Bici Pazza

From the Lofoten islands our family traveled to Western Ireland to bike for 10 days around the Burren and Connemara combining parts of our current Ciclismo Classico itinerary with a custom tour that I had led 14 years ago with my parents and 15 of our dear Ciclismo alumni. The region is as beautiful as I remember it and, despite heavy bikes and some wet weather, my kids really loved the Ireland and want to go back in 2011. I certainly do! Who wants to come? In case you don’t want to read all the details of our trip, here are some highlights of our experience and useful travel info:

Highlights 
Staying in spotless B&Bs and interacting with our hosts
Irish Breakfasts & brown bread
The warm, outgoing and friendly locals
Pints of Smithwicks
Abundant quiet roads and stunning coastal scenery
Baaahhing at sheep, making friends with donkeys
Enjoying smoke free pubs and excellent music nightly
The Cliffs of Moher: Ireland’s nomination for the global online campaign to find the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2011
Doolin Pubs
The rocks, geology and stunning scenery of The Burren (not the bar in Somerville, MA!)
Music and crafty shops
Ferry Rides
The Aran Islands
Rock Walls, Shipwrecked Plassy
Reunion with June Boulger and family, CC guide from 1995
The Sky Road near Clifden
Ride along Killary Harbor to Leenan
2 nights @ Delphi Adventure Center
Coasteering with Patrick
Westport Grand Finale Ride
Street performers in Galway

Walking on Burren Cracks

Stunning late afternoon riding

The Plassy

A few general Ireland Travel Suggestions:
Summer cycling weather: Great temps for cycling. Never too hot and never rains for long.  We travelled between 30-50 KM per day. Wear layers and Keep your rain jacket and pants ready but the sun comes our regularly. Winds can kick up so make sure you are going in the right direction. Best to do Connemara clockwise. We did it counter clockwise and were hit with big winds


Bikes. If you travel on your own, you can rent hybrids or road bikes in Galway. No odometers. Have to book in advance. Our bikes were heavy


Cars and riding on the left: Most of the roads we travelled on were very quiet. You get used to riding on the left and best to ride single file when the roads get narrow


Maps: None of the maps I used allowed me to easily count mileage. The ones with the best detail are the Discovery Ordinance Series #51, 45, 44 & 37


Food: Eating out was relatively cheap and kid friendly. I loved the puree vegetable soup with brown bread and grilled seafood. Fresh veggies and fruit at meals is a bit harder to find. Supermarkets are in every small town for pick-nicking


Biking with kids. Most of the roads in Connemara are rolling so it’s perfect cycling terrain. It’s hard for kids to get into the flow. Each one likes to stop whenever they need to so one of the big lessons was learning to eat, change clothes, go to the bathroom, etc at our designated stops. By the time we hit day 5 the kids were starting to get the routine. Be patient and remember the day is made up of all kinds of moments.

Valentina in the lead on the coastal road in the Burren

9  Glorious days in Connemara
We landed in Dublin and connected to Galway where we strolled the lively streets, had our first pub lunch then picked up our bikes and were shuttled to the Doolin House B&B by Alan, the proprietor of Island Bikes who, having led many a tour here, had many ideas to share with us about our next few days


Day Two: Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher
Hungry and thirsty is a state of mind and body that is easily satisfied in Ireland.  We strolled down our narrow street where Luca and Valentina made friends with a donkey they named Nibbles. We made our way along the coastal road to O’Connors pub where we ordered the nightly special and waited until 9:30, where in every pub, a band of musicians was slated to play. Inside it was cozy with aromas of soup and fresh bread filling the dark rooms. The pub walls were coated with dollar bill, policeman patches, old photos and license plates from all over the states. We toasted our first Irish dinner with a couple of pints Smithwicks and three orange Fantas. Once the music started, Luca took a front row seat, while Lorenzo was entranced by the spoon playing. We could have stayed there all night but these cyclists need sleep to be ready for the Cliffs of Moher tomorrow.

First Pub of the trip

I enjoyed the early morning quiet of the light-filled sitting room and let the family sleep late. After our delicious home-made Irish breakfast made by our Doulinn House hostess Joan we gathered our rain layers and hopped on our bikes and headed uphill following signs to the Cliffs of Moher


After lunch we headed for the cliffs which rise high above a freezing sea. They are simply spectacular but looking across the Cliffs I see people walking on the edge and can’t help but wonder how many people slip and fall into the freezing Atlantic. We walk along the trail, pose for pictures that distracts me from my fear of heights.

We launched into “jumping” shot

The ride back is mostly downhill and fast. It starts to rain. Lorenzo and I take a detour to the tiny music store where there is a huge collection of Irish music. Lorenzo and I spend over an hour there listening to CDs recommended by the the gent from Switzerland who runs the place. We head back and get ready for an evening at Fitz’s pub. More great food and music follows. W are on an Irish roll!


Day Three: Rockin and Rollin in the Burren
We wake to a morning of sunshine albeit the skies are filled with clouds that we know can turn on us at anytime. Today’s 50 KM ride is through the Burren, one of my favorite Ireland geographies. Due to some incomplete trip logistics, we begin our 8KM uphill ride to Lisdoonvarna. Luca is not happy about the wind or hills and we slug along. He begins screaming “ I hate biking.” I have heard this before and know that once he makes it over the hill to a resting place he will be OK. We cheer him on as he pushes had up the hill and that seems to help.


We make it to Lisdoonvarna in an hour and have a picnic lunch in the center of town. Lisdoonvarna hosts an annual Matchmakers Festival and draws singles from all over the world. Each year, during the month of September, this small village on the western coast of Ireland offers a quest for the romance holy grail to hordes of lonely souls – the capturing of an Irish heart. Ah, ’tis a prize indeed.
Did I mention the scene we made over chocolate in the local Despar food market?

A typical crossroad in Ireland. The maps are OK but the signage is very good.

After trying to understand a local on which way to go, we continue on our more or less merry way through the rock covered, deserted  fields. At the next intersection I realize that I have missed the turn to the Poulnabrone Dolmen (one of the most photographed Dolmens in Ireland) and the fort but do not have the heart to have the kids turn around. Arggggg. We continue on the main road and hit the top of the famous corkscrew hill. Decision time again. Thinking of the 30KM remaining and hearing Valentina’s whining, I opt for the direct way down but later regret it. It would have been the only chance for us to see an Irish Dolmen.  The decisions one makes on bike tour can make the difference between seeing the sights or not. Note to self. Ignore the whining when there is major historical moments to be experienced.

