IRISH GLORY , THE A2 CAUSEWAY COASTAL ROUTE
by big al
(glasgow scotland)
Hey lads n lassies.
Now ! I don't normally do bike rallies , festivals or stuff like that , I prefer to ride alone , meeting the occasional biker along the way for a pint or a brew etc.
However I have just returned home from the quay vipers rally in Ireland , after packing all my camping gear etc on the bike I left my home in Glasgow at 4am to ride around 100 miles to catch a ferry to the emerald isle.
The weather was to say the least TORRENTIAL !! and although it was a hard and sometimes dangerous ride to the port of Stranraer to catch the ferry , I still had a smile on my face upon arrival at the port .
After the ferry was loaded we set sail for Ireland , its only a 2.5 hr sail but was enough time for me to catch a few zzzz's before we got there .
Upon arrival I stopped for a refill as I forgot to zero my trip mileage counter ( its a pain not having a fuel gauge on the 1100 Dragstar ), it turned out it was only around 60 odd miles to the rally and even better the sun was out and the roads were good too.
I met around 40+ bikers on route and rode with them to the rally site , it was an excellent ride.
No sooner was I in the rally site, my tent was pitched, bike parked up and had a late lunch before the evenings entertainment was to start ... Lots of great bands on through out the weekend...
I quickly made some friends in the beer tent and spent the rest of my 4 day trip having a laugh, listening to music and sharing travel and biking stories with them.
All too soon it was time to pack up the bike and hit the road home, but not until after exchanging contact details with my new Irish friends .
If any of you ever get a chance to visit this enchanting wonderful island you will be glad you did , the A2 coast road has some dramatic scenery, and the people are very friendly too.
I've had a blast on my second trip to Ireland this year. I've made some new lifelong friends and I will certainly be returning again soon .
TRY IT , YOU'LL LOVE IT
Big Al.
