Steve's Adventures 

7th Feb

Breakfast
Musili with Soya Milk, Multivitamin, Primrose oil, glass of water, 2 Brown Toast

Lunch
Chicken, Potato, Sprouts, Carrots, Parsnip

Dinner
Veggie Burger, Banana, Apple

Snacks
2 Bottles of Water, Tea, Coffee, Nuts, Banana, Cream Cake

6th Feb

Breakfast
Musili with Soya Milk, Multivitamin, Primrose oil, Glass of water

Lunch
Chicken, Cabbage, Carrots, Potato, Gravy

Dinner
Tuna on Brown with Cucumber and Tomato

Snacks
2 Bottles of Water, Tea, Coffee, Fruit and Nuts, 6 plums, 4 Satsumas, 6 Oatcake biscuits

Waterford to Clonakilty

Another weekend spent cycling aroung the Irish coast and another 161 miles completed. Read all about days 3 and 4 in my "Exercise" area

Day 4

Sunday February 5th - Cobh to Clonakilty. 54 Miles - Total so far 331 miles



Having done the lions share of the mileage yesterday today was going to be much easier. Only problem was the cold was playing havoc with my left knee so I didnt to push it too hard in case I injured myself. Up early and after a cooked breakfast was out on the road again at first light. Caught the West Passge ferry across to Monkstown and headed overland to Kinsale

A longish day mingles inland meandering with coastal dalliance. Traversing Corks undulating countryside the route features Cork and Kinsale Harbours, the lovely beaches of Courtnacsherry Bay and a handful of quiet villages. The journey could be broken at Kinsale, a pretty harbour village, also dubbed Irelands gourmet capital. Its medieval centre makes for a pleasant (and mouth watering) wander

Old Head of Kinsale is a promontory south of Kinsale town. Unfortuantely its no longer possible to visit the lighthouse at the end of the promontory: the land is now closed to all but members of the Old Head Golf Links. However a side trip to the castle at the narrow neck affords great views of the coast and countryside on the return downhill run.

The shallow intel to Courtmacsherry Bay attracts a wide variety of water birds, some of which migrate from Artic regions. At its head is the village of Timoleague and the impressive remains of its 14th century Franciscan friary

With plenty of live music, arts and crafts plus the beach nearby, Clonakilty is a lively small town. Most shops and restauraunts are on the long main street known, in different sections, as The Strand, Wolfe Tone Street, Ashe Street and Pearse Street. Restored and old buildings (including several from the linen industry, Clonakilty's mainstay for many centuries) give the place character. Clonakilty's most famous son, the Irish patriot Michael Collins, was born 7km west of the town in 1889

Day 3

Saturday February 4th - Waterford to Cobn. 107 Miles - Total so far 277 miles

Took the train to Waterford on Friday evening after work and arrived at the B&B at about 9pm. Wasn't the best start to the trip as I forgot both my water bottles in the office along with the address of the guesthouse. Rushed back to the office and was able to get them in time before the train left however I still forgot to pick up the paperwork!.

Only thing of interest on the journey down where the 2 colourful characters who boarded the train the stop before Waterford. If you have seen Brad Pitt in the film Snatch you will know what I mean when I mention Pikeys. These are Irish gypsies who speak with such a strong accent it is almost impossible to understand what they are saying. Well Mr and Mrs Pikey came on board and apart from understanding that he was called "Tam" the rest of what they had to say went completely over my head.



Luckily I had asked the tourist information for a B&B on the Tramore road so after heading that way I easily found it. Didnt look anything like the photo but still it was clean (though cold) and catered more for the workers in the adjoining industrial estate rather than tourists, certainly at this time of year. Spent the night under a heap of quilts and blankets trying hard not to move too much otherwise they would all fall off my little single bed.

]

Up before dawn and after a cooked breakfast I was out on the road just as the sky was starting to lighten up. Today promises to be a long day and I am being very ambitious trying to get all the way to Cobn. First stop was Tramore.