Jumping Shot. Luca’s got it!

We have a grand descent into Ballyvaughn, the kids love the switchback turns. Valentina gets cocky and goes no handed until I catch her and pull her over with the consequence of no treat at the next stop. We stop at the Burren overlook to take a few “jumping” shots, our new pose for the summer. Last year it was the funk, this year it is the jump.


We arrive in Ballyvaughn by 4:30 and the kids begin making mahem at yet another eating establishment. I opt to wander around the town so as not to get sucked into being the referee in another game of “ Can I have” and “it’s not fair.” Mauro chooses to play, opts to buy the kids one smoothie to share between them. By the time I return, it has been spilled all over the counter and crying and arguing has replaced an otherwise happy travel moment. We clean up the mess and I suggest we get the heck out of town.


Valentina and Lorenzo laugh at the whole thing and despite the stress these situations can cause at the moment, they are, in fact the very comical moments that make our family life unique and fun. These three mini Marx brothers can and would be, if allowed free reign, in constant comedy stunt mode. The problem is that someone always ends up getting their bodies and feelings hurt then it’s run to mamma time. The minute I step in and try to fix the situation, I am stuck in the middle of futile fairness game of which there is no return.

Walking the Burren Rocks, learning about geology

We begin the rolling and flat ride down the “Coast road” to Doolin. The rain comes and goes as we make our way down this spectacular road. We stop to observe the limestone rock surface, geology in action, that parallels the road. The Burren is one of the finest examples of a Glacio-Karst landscape in the world and offer a unique opportunity to ramble across ancient stone. We climb across the fissures in this smooth typical burren stone where tiny flowers grow in the cracks and water has created delightful variations of cross hatch patterns over time. As the kids jump from rock to rock, I give an amateur  geology lesson about the Burren’s fascinating rock which seems to stick.

Onward down the road, the bushes grow high and hug the shoulder making the road extremely narrow. Although there are very few cars, we ride single file. I see a castle in the distance on the sea and try to follow a tiny grassy path to it. The path instead ends at family graveyard which offers an interesting peak back in time.

We continue pedaling and soon the road opens up to barren hillsides with burren rock to our left and the vast sea to our right. The clouds today have been incredible–constantly changing puff of shape carved by light and wind. While waiting for Luca, the kids find a small cave that they crawl into. Small finds along the way.

While I walked the rocks, Luca sculpted

We come upon another vast burren plateau that stretches flat to the sea. We park our bikes and walk around. Lorenzo and I shoot pictures, Mauro wanders and Valentina and Luca build stone sculptures to add to the other tourist creations that are dispersed across the flat rocks. Throughout these Irish rides I have been enchanted by the massive rock walls built high and seemingly going nowhere and serving no purpose. Here the walls run into the sea

It’s already 7:00 PM. We ask how far to Doolin, we hear 6KM but I believe it is more; it ends of being 16Km which takes us another hour. We have no odometers and no real sense of the distances we have travelled which on some level is fine but when trying to make it home before dark, it might be nice to know. The road descends along the coast, through the town of Fanore and then turns inland where it begins to climb again. We take a break at a large field where the bulls come to say hello. I groan at them and they groan back which entertains the kids. We keep climbing through this magnificent farmland until we see the right turn to Doolin, then its downhill all the way back to our tiny B&B on the sea


Quick showers and another night at the pub, tonight it’s Mac Darmada’s where we have another great meal, a few rounds of Smithwicks and an hour of delightful music. We head back to our B&B for a good night’s sleep before our morning ferry to Inisheer.

While we were in Doolin the kids made friends with a donkey Luca named “Nibbles”

Day Four: Inisheer Island
After breakfast we say good bye to the Doolin area and pedal our bikes to the ferry docks. The 11:00 ferry is small and filled with tourists making their way to the island. It rolls and rocks and the water gushes in and covers the floor of the boat which provides enormous entertainment for the children. I watch the horizon and try not to get seasick.


Arriving at Inisheer, we are greeted by a taxi service that takes our luggage to our delightful hotel set back from the bay. Our breaks squeak and rub and parts are beginning to loose on our rental bikes so we stop at the bike rental shop to get a tune up and buy a small map of this 2 KM long island which we can see in an afternoon. We ride to our hotel, meet the owners, see our room have some lunch and get on our way to explore the island.

Biking in Inisheer is easy, just follow the maze of rock walls!

First stop is the graveyard with a tiny ancient church set into the ground and  dating back to the 11th century. We then follow the tiny road east as it begins to zig zag through a maze of rock walls leading to a fabulous site, a completely rusty shipwrecked vessel perfectly perched on the shore. The rusting hulk, the Plassy, was shipwrecked in 1960 and thrown up high onto the rocks. We explore the ship from the outside and inside. Lorenzo wants to explore everywhere inside. I get nervous that the boat’s 2nd floor might not hold us. The whole scene reminds Lorenzo and I of the last scene in planet of the apes.

Now here is “find” they wil remember for life–The deserted Plassy

We continue the zig zagging ride. There are only a few roads so I know you can’t get lost but Luca still yells “Mom where the heck are we going?” At that time I explain the concept of rambling and serendipity and the art of allowing your curiosity about places lead the way. He says he does not get it but of course he does—children’s minds work that way. The next site that draws us in is the uninhabited lighthouse built in 1857. We take a break here, do some jump shots and pedal back down the straight narrow way. We pedal to the other side of the island where rock walls cover the landscape in box shapes. I am determined to follow the road to the end. The kids tire of my curiosity and turn around, leaving me time to wander on my own. I meander back to our hotel and stake out a spot at the WIFI bar where I can check email and have a moment to gather my thoughts. I meet an Irish family who tells me that they are staying 2 weeks on this tiny island so their children can practice Gaelic, the Irish language. They tell me that it is taught so badly in school that children do not learn it and that it is dying out in most of Ireland. Here in Connemara, the Burren and on the Islands, the language has its strongest foothold.

