Fixed. Thanks!
"Left to Live" - A 23-Day Motorcycle Adventure Around UK and Ireland...
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TravisGill
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Re: "Left to Live" - A 23-Day Motorcycle Adventure Around UK and Ireland...
Looking forward to the next installment 
If I'm not online.............
I'm probably out on the Bat Bike
Gelande/Strasse R1200Gsa Triple Black
I'm probably out on the Bat Bike
Gelande/Strasse R1200Gsa Triple Black
Re: "Left to Live" - A 23-Day Motorcycle Adventure Around UK and Ireland...
Your stop by Greggs..Builth Wells? Stopped there a few times myself. Glad you rode through a bit of the Brecon Beacons,but your route from there up..
Should've gone further west. And you didn't take in Snowdonia!! Nice report though,and enjoy the rest of your trip☺
Should've gone further west. And you didn't take in Snowdonia!! Nice report though,and enjoy the rest of your trip☺-
TravisGill
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Re: "Left to Live" - A 23-Day Motorcycle Adventure Around UK and Ireland...
Me too! There were a lot of interesting photos for day 7 but I'm almost done editing and hope to post tomorrow evening.
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TravisGill
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Re: "Left to Live" - A 23-Day Motorcycle Adventure Around UK and Ireland...
Builth Wells - I don't recall. Should've gone west - I agree, our plan was to visit Snowdonia, but we took the most direct route to the BMW dealership to get the coolant temperature issue looked at.threepot wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 8:41 pm Your stop by Greggs..Builth Wells? Stopped there a few times myself. Glad you rode through a bit of the Brecon Beacons,but your route from there up..
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TravisGill
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Re: "Left to Live" - A 23-Day Motorcycle Adventure Around UK and Ireland...
Day 7 - Thu, 30 Aug:
410 km today as we go from Dublin to the west coast of Ireland, stopping along the way at Kilkenny, Blarney Castle, Killarney National Park, and the first portion of the Ring of Kerry.
Great day! We woke up to an email from www.skelligrocks.com; one of the few companies that boats folks to Skellig Island. When we started planning our trip back on May and June, all of the landing boat trips to Skellig were booked. We booked a standby, crossed out fingers, and hoped for some Irish luck. It turns out that there were some cancellations for Friday! Perfect timing for our trip!! Now to get from Dublin to the pier in Portmagee...
Cloudy skies this morning.
Ever wonder what happened to Popeye the Sailor Man? He lives in a camper van in Ireland! Funny saying on the back of the van.
Side story: I had an extremely elated moment this morning. We were riding under grey clouds; the sun and blue skies were just ahead of us promising for a beautiful day. At that moment, one of my favorite songs started to play - U2’s Where the Streets Have No Name. The beginning of this song is incredible, especially if you’ve seen their Rattle and Hum concert. Anyhow, here I was, riding a motorcycle, on a beautiful day, with my best friend and wife, Chantil, in the same country where U2 came from!! It was a bit overwhelming. I hope everyone can experience pure joy like this someday.
Life is good!
About mid-morning, we stopped in Kilkenny. When I hear the name Kilkenny, I immediately think of South Park - “They killed Kenny!” Anyone else?
Interesting how the shade on this wall caused the vines to fade from green to red.
Close-up of the red leaves.
A Scottish Westie in Ireland
!
Kilkenny Castle, Ireland was built in 1195 to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways.
Just an idea of the detail that went into something as simple as a balcony.
Most of the rooms were restored and decorated in the fashions of 19th century nobility. This room shows the original wallpaper design only is small sections. It needed to be restored but artists decided to show the difference by just using outline art.
Close-up of the original (middle) vs the outlined art.
This is how the rich or nobility ate meals. Which utensil am I supposed to use?! What one of the four glasses are for water??
The wallpaper and curtains are all custom made to match.
Fine wood and craftsmanship are shown throughout the home.
A tapestry room to display all your fine art.
Even children had high end toys like this doll and custom doll-sized chair.
Just an idea of some of the artwork and level of detail in the wall coverings.
Close-up of the graphic like quality of the wall-papering.
Carvings at the ceiling are even exquisitely done.
More of the stairwells showing the dramatic colors and level of details.
A tapestry showing the overly glorious death of Decius, the Roman Emperor from 249 to 251.
(drawing of castle with trees)
The kitchen area used for the workers was converted into a great coffee shop...
...with delicious baked goods.
The garden area was also impressive and well designed.
A pigeon relaxed in the garden area.
The castle stands central and above the city below.
The rose garden was as beautiful as you could imagine.
A farmers market in Kilkenny had delicious breads…
… and other foods.
Waiting at a cross-walk in Kilkenny.
The flag of Ireland. The orange stands for Irish Protestants, the green signifying Irish Catholics and the republican cause, and the white representing the hope for peace between them.