Perched on cliffs overlooking a vast Blue Flag beach, Tramore (Tra Mhor) is number one on the family holiday scene and packs out in July and August, when amusements and chip stalls cram the promenade. The town is neat and busy and returns to normality out of season. The 3km long beach is backed by dunes and becomes a great expanse of sand at low tide

The best seaside day in the region follows a cliff-lined shore with a multitude of beaches and coves. Remote surrounds awaken the soul, a cuppa is never far away and the niews are uplifting. Givem sunny weather, this day could happily stretch to tow or more. The highlight is the early stretch between Annestown and Bunmahon where the road clings to the clifftop with long views around the coast. The area between Tramore and Stradbally is known at the Copper Coast with several structures left behind from the 19th century mining industry. From the ruined engine house before Bunmahon shafts run 7km underground

However beaches and coves are the days main attraction. Kilfarrasy Strand is an early side trip. Annestown and Bunmahon are quaint clusters of civilisation where rivers break through to the sea. Numerous coves are signposted en route including Ballydowane and Ballyvooney. Clonea Strand is a popular holiday beach complete with chip and tea stands and a beachside hotel. After Dungarvan the road crosses the Drum Hills and falls to remote Ballyquinn Strand and the popular beach town of Ardmore.

Youghal. A charming old port at the mouth of the River Blackwater, Youghal (pronounced Y-all) has a long river quay which doubles as the main road to Cork yet remains strangely unspoiled by the jugggernauts. The main street runs parallel to the quayside with painted shops and cafes where seafood is a speciality. The river forms the border between Counties Cork and Waterford.

Need to be careful now

It's now been a month since I started to keep this diary and a combination of this honesty to myself and the fact that I have cycled over 330 miles in 2 weekends I can really feel that I have lost some weight. However just reading back the last couple of days to myself I can really see a worrying trend of starting to eat junk creep in. Why did I eat the chocolate cake? Ok it looked nice, but that wasnt the point. Also what with eating the Rice Pudding when I know it contains milk? I guess in a way I am treating them as rewards but in fact I shouldnt be rewarding myself with food because its food that has caused the weight in the first place. I need to find a healthy option of rewarding myself so I will my thinking cap on and see what I can come up with.

5th Feb

Breakfast
Baked Beans, Toast, Mushrooms, Tomato, Fried Egg

Lunch
Vegatable Soup, Chicken Curry, Boiled Rice, Rice Pudding, Coffee

Dinner
Cheese Ploughmans Sandwich on Brown, Sultana Cake, Tea

Snacks
3 Bottles of Water, 3 Bananas, 6 Otacake Biscuits, 1 Satsuma, Musili with Soya Milk, Slice of Chocolate Cake

4th Feb

Breakfast
Tea, Baked Beans, Toast, Scrambled Eggs, Musili with Milk, Glass of Orange Juice, Multivitamin, Primrose Oil

Lunch
Mushroom Soup, Baked Beans on Toast, Tea

Dinner
Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup, Chicken with Cashshew nuts, Fried Rice, Mushrooms, Bananasplit, Chinese Tea, Water

Snacks
6 Bottles of water, 6 oatcake biscuits, 2 bananas, 1 Coffee (Decaf)

3rd Feb

Breakfast
Musili with Soya Milk, Multivitamin, Primrose Oil, Water

Lunch
Penne Arabiata, Coffee

Dinner
Chicken Tikka Sandwich, Water

Snacks
3 Bottles of Water, 2 Tea, Tomato, Plums x 8, Coleslaw

2nd Feb

Breakfast
Musili with Soya Milk, Multivitamin, Primrose Oil, glass of water

Lunch
Tuna on granary with sweetcorn, tomato and cucumber, 6 plums

Dinner
Brown Pasta, Peppers, Mangetout, French beans, Sweetpeas, Soya Yoghurt, Benacol Yoghurt Drink

Sancks
3 Bottles of water, 1 Tea, 2 Coffee (Decaf), Apple, Nuts, Benacol Yoghurt