The jolly proud owner of our B&B

I head back to our lovely hotel  to shower and get ready for dinner. We sit down and toast another great day. I have a delicious baked haddock with dill and boiled potatoes.
After dinner, it’s pub time. There’s also a pool table that entertains the children while Mauro and I listen to music. Three young girls have come to accompany the main band. Their expressions are enchanting and their pride to play for us is beaming from their blue eyes. Luca, Lorenzo and Valentina soon gather round to hear the sounds before heading to bed.

Redheaded sisters serenade us

Inisheer to Inishmoor: Mishaps and Mahem


Day Five: Inishmoor
We wake up early to Anna’s delicious Irish breakfast in their light filled breakfast room. Today we are off on another ferry to Inishmoor, the largest of the three Aran Islands. Luggage down, we take a picture with our host Anna and Rory and ride our bikes 5 minutes to the ferry. Their B&B luggage delivery system is a brilliant solution to our 10 day tour here. With the help of our friendly B&B host we load our luggage and ourselves onto the tiny ferry to Inishmoor. It’s a bumpy ride so I take a seat and cuddle with Luca who prefers to sit outside and feel the sea mist on his cheeks. Upon arriving, we leave our luggage, get a map of the Island at the desk and orientate ourselves on where to ride.


Although it might seem that everything is going smoothly on our bike adventures. I assure you that kids are kids whether they are home or on the road. While traveling, they still don’t listen, they still don’t get up when you want them to and they still bicker and whine. The big difference is that we are doing something we love and they know that we hold the map, the money and the hotel keys so the power struggles are actually less.


As parents we just try to find the gold nuggets, photo ops, funny, poignant and the every day learning moments however our day on Inishmore flowed so badly; it’s best to reflect and laugh at the day through our top ten list of mishaps, that started right after breakfast

Seal Cove

Top Ten List of Inisheer Mishaps
1. Mom looses her glasses again and we almost miss the ferry to Inishmoore. Never lost just deep in her pocket.
2. Luca has a crying fit and we are not sure why.
3. No more Euro. No exchange place open until 2:00. It’s 11:30 and we want to ride
4. We completely disagree on lunch options. It’s cold and I want hot soup. Mauro wants to get sandwich stuff at Spar and have a picnic. Kids want chocolate. We gather stuff at the market that no one wants but we eat it in the cold anyway. Peanut butter gets stuck in Lorenzo’s braces so I get him soup. Tension mounts
5. The weather turns and we do not have enough warm stuff. We go back to the B&B. Luca revolts claiming we will never get to the fort
6. Back at the B&B. Kids play chicken on their bikes. Valentina plows into a wall, gets a pinched flat and rips the tire. No spare either. Mechanic is unavailable until 1:30. We get it fixed, did she learn a lesson?
7. We change money and get on our way. Tough headwind defeats Luca. He rides but screams the whole way and claims we will never get to the Fort
8. Lorenzo goofs around on his bike. Slips on his pedal and scrapes his leg, bad.
9. We arrive at the Fort. It’s all uphill. Luca claims we will never get there. We get a tourist shop fix
10.We make it to the base of the fort but realize we forgot the locks. The ticket lady hides our bikes so we can go in. Gotta pay all this goodness forward.
11.Walk uphill to the magnificent Dun Aengus. I read from a guide book about how the place is a spiritual pilgrimage site; no one (except Mauro) listens. At the top there is 300 foot drop to the sea. I beg kids not to mess with my mind here and be good. They listen, thank God no major mishap here!  We take some great “jump” photos. All is good and wonderful
12. Return ride to B&B. After a day of mishaps, we are blessed with a wonderful tail wind that pushes us up the hill and all the way back. Trip out took 1 hour. Trip back takes 30 minutes. The trips seems back in alignment
13. Off to dinner after showers. We sit down, order beers. Whoops. No Credit card excepted.
14.Walk to next restaurant. Kids fight over their ITOUCH, Angry Bird game. Even though this seems to entertain the family next to us, I quickly take it away.
15. Good food. Good time until Luca puts the napkin too close to the candle. Small fire is put out quickly. We laugh and make a toast to our day of craziness
16. We pass on music tonight to get to bed early to catch our 8:00 AM ferry to the mainland tomorrow. All in all, another wonderful day on the road with kids

We might have mishaps but we always have fun

One of the highlights of the day is that I was able to connect with June Boulger, the amazing woman who designed and led our very first bike tour in Connemara 14 years ago. Our Irish luck is with us. She is in Connemara for the weekend with her husband and three year old son Liam. We will pass by her house tomorrow!


Day Six: Inishmoor to the Connemara
We rise early. Valentina is suffering a very sore throat. Her glands are swollen and she is feeling miserable. She has probably caught the same bug that Lorenzo had the previous week. Luckily no fever and knowing she will survive and there is not much we can do, we get them up help them pack their bags that will be transferred to Clifden and head down to breakfast.

Leaving B&B

Clowning in Connemara

We board the large Aran Island ferry at 8:15 after 45 minutes of a relatively calm trip, we arrive  at Rossaveal where our luggage shuttle has arrived. It’s a windy but sunny day. We pack layers in Mauro’s panniers and make our way up the coast stopping first at a SPAR market to get each child a ration of chocolate.

The Bog road has bog!

Lorenzo wants the sign to say, we have arrived

We head in the direction of Cashel. The road is long and uninteresting for the children although I love the clouds and the rugged landscape. They continue to ask me how far it it is and unfortunately none of the maps I am using have reliable KM markings as my Italy maps do so I can only guess.  We get to crossroads and I get a text message from June wondering where we are. I let her know that at the intersection of route 465 & 496 and are near the bog road and she says we should be to her house in 45 minutes. I tell the kids and we continue on our way turning right off the coastal onto the bog road which cuts across through a wild wilderness with full view of the twelve bin mountain range. I find the road glorious. The head winds make Luca anxious and very angry. He looked at the mountain range and was convinced that I was taking him to the top. On a road that, for a seven year old seems to never end, he claims that I am a “white liar.”  He must have heard the term white lie and thought it meant a worse lie than most. Whatever he meant, he was not a happy camper and cried, whined and screamed for most of the 6 mile ride across the bogs. There was not much we could say; just had to get through it. The other two weren’t much happier and did not allow me to take any pictures. “We just hate biking mom”

We hate bogs and biking

I love bogs and biking

From the map it appears that There is a triathlon and a police at the corner. We ask how far it is to Cashel. He says 8 miles. “What?” I ask again. “We are going to June Boulger’s house, do you know June?
“Oh yes, that will be four miles” he replies

Happy to see Fresh Eggs

We ride a few more minutes and take a left to Cashel. I see a old man on a bike and ask him how far it is. He says one mile. I text June and tell her where I am. She says we are five minutes away. She tells me to take a left when we see a FRESH EGGS sign.  The kids now understand that  everyone is a “white liar” that distances depend on who you are and what you know.