Back on the bikes. We’ve got to cover at least 400 km today…
Riding through Kilkenny.
Along the route we saw this cool globe in the middle of a round-about. Inside the middle looking out at North America.
Our next stop Blarney Castle…
410 km today as we go from Dublin to the west coast of Ireland, stopping along the way at Kilkenny, Blarney Castle, Killarney National Park, and the first portion of the Ring of Kerry.
Great day! We woke up to an email from www.skelligrocks.com; one of the few companies that boats folks to Skellig Island. When we started planning our trip back on May and June, all of the landing boat trips to Skellig were booked. We booked a standby, crossed out fingers, and hoped for some Irish luck. It turns out that there were some cancellations for Friday! Perfect timing for our trip!! Now to get from Dublin to the pier in Portmagee...
Cloudy skies this morning.
Ever wonder what happened to Popeye the Sailor Man? He lives in a camper van in Ireland! Funny saying on the back of the van.
Side story: I had an extremely elated moment this morning. We were riding under grey clouds; the sun and blue skies were just ahead of us promising for a beautiful day. At that moment, one of my favorite songs started to play - U2’s Where the Streets Have No Name. The beginning of this song is incredible, especially if you’ve seen their Rattle and Hum concert. Anyhow, here I was, riding a motorcycle, on a beautiful day, with my best friend and wife, Chantil, in the same country where U2 came from!! It was a bit overwhelming. I hope everyone can experience pure joy like this someday.
Life is good!
About mid-morning, we stopped in Kilkenny. When I hear the name Kilkenny, I immediately think of South Park - “They killed Kenny!” Anyone else?
Interesting how the shade on this wall caused the vines to fade from green to red.
Close-up of the red leaves.
A Scottish Westie in Ireland
!Kilkenny Castle, Ireland was built in 1195 to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways.
Just an idea of the detail that went into something as simple as a balcony.
Most of the rooms were restored and decorated in the fashions of 19th century nobility. This room shows the original wallpaper design only is small sections. It needed to be restored but artists decided to show the difference by just using outline art.
Close-up of the original (middle) vs the outlined art.
This is how the rich or nobility ate meals. Which utensil am I supposed to use?! What one of the four glasses are for water??
The wallpaper and curtains are all custom made to match.
Fine wood and craftsmanship are shown throughout the home.
A tapestry room to display all your fine art.
Even children had high end toys like this doll and custom doll-sized chair.
Just an idea of some of the artwork and level of detail in the wall coverings.
Close-up of the graphic like quality of the wall-papering.
Carvings at the ceiling are even exquisitely done.
More of the stairwells showing the dramatic colors and level of details.
A tapestry showing the overly glorious death of Decius, the Roman Emperor from 249 to 251.
(drawing of castle with trees)
The kitchen area used for the workers was converted into a great coffee shop...
...with delicious baked goods.
The garden area was also impressive and well designed.
A pigeon relaxed in the garden area.
The castle stands central and above the city below.
The rose garden was as beautiful as you could imagine.
A farmers market in Kilkenny had delicious breads…
… and other foods.
Waiting at a cross-walk in Kilkenny.
The flag of Ireland. The orange stands for Irish Protestants, the green signifying Irish Catholics and the republican cause, and the white representing the hope for peace between them.
Back on the bikes. We’ve got to cover at least 400 km today…
Riding through Kilkenny.
Along the route we saw this cool globe in the middle of a round-about. Inside the middle looking out at North America.
Our next stop Blarney Castle…
Last edited by TravisGill on Thu Nov 15, 2018 8:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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TravisGill
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Re: "Left to Live" - A 23-Day Motorcycle Adventure Around UK and Ireland...
You can’t go to Ireland without a visit to Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone. Can you?
Blarney Castle (Irish: Caisleán na Blarnan) is a medieval stronghold in Blarney that dates from 1446.
Beautiful designed grounds full of colorful flowers.
There is much more to the area than the castle and stone. There are gardens, miles of trails, and many modern sculptures that decorate the grounds.
There are three main structures that remain of Blarney Castle; the main castle keep, and two smaller towers.
A good reason for visiting in the off-season. This is easily how long the line can be in the summer. We only had to wait about 15 minutes. Worth the 15-minute wait – not worth an hour wait.
One of the grated windows was decorated in yarn doilies.
Close-up of some of the doilies.
People, unfortunately, carve their names into the walls, but all these carvings also have an artistic quality for some reason.
The castle walls and windows as we head up the tight and narrow stairs to the roof of the castle where the famous Blaney Stone resides. No picture of the stairs because your “nut to butt” in the narrow staircase.
Selfie at the Blarney Stone (shown just between us in the background).
While you’re waiting in line to kiss the stone there are some great views and plaques that have some stories about how Kissing the Blarney became so popular.
