. Without trying we were comfortably booting along at speeds over 20kmph, which is very respectable for a family jaunt.

Before we left Mullingar our arrival at breakfast clad in lycra had prompted the lady showing us to our seats to enquire "Are you off somewhere?"

I explained we were cycling from Dublin to Galway in honour of my brother who had passed, she said a few months prior a lone lady had passed through on the same journey, she had also experienced a loss - her son. I find it remarkable, and reassuring, how Irish people can connect over loss, especially death, it's an inevitability that comes to us all. Despite our familiarity with death, it never makes it any easier, but knowing we're not facing it alone makes it somewhat less terrifying. I think the ability to talk about the dead can bring them closer. 

Speaking of ghosts, it was fascinating to see a number of abandoned train stations on our route. One had fashioned itself into a friendly cafe so we stopped for tea and toasties. It was a popular stop with bikes and cars pulling in from god knows where to grab a bite. Amid the careful restoration of the old station I noticed an unusual looking bench. On closer examination it proved to be a solar powered public bench that could charge your phone! Go Ireland!

As we powered along the railway we found kerbside stonework with ethereal poetry about history, the wind, memories, morning dew, voice of the cuckoo, and other such musings. They were a nice distraction and provoked a discussion amongst us as to whether there could be more art work and clever installations along the path. We decided nature can speak for itself, no need to over dress it for attention deficit humans (no disrespect, at least two of us are ADHD loud and proud).

At one point a man driving a slow lawn motor slugged past us as he cut the grass on the path. "Oh look," I commented. "It's Ireland's answer to the bullet train!"

We ventured off the track and into Moate, county Westmeath, on an ice cream hunt. We sat in the town park and ate whipped ice creams with 99 flakes as the sun beat down. Two sturdy statues stood in front of us, men deep in conversation. The sign indicated it was called 'The Bargain' and represented negotiations at a market. A lament was noted at the disappearance of county fairs from Ireland's landscape but also celebrated the sense of community that continues to thrive. Everyone that passed us as we sat in the park was speaking a language other than English (not many people passed, it's not that big a town) but it was interesting to reflect on the New Ireland that is growing. One that still has 99s, some traditions will never die!

When we pulled into Athlone we had clocked up 50km. That is the longest Roisin has ever cycled, and she was still smiling. 

While I'm dishing out the praise, a big shout out to Dom. You may have been wondering how we are managing the logistics. Well, we cycle as a family, when we get to our day's destination, Dom turns abouface and cycles back to get the car. He is superhuman. 

Our original plan was to do without a support vehicle but given my heart failure that seemed unwise.... yet, cycling 272km seems perfectly wise (if you know us, you'll know, yeah, that adds up). 

Tomorrow is a well deserved rest day, Athlone won't know what's hit it!

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