Off the bog road, away from the wind and knowing that we cannot be far, the kids mental state takes a dramatic shift for the better. We follow a winding coastal road, the smell of the sea is strong and my excitement to see June again is mounting. I begin to recognize the scenery and then I see June’s mother’s house, take another turn and hear a ping ping on my phone. “Where are you now?” she writes. “At the Fresh Egg sign!” I reply.  We take a left, ride a mile and I see her standing there welcoming us with open arms. I jump off my bike and give her a big hug. Her singing voice and big smile warms my heart. She welcomes the whole gang inside her white cottage with a view of Cashel Bay.  The “45 minute” ride took two hours but whose counting?


We spend the next two hours in her kitchen with her husband, Neil and brother Cliff feasting on a continual flow of delicious food: fresh bread, cheese, fresh fruit, tomatoes, chicken and pasta. She prepares most of the meal with her three-year old son Liam clinging to her body and pulling so hard on her hair that her head tilts to the right.  I am feeling the glow of being reconnected with an old friend and great memories of our 12 day Ciclismo Classico Ireland tour 14 years ago.

The GREAT June Boulger Reunion

With another hour or riding ahead, we begin wrapping up lunch and planning the next 12 miles to Cashel. We take a family potrait and a picture of June and I. The headwind is still strong so June offers to take Luca by car to Clifden. Luca is reluctant as he does not want to “wimp” out on the miles but eventually realizes that it’s a good idea.


The skies are gray, the winds are strong and there is misty rain but our spirits and stomachs are full so the riding comes easy. It’s 5:00 PM and with 12 miles to go, I calculate that we will make it by 6:00. We avoid the coast and take another “bog” road to Clifden. The winds have shifted and are now almost at our backs. We ride at a good clip until Lorenzo has some problems with his shifting. He gets very mad at his bike. The wheel is blocked; I fix it by centering the wheel. Back in business. I see a cyclist pedaling the other way. He says it’s 3 miles to Clifden. I believe him since cyclists get mileage. We pull into town at 5:50. Lorenzo and I sprint to the bike store to get his brakes and gears adjusted since we have no tools. A very large mechanic smoking a cigarette takes a look but admits he is anxious to close his shop and head to the pub.

We indeed make it to Clifden by 6:00. We check into the Kingston House B&B and before taking showers take a walk around town and arrive at the supermarket where Valentina happily picks up nail polish remover, shampoo and a chocolate bar. We wander back to the hotel and take a seat in the warm and tiny “tea” room complete with fish tank, piano, TV, fresh fruit, a comfy couch and a tea and coffee table. What more does one need on a rainy afternoon in Ireland? Well we are still missing Luca who was delivered soon after by June. Her car is filled with kids so she cannot stick around. We say our sad goodbyes and hope to see each other again in Ireland or Boston

Kindred Cycling Spirits

Post showers we walk around the street to Guys Bar and Snug where we take a seat by the music. We meet up with some folks from Maine who have been living in Heidelberg Germany for the year and are on their way home with Ireland as their last stop. We exchange adventures and my imagination wanders to a year abroad with the kids. Where would we live? What would that be like?


The beers and dinner arrive and we savor another delicious meal. I start with the classic vegetable soup puree’ and finish with a lightly Cajun spiced baked salmon with wild rice. Nice. The next morning I rise early to sit and write in peace in the tea room. By 9:00 I check on the kids who are crowded in their bedrooms watching Tarzan on TV. I start rustling them and demand that they get dressed and down for breakfast in 20 minutes. It will take much barking to get them out and ready.


Our hostess prepares us a lovely breakfast. I have fresh fruit with yogurt and Luca and Lorenzo get pancakes! Just as we are ready to roll we discover Mauro has a flat. Luckily the bike shop is next to our B&B but the woman running the shop has just gone to church. We manage to find her and I get the tools and spare we need to change the flat. I take the time to patch the tire and give the kids a lesson in fixing a flat.

Day 7 Clifden to Leenan: A glorious day!


We finally head out the Sky Road and it is as beautiful as I remember it 14 years ago This is going to be a good day! The skies are clear and the views are incredible. We take our time climbing up this steep but glorious road. At the top of the climb Valentina whines about her sore throat and throws her water bottle, helmet and threatens to go back to Clifden. Mauro looses it, the boys start teasing and small battle ensues followed by a collective tantrum. I am feeling so happy, nothing can get me worked me up. I take it all in stride and do a series of jumping shots. Valentina choose to sulk but perks up when we take a picture together. Overall I am so proud of our children. They have been riding hard and strong despite the rain and heavy bikes.

We continue along the Sky road as it descends toward the coastline and heads back along the inlet to the main wall. We keep stopping to check out the views. Sheep are everywhere baaing at us. Luca keeps leading the way. It as if raising his seat has given him new energy.


Once on the main road we decide to head straight to Letterfrack for lunch. It’s a main road and busier than the Sky Road so we ride single file with Luca in the lead. The road is fast and we have a great spin into Letterfrack. Lunch is soup, sandwiches and pizza at a small café then we are off to the Kylemore Abbey, one of the most gorgeous castles in Connemara. 3 tour buses have just unloaded dozens of Italians and as we wind our way through the crowd of Italiani, Lorenzo gets thumbs up for his Italia blue cycling shirt. Although he has no interest in the history of the place, this makes his day. We roam inside the castle, the Gothic church and on the grounds for an hour and then depart for the last 25 miles of our ride.

