WATERVILLE
Sunday 9.16 ~ Kenmare to Waterville, 61 km
It's not a sun shining day. In fact it's raining hard. The top I put out on the clothes line last night is wetter than when I put it out! After a nourishing mushroom spinach omelet and coffee I'm raring to go though. I deck out in all my rain gear and am ready for what the day may bring.
Today is a 60 km ride, and towards the end there is a steep long pass to get over. This will take me all day so I want to get started. After an hour I'm soaking wet - even under my rain gear. I don't get it. My rain coat looks and feels like a rain coat but doesn't act like one. When I lift my arm to adjust the rain hat that keeps drooping over my eye, I feel water rolling down my arm. I carry on.
This first part of the ride to Sneem is supposed to be easy. It isn't steep, but pretty constantly uphill… which adds to my misery.
It finally stops raining and I peel my wet outer rain gear off. The sun hasn't come out yet but the wind starts the process of drying my clothes. I stop in Sneem for soup and coffee and when I get back on the road, with the sun now out, I'm dry in no time.
I stop in Castle Cove for tea to give myself a boost. It's been an inland ride without the beauty of the coast to distract me from all the uphills. When I do get to the coast again, it's even more uphill… 5 km up & up & up… to the Coomakesta Pass. After each uphill I think ‘Surely I've made it to the top…’ and the I see that around the next curve is another uphill. I'm completely worn out.
Changing from a looking down, hunkering down, pedaling hard position, to getting off and walking the bike and being in an upright position sure makes a difference! Having that visual change opens up an attitude adjustment that allows me to notice the view looking out over the coast and the beauty around me. I also notice that I have the luxury to stop and enjoy that view - while cars driving by have no place to pull over. I am feeling lucky!
I reach the top after 1.5 hours of climbing and I feel great! It’s super windy and cold so I put on a jacket for a glorious ride down! As soon as I get to Waterville, I see Peter's Place painted on the side of a building. I made it!
The door is locked but the key is in it so, after no one answers, I go in and give a shout. Still no answer. I go through to the kitchen and when I go back to the living room I see a note from Monica: she and Pete (the owner) have gone to a music festival and will be back late.
Monica has left detailed instructions on how to make the hot water in the shower work and says to make myself at home. So I do. After a nice hot shower, I walk along the coast on a path called the Charlie Chaplin Way (as he vacationed here) and enjoy a long colorful sunset.
A special end to a special day!