The process of kissing the stone is a bit silly. You lie on your back, on a stone parapet, hang onto a metal railing with your head lowered between a slot in the rock wall, bend over backward while reaching out your neck to plant your lips where millions of others have kissed before. A bit silly, but perhaps that’s the fun of it. Is herpes fun?
After the stone, we took some time to enjoy the surrounding gardens and walking trails.
A detail of the sculpture that goes into something as simple as iron fence.
The Blarney House is also on the property, but we did not tour it.
There is a small walk that takes you around some modern sculptures.
A fun little wooden mushroom with its tiny door and...
...wishes from people around the world. We quietly stole all their wishes after taking this picture. I kid, of course I wouldn't still wishes - even if they are two euros.
Butterflies were flapping around in the light breeze and this one even stopped long enough for me to take this close-up.
We found this rabbit running...
... from this fox.
A wonderful summer day with a slight breeze. Perfect!
Before leaving I made a wish before tossing this five-euro cent coin into the wishing stream. Not going to tell you my wish until it comes true.
Ireland has a lot to see. The poster shows all the things you can do...
…like Killarney National Park. Beautiful and FREE! National parks here don’t have a fee to enter like they do in the USA.
We discovered a narrow road that took us through some dense forest land.
Flying the drone to capture some video and this image of Chantil riding through the forest.
Great narrow and twisty roads perfect for motorcycles.
Enjoying the open road with minimal traffic.
We did notice a lot of small same-brand motorcycles traveling though the national park. All of the riders were smiling – just like us!
Left to Live. Your life is to short not to make your dreams memories.
We found a campsite, at Glenbeg Caravan and Camping Park. A great spot right on the beach to finish our first full day in Ireland.
Tomorrow we’ll see if the “luck of Irish” continues with favorable weather…
Blarney Castle (Irish: Caisleán na Blarnan) is a medieval stronghold in Blarney that dates from 1446.
Beautiful designed grounds full of colorful flowers.
There is much more to the area than the castle and stone. There are gardens, miles of trails, and many modern sculptures that decorate the grounds.
There are three main structures that remain of Blarney Castle; the main castle keep, and two smaller towers.
A good reason for visiting in the off-season. This is easily how long the line can be in the summer. We only had to wait about 15 minutes. Worth the 15-minute wait – not worth an hour wait.
One of the grated windows was decorated in yarn doilies.
Close-up of some of the doilies.
People, unfortunately, carve their names into the walls, but all these carvings also have an artistic quality for some reason.
The castle walls and windows as we head up the tight and narrow stairs to the roof of the castle where the famous Blaney Stone resides. No picture of the stairs because your “nut to butt” in the narrow staircase.
Selfie at the Blarney Stone (shown just between us in the background).
While you’re waiting in line to kiss the stone there are some great views and plaques that have some stories about how Kissing the Blarney became so popular.
The process of kissing the stone is a bit silly. You lie on your back, on a stone parapet, hang onto a metal railing with your head lowered between a slot in the rock wall, bend over backward while reaching out your neck to plant your lips where millions of others have kissed before. A bit silly, but perhaps that’s the fun of it. Is herpes fun?
After the stone, we took some time to enjoy the surrounding gardens and walking trails.
A detail of the sculpture that goes into something as simple as iron fence.
The Blarney House is also on the property, but we did not tour it.
There is a small walk that takes you around some modern sculptures.
A fun little wooden mushroom with its tiny door and...
...wishes from people around the world. We quietly stole all their wishes after taking this picture. I kid, of course I wouldn't still wishes - even if they are two euros.
Butterflies were flapping around in the light breeze and this one even stopped long enough for me to take this close-up.
We found this rabbit running...
... from this fox.
A wonderful summer day with a slight breeze. Perfect!
Before leaving I made a wish before tossing this five-euro cent coin into the wishing stream. Not going to tell you my wish until it comes true.
Ireland has a lot to see. The poster shows all the things you can do...
…like Killarney National Park. Beautiful and FREE! National parks here don’t have a fee to enter like they do in the USA.
We discovered a narrow road that took us through some dense forest land.
Flying the drone to capture some video and this image of Chantil riding through the forest.
Great narrow and twisty roads perfect for motorcycles.
Enjoying the open road with minimal traffic.
We did notice a lot of small same-brand motorcycles traveling though the national park. All of the riders were smiling – just like us!
Left to Live. Your life is to short not to make your dreams memories.
We found a campsite, at Glenbeg Caravan and Camping Park. A great spot right on the beach to finish our first full day in Ireland.
Tomorrow we’ll see if the “luck of Irish” continues with favorable weather…
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Boggs
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Re: "Left to Live" - A 23-Day Motorcycle Adventure Around UK and Ireland...
Looks like your maybe going to get a few showers tomorrow according to the forecast,i rode the WAW in May of this year and can highly recommend the R559 coastal road on the Dingle peninsula,some really fantastic views at "Cross At Slea Head" loving the updates.