Lorenzo poses reluctantly with me

We make our way up the road to the village of Tully Cross and Lettergesh following another gorgeous coastal road lined with flowers, sheep and high above the sea. It’s called the Tully Cross Loop. The road eventually dips down the bay and heads along an inland lake I am in heaven and I know it will end soon. Although they hate to admit it, the kids get along best when they are biking. They can’t get in each others way and must take turns following and leading

We love all the sheep!

A glorious lake road

We pass a group of fisherman wrapping up the day and although it is already 7 PM and we have another 10 miles to go, I stop and ask the man to demonstrate a fly cast. With a jolly smile he takes a fly from his box, ties it on, casts and tells Luca how it’s done. I ask “ How do you know what fly to put on? “ We just follow Johnny he replies with a laugh.

We learned the tricks of fly fisherman

A glorious road

We leave the lake and climb gently towards the Killary Harbor. A left turn takes us on the main road and a long descent swoops us down to a road that follows the harbor. The temperature, the light, the moment is perfect. Luca is cruising and he races ahead until I whistle for him to stop so we can enjoy the views. I don’t mind dragging the miles on now. We may never pass this way again. We reach Leenane by 7:30 and stop to get a snack at the tiny Spar market. Fig newtons and cookies will do. I go in and check out the Pub which is hopping with folks of all ages including a gang of kids playing pool in the backroom.

Luca races ahead to Leenan

The end of the glorious road in Killary Harbor

11 more KM until the Delphi Mountain Resort and Adventure Center. We ride down and around the harbor. At the very end of the harbor, facing North, is graveyard with a few dozen headstones. We all agree that this is a wonderful place to rest in peace.  The car free, sheep full road followed the eastern side of the harbor. Flat and downhill we cruised along. As we turn inland and face a mountain range. Luca gets anxious fearing the road will never end. His excitement quickly turned to tears. Before I had to distract him for another few miles, the sign for the Delphi Center appeared, he sprinted and was the first one into the driveway of our lovely 4 star home for two nights. We arrive at 8:20 with just enough time to shower and head upstairs to the airy bistro. It was late, we were tired but nothing could take away the glow, sense of accomplishment and bonding we all felt.

Our four star home for two days

Day 8 Coasteering at Delphi
We had a well deserved rest day today. It was pouring rain outside so rest came that much easier. For the morning we hung out in the big comfortable seats in the lounge. I caught on on emails and writing, the kids were totally entertained by a new ap on their IPOD called Angry Bird and Mauro made hotel and shuttle plans for the rest of our trip. Our time in Ireland is coming to a close and we are all sad. This has been a very special trip for all of us. Although the kids said they would like more rest days (agreed), I think that they absorbed with their bodies and souls what bicycle travel is about.


After lunch we loaded up in the van to go coasteering. an activity that I never heard of but that is apparently very popular in Whales and Great Britain. The definition of coasteering according to wiki is “a physical activity that encompasses movement along the intertidal zone of a rocky coastline on foot or by swimming, without the aid of boats, surf boards or other craft. It is difficult to define the precise boundaries between, for example, rockpooling and ocean swimming. “ This sounds like what we do in Southern Italy but the only difference is that here the water is cold and the swells were big.

Now this is FUN! Cold waters sharp rocks and fast currents

Captain Seaweed

We put on wet suits and followed our guide Stephen to the rocky coastline at Old Head. We started out in mild waters and as we worked our way around the coast the rocks, waves and swells got bigger and bigger. Our guide took great care to let us know where to climb and where to swim. The kids followed instructions and did beautifully.  The water was definitely cold and the swells were strong but we all did very well to swim, float and grab onto the rocks.  It was a great little new adventure for all.

For the last ride we dress the part!

The Last Ride: Delphi to Westport
We hoped on our bikes for the last time on this wonderful journey in the West of Ireland and began our ride up a spectacular road that followed the Doolough Pass to Westport. The Dolough Pass may be gorgeous today but in 1847 100 of those starving from the potato famine walked to Delphi to ask for relief. When they got there, the Board of Guardians were at lunch and could not be disturbed. When they finally did meet with them, the people were refused help. That day it rained and snowed and there was a piercing wind. On the return journey to Lousier, over 100 of the starving were blown into Doolough by the fierce wind where they died. The memorial commemorates those who died at this point. The sun peaked out of the clouds and painted the lush mountains in an array of tonalities. Today this landscape feels nothing but joyous. I could not help but be a bit sad to see it all end—it has been a magnificent trip.

What an amazing view. Hard to imagine such a tragedy occurred here.

Like every day, today was not without a problem or two. On the road for a few miles we noticed that while at the Delphi center, someone had borrowed Luca’s bike and lowered the seat. The seat was not a quick release and we were without tools so we had to stop at someone’s home and ask for tools. Frustrated and crying, Luca would not calm down. I stopped at several houses before we found the tool we were looking for (and a kind woman who knew how to use it). She raised the saddle and Luca was back in business.  Riding away, waving at the family, I repeated  one of my favorite mantras: There are no problems, just solutions.

Only 21 KM to go

We were riding at a great clip, making great time towards Westport. We used a bit of biking math conversions and calculations to figure out how fast we were riding, how many miles were left and our approximate arrival time. By the last day, they were beginning to think and act like real bike tourists. I felt very proud. We stopped in Louisburgh for a quick snack. We peeked into a gallery next to the supermarket and met a painter and graphic artist working on his computer. We discover that he use to live in LA where he worked on many animated movies. Small world.

To all my Irish friends: Here’s the real St Patrick!

Pedaling the last 12 miles was a breeze. More sheep, distant farmland and miles of seascape. Just before Westport we stopped at Croagh Patrick, Croagh Patrick has been a site of pilgrimage since before the arrival of Celtic Christianity, Saint Patrick reputedly fasted on the summit of Croagh Patrick for forty days in the fifth century and built a church there. It is said that at the end of Patrick’s 40-day fast, he threw a silver bell down the side of the mountain, knocking the she-demon Corra from the sky and banishing all the snakes from Ireland. Unfortunately we did not have time to climb all the way to the top but we did take a celebratory picture with Saint Patrick, a nice way to finish our last ride in Ireland!

We’ve arrived!

Westport Quay

We rode the last five miles to Westport taking the coastal road that passed majestic homes and elegant hotels. We arrived in Westport at 3:30 with just enough time to walk around, eat lunch, shower at our B&B and enjoy our last evening of pub food and traditional Irish music at the famous Matt Malloys, owned my one of Cheiftains

The next morning we wake early, have our last Irish breakfast, portrait with our host Noreen and rush to the bus to Galway It is a two hour trip to this bustling city. We say good bye to our bikes which albeit heavy have served us well.  We drop our luggage off at the train station so we can roam the town. Kids have waited for a souvenir shopping day and it has arrived and Galway with it abundant shops, is the place to do it.We only have a couple hours so we go from store to store seeking out hats and T shirts.

We leave for Dublin by bus. The trip takes longer than we think and we arrive just in time to catch our plane. One last problem: Ryan Air is very cheap for a reason–your luggage must be less than 15 kilos and of course ours is not. We scramble to rearrange and repack our luggage but still end up paying a hefty price for our layers. Gotta work on my packing!


We make it to the plane just on time for one last portrait. Good Bye Ireland. With any Irish luck (and planning) we will be back next year with friends!

BYE BYE ireland we hardly know yee but we will be back

For the past 13 years (ever since my first was one year old) my family has spent the last week of May at the Tyler Place, considered one of the best all-inclusive family resorts in the country. Obviously, we are ecstatic fans of the Tyler Place and could not agree more with it’s placement at the top of any TOP family vacation listing. Allow me to put it in vacation perspective: My kids and I have been known to weep and whine for the whole drive back home. My 7 year old son Luca said that the Tyler Place is better than Christmas. My 13 year old son dreams of the day when he can be counselor there. My 11 year-old daughter and I simply think that the Tyler Place is Family Utopia. No stress. All fun. Gorgeous location and the best three meals I eat all year long.

Yes the Tyler Place is “100% family-friendly” (and has been for 5 generations). Yes! The Tyler Place Family Resort’s has “award-winning Infant, toddler, children, and teen programs.” Yes! The Tyler Place is “one of the coziest and best all-inclusive family resorts EVER”. Yes! The Tyler Place Family Resort’s all inclusive family vacations give you a top family vacation with your kids and time to reconnect as a couple, too! And with over 20 years of running Ciclismo Classico, the leaders in bicycle vacations I can attest that

The Tyler Place is one of the Most Bike Friendly Family Resorts in the World.

Here’s my top ten reasons why if you, your spouse or your entire family loves bicycling or would like to learn to be introduced to the joys of cycling that the Tyler Place is the Place for you:

1. They have a Bike Center with an enormous fleet of FREE helmets and bicycles for all ages, sizes and abilities: Single-speed bikes for your entire stay, your kids’ own bikes and trikes, baby seats & training wheels, trail-a-bikes and tandem Bikes, adult Mountain bikes for touring, teen,  pre-teen mountain bikes. Just another cute Tyler detail is that each bike is named after a town in Vermont! The only bikes they do not have are road bikes but most people that love to ride can easily bring their own. No locks needed, ever!

2. The Tyler Place, including  avid road and off-road cyclist Chad Tyler, embraces a cycling culture and promotes and encourages cycling as the best way to get around their gorgeous expansive property (and has the speed limit for cars at 10MPH). In their daily events schedule they write “We highly recommend that you just leave the keys with car while you are at the Tyler Place.”  All of the cottages on the Tyler Place are connected by a series of short roads and paths so one can bike from “home” to the Inn in minutes.  After I finish my long ride on my road bike, I love wandering the TP grounds on my mountain bike or one of their comfy cruisers.

3. Almost everyone bikes around Tyler Place. There are bike racks at every Tyler hub (The inn, the pool, the kids program centers);  at program pick up and drop off times, the place is so completely buzzing with parents, kids and staff biking around that it feels like a small village in Denmark (the world’s most bike friendly country). Remember the “old days” (before kids were shuttled everywhere by car) when you biked to school, around your neighborhood, the candy and to sports? At the Tyler Place, kids (when they are ready and with their parent’s blessing hopefully) get to experience the joy, independence and freedom of biking around the resort. All three of my children (7,11 & 13) have evolved from me picking them up by bike, to their riding back and forth to program,  to our most recent stay when they got everywhere on their own.  They can even bike to good ole’ Martin’s Country Store, only a half a mile from the Tyler Place

4. The Tyler Place has three escorted bike rides throughout the week as part of their adult  and teen programming: Their easy 11-mile around the charming Isle Du Mott, their 15-mile intermediate bike trip through Highgate northeast of the Tyler Place and an advanced 15-mile “heart-pounding” Mt Bike Ride on the glorious Tyler Place property. While these rides are probably too easy for avid cyclists, will certainly satisfy most folks wanting to blend biking with TP’s array of other activities. The Teen programming, which goes off the Tyler Campus, uses bicycles as their key transport. While my teenage son won’t be caught dead biking with his “biking obsessed” mother, as part of his teen program Lorenzo did an counsellor accompanied ride to local swimming holes, rode 14 miles to get pizza in nearby Swanton and used his bike to get everywhere with his buddy Nate.

Want to bicycle around leisurely with your kids during family time? There are plenty of options. During family time we have taken excursions to Carmen Brook Farm, to Martin’s Store for candy and fishing worms, around Highgate and to Proper Pond to catch frogs with nature Dave.

5. The Famous Duckman Triathlon has a biking leg that has launched guests into cycling nirvana. While every year my performance in the 8.8 mile biking portion has remained a competitive yet stable at 19mph/28:18 minutes, I know of several guests who began doing bike races and triathlons seriously as a result of their tasting the thrill of victory in the Duckman. While all you win is a tiny plastic duck and bragging rights at the bar, the pedal-as-fast-as-you can biking portion to Swanton and back is a weekly highlight for newbie and experienced bikers alike.

6. Learn How to Ride a Bike Lesson. Teaching your kid how to ride a bike is not as easy as it seems. Done wrong and your kid can do a nose plant that may delay this important childhood skill. With kids biking everywhere, the peer pressure is on to learn to ride two wheels.  The TP biking culture, the flat and rolling grounds, combined with an hour-long lesson by their experienced instructor should easily do the trick

7. Plenty of Peace of Mind time to ride! While your kids are in their morning program from 8:30-1:30, you have at five hours to ride to your heart’s content! I usually take two to three since I like to linger a bit over breakfast and lunch.

8. The Tyler Place is an excellent base for a week’s worth of gorgeous loops. The nice part about Tyler Kingdom in Northwest Vermont is that, unlike most of the green state, it’s mostly gently rolling and totally flat. For both beginner and advanced adult cycling enthusiasts, Vermont and Quebec’s Eastern Townships offer not only several excellent loops but abundant cycling resources such as Lake Champlain Bikeways and The Green Mountain Bicycle Club a group I always see on at least one of my Tyler Place loops. Over the past 13 years I have tried out many loop rides from the Tyler Place. Here are my fab four rides that during the week I will either repeat or vary. You can find these rides and more on Map My Ride

1. Ode to St. Albans: Flat and rolling ride along Lake Champlain to St Albans bay. Optional extension to Kilkare St Park. Plenty of farmland, lakeviews with stops in Swanton, Kilkare St Park and St Albans Bay. 30 miles One could continue this ride all the way to Burlington as the coastal road follows the lake for 40 miles.  Easy

2. The Farms of Franklin:  Ride to Morses Line (Canadian Border) Franklin and Lake Carmi (Lago di Carmi) 40 miles. Another spectacular road that rolls for miles and miles along lush farmland of the Vermont / Canadian border. A variety of loops and extensions are available from Franklin and Lake Carmi. Silo after Silo, glorious farm awaits you all the way to East Berkshire! This ride can be extended for miles! Intermediate

3. Oh Canada: Bring your passport and enjoy this loop to Frelighsburg, Quebec. 50 miles. This ride has some amazing rollers through St Armand, Pigeon Hill and back around to Richford. Lovely architecture and homesteads. Check out the potter of Pigeon Hill and the Cafes in Frelighsburg. Intermediate to Challenging.  Intermediate to challenging

4. The Island of Lake Champlain: 40-50 miles. This is the only ride where I recommend that you drive Alburg and then cycle South along delightful beautifully paved roads that follow the lake to North Hero, South Hero and Grand Isle. 

9. Bike to Eat. Eat to Bike: Did I forget to mention the healthy, carbo abundant, delicious food? For three meals a day, The Tyler Place chefs prepare some of the most delicious, varied and healthy cuisine you will eat all year. Save room for local ice cream and home-made cookies and deserts.  PLUS for one week you can enjoy three meals without your kids asking you to get up and get them a glass of milk!  An immensely enjoyable feature of The Tyler Place is the adults-only policy for cocktails and dinner.  For three blessed hours you can bask in the company of other adults and hold grown-up conversations, unwind and relax knowing that your kids (as well as everyone else’s) have dined early and are off with their friends and counselors at a pool party, on a hayride or waterskiing at the lake. 

10. Fellow guests as your cycling pals. Thy Tyler Place attracts a wide diversity of families but what most seem to have in common is their outgoing nature and absolute love of the area. While most of the cyclists use the Tyler Place bikes and attend the Tyler Place excursions, every year there’s a couple of guests who bring their bike.

Of course with the writing of this blog, we hope that more cycling families and couples will discover what a perfect place this is to achieve what is impossible in normal life: Take long rides knowing the kids are happy and taken care of, indulge in leisurely, delicious meals and conversation with other adults and enjoy the facilities and activities of Tyler Place activities with your family during family time. Why not gather together your cycling pals and have a reunion at the Tyler Place; if you do email me or give me a call.  I might just join you!

My favorite birthday present is (suprise) a glorious bike ride so when I was stumped on where to ride on my birthday I called my biking buddy and New England bike tour expert, Gordon Harris of NE Bicycle Adventures who willingly and enthusiastically offered to be my personal bike tour guide around Ipswich, MA, the place he has called home now for several years. It was a perfect late May day: bright sunshine and temperatures in the 70s. With camera, Cliff bar and camera in my pocket, I was stoked for a beautiful birthday ride and I know Gordon would not disappoint
.

Ipswich, 40 minutes East of Arlington, is a quintessential New England town with plenty of quiet roads that meander along the sea, state forests and apple orchards as well as through small towns with abundant period architecture—-in other words, the perfect ride that reminds me of the birthday rides I would take when I was a kid growing up in Southern, NH.

After a welcome snack and intro to the ride at Gordon’s house, we started pedaling, first through the town of Ipswich which I learn has more 1600 & 1700 historic homes than anywhere in NE.  I adore gazing at architecture while I ride so having Gordon point out the various historic homes on our route was a real treat.  From the village of Ipswich we ride to Great Neck and Little Neck, two glacial drumlins left from the last ice age that offer views of Plum Island, the Atlantic and Cape Ann. 

I mention coffee and Gordon loops the ride back to the village of Ipswich where we stop at Zumi’s cafe and I enjoy their special frozen drink and perfect biking pick-me-up: A coffee ice cream smoothie. Properly buzzed, Gordon leads us along the Ipswich Riverwalk Mural where residents star as characters in a delightful painting by Alan Pearsal that portrays the history of this remarkable little town.  Sweet NE Views, historic houses, coffee and now murals–Gordon is scoring big in my list of birthday treats.

The second half of our Historic Ride is the farm and forest portion of our tour. We ride up Perkins Row passing stunning homes to one of my favorite escapes with the kids, the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary that has delightful nature walks along ponds, rivers and marshes. Spottings of frogs, blue herons, turtles and birds are guaranteed.  For an area that is so close to Boston, these rural roads have the remoteness and beauty of Northern, Maine. We make our way to Bradley Palmer State Park, a 721-acre former estate features pine needled paths, acres of sunny rolling meadows and spectacular rhododendrons which line old carriage roads. Looking for an elegant, rural location for your next event? At the center of the patk is the Willowdale Estate, an Arts and Crafts mansion that has been rehabilitated in return for credit towards a long term lease through DCR’s Historic Curatorship Program.

The end of my birthday bike ride is nearing as we approach Appleton Farms and I savor the views of rolling grasslands, grazing livestock, stone walls, and historic farm buildings and a pastoral landscape that is a rare glimpse into New England’s agricultural past.  A gift of Colonel Francis R. Appleton, Jr., and his wife Joan, Appleton Farms is one of the oldest continuously operating farms in the country, established and maintained by nine generations of the Appleton family. Here’s another great place to bring your family, friends or to enjoy some peace and quiet all by yourself

Although in the past I had ridden fast through Ipswich to reach the beach or en route to Newburyport,  this more leisurely B-day tourist version, allowing for plenty of conversation, photography and discovery, was the perfect birthday present. Topping it off was riding with my dad and Gordon, who shares my idea of the perfect ride: blending miles, history and a jumbo frappuccino!

Thanks Gordon! Ciclismo Classico is so lucky to have you as our official New England bike tour guide

Enjoy the pictures from the ride!

I feel blessed to have such wonderful people in my midst. A ride up the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway not only provides a quiet, traffic-free escape from urban Arlington but whether I plan it or not, I usually meet up with very interesting people with whom I can share a few miles of cycling and free-flowing chat. I was riding the path with my dad yesterday and passed Tom Fortmann and his wife Carla who live in Lexington, literally steps away from where the American Revolution began in a lovely colonial house on the green.  Tom, by the way was one of the founders of the Minuteman Bikeway, the most used bike path in the country, and pushed for its creation against townsfolk who were convinced that it would increase crime.

Although he is a retired top executive, as many of our “retired” Ciclismo guests, at a super youthful looking and energetic 67, he is as busy as ever with a plethora of activities.  He is a grandfather of three, very active with the Massachusetts Board of Education and recently  performed as Paul Revere in Lexington’s “In Their Own Words,” a live performance with key players in the American Revolution.

As busy as he is, I will leap to the conclusion that what Tom loves most is to ride his bike. In the last ten years, Tom has ridden an average of 5,000 miles per year. Luckily he has our complete collection of Ciclismo jersies which he wears regularly. Tom and his wife, devoted Italiophiles are two of our most generous Ciclismo ambassadors; when our Ciclismo guides come to town they welcome and feed them with the requirement that only Italian is spoken

Last week Tom and a friend left me in the dust on a Charles River Wheelmen spring century. This week he will ride from Boston to Provincetown, the infamous “Cape in a Day” ride.  Only five months into the year Tom has ridden 3823 miles in preparation for his longest trip to date. In less than two weeks he will embark on a two month ride across the country on Timberline’s Odyssey 2010. Over the past ten years, Tom and his wife (a more leisurely cyclist) have taken our longest Ciclismo Classico tours: Bike Across Italy,  Giro d’Italia, Sardinia/Corsica (photo), The Best of Southern Italy and  Bike Across Southern Italy. In 2001, he and his Stanford buddies rented a villa and cycled around some of Tuscany’s most challenging roads.

Luckily, Tom has documented most of his cycling journeys on a unique website, Crazy Guy on A Bike

We look forward to following his cross country adventure on this web site

His favorite tour: Our 15 Day Giro D’Italia
His ride. A Seven
His favorite gelato flavor: Cioccolato

Good Luck Tom!

When I was in high school I remember spending hours in Betty Doyle’s massive vegetable garden on Hurricane Road in Keene, NH. I loved having my toes in the soil, weeding, laughing with Betty and of course bringing my bounty home to stir fry. 

Flash forward to my urban existance on Marathon St in Arlington. I have been whining about my tiny yard for years. It has barely enough room for the kids to play in and until this fall when I chose to cut down a hemlock tree to make room for my future vegetable garden.  Although, I wept like a baby at the cutting of this massive tree, replacing it with plants and now a 10 x 10 plot of fresh soil has finally created closure my treehugger’s mourning.

Although I had my share of critics on the Arlington List ( our town’s highly opinionated list serve)  who felt like I should plant and maintain my own garden, my time is limited and when young Ben (who I found on the A list) came to my house and offered his very reasonable services, that amounted to the cost of one week of groceries, how could I resist?  I am all for “doing it yourself” but I also see the tremendous value and satisfaction in supporting a young entrepreneur like Ben.  I see it more as a partnership. He has the skills, the passion and the talent that I want to invest in. Having a small garden reminded me of Italy, where no one has lawns, but everyone has  gardens! Now that Ben has gotten me started, the kids and I just have to maintain it.

Come to find out Ben skipped college and has been travelling the world to learn about growing food. He spent time in New Zealand and is now back in the Arlington trying, with the help of mom, to “grow” his business. Standing over my fresh soil, he asks me what veggies I like, I ask him what he wants to name his business. He says “Dig It”, I suggest “We Dig It”. He likes that and keeps digging.

The garden is now planted. I better get watering!  I am still not sure what I am going to do when we travel during the month of July and are away in August but I know I can pay Ben to do it. OK I won’t be doing the “work” and therefore cannot collect my “Do-it-yourself Gardener stars” but at least we will be producing lots of food that I plan to share with anyone who wants it. Want to be a bit greener? Find yourself a gardener and turn that lawn into a garden.  Just imagine if every tiny urban lawn was, for a small investment,  turned into a veggie garden.  Just imagine if more young urban kids realized that they could support themselves by digging up lawns and planting seeds.

Live in the Arlington area? Got a small, sunny plot of land? Grow your own veggies!
email Ben @ Bennyb73@gmail.com

Here’s a story to inspire your day thanks to WIMP.http://www.wimp.com/

It’s a about Andy Mackie, the Harmonica man who at 70 years old is glad to be alive. He’s a Scottish born horse trainer who lives in a camper in NW Washington state even though technically he should not be alive. After his 9th heart surgery Andy’s doctors’ had him on 15 different medicines. The side affects made him

The Reasons we Ride

Mom (1933-2004) You are on Every Ride!
Thank You PMC sponsors! Another wonderful summer, my 19th Pan Mass Challenge and feeling so blessed and thankful for your support. My grand total thus far is over ,500 making me a heavy hitter for the second year in a row! My individual thank you letters are going out to each of my sponsors but I also wanted to thank my 60

Our family at Parco Della Cittadella

The Bicing Resident Bike rental service
For the second year in a row, my family has opted to use bicycles to get around the European cities we visit (and I have chosen to visit cities that are bikeable.  Last year we launched our European city biking explorations with a Bike with Mike tour through Copenhagen. Since then I have no problem selling them on