An Autre Jour en France

September 3, 2014
Coutances, France




Off a back farm yard next to the farm dump. With April gone, so has the magic of finding sweet camping spots:(. Although last nights was nice: off a rail trail at a gate to a horse pasture. This morning I found out 4 donkeys (or mules...wish I knew how to differentiate...note to self) also resided in that pasture and they liked to paw the plastic buckets earlier and also heehaw the most godawful sound that would wake the dead. How can that gut wrenching noise come out of that sweet animal? I'd never heard anything like it. Won't be animals tonight. Just me and the blackberries. I'd continue on to see what's up ahead, but I don't want to pass this town and it's only a couple of miles away. I need to get to the Orange shop to get my phone card straightened out.

I'm speaking French. It's rusty and people who stopped and asked me a question start to turn away but I ask them to forgive me and try again. Some are more patient than others. My mind races to find those words not used for 45 years. When I get my phone working again I'm going to look some lost or new words up. I just need them to talk slower. And I ask them to do that. Slow, like my bike:)

The French don't like to wave, I've noticed. After weeks of people waving or lifting at least a finger when they pass me, this staring with no acknowledgement is a bit weird. I wave. Nothing. I think in 3 days 2 people have waved. Oh well. Just different. It's hard not being able to chat people up because that's what I do. I hope it gets easier each day. I'll keep trying. I had a woman today say I spoke good French. All I had asked her was "parlez-vous englais?" (Do you speak English?). It forces me to stumble along throwing words at her to get my message across. Then I grope to understand what she's saying back to me. Pride goes out the window when communication is necessary:). And I can easily laugh at myself! Just happy for the connection!!

Off to wash up and fix some dinner. Maybe just zucchini and Parmesan. Maybe noodles too. I'm pretty tired. 22 miles on a gravel-y, flat rail trail is exhausting. I averaged only 5 mph and I worked for every one!

I thought I was done writing for tonight, but I just had in interlude with the farmer. Imagine my surprise when a truck pulls in up the road! In my broken French I ask him if this is a problem and he shakes his head. All I can think about is having to pack up and move on. I'm too tired. As I struggle to respond, he breaks into a smile and says it's fine. Then I get the usual questions about feast and being alone and then a new one...is that tent for 2 people or just one? What is he insinuating?!! Just one, I respond even though it's a 2 person tent. This after telling me I'm a beautiful woman. And I laugh. Then I ask him the French word for blackberry and he mentions that all the farmers here make it into jam. And he said he grew a lot of corn. Then he wished me a goodnight, all the while pondering why anyone would do what I do. You could read it in his face. Murphy's Law, isn't it? How many times have you pulled I to a driveway to turn around just to have the homeowners want to pull in behind you? It happens to me a lot! Tonight was a perfect example. Oh well. Now I'm camping with permission!


Livin' the life,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

Je Parle un Peu de Francais

September 1, 2014
Brix, France

I'll keep writing even though I can't find a wifi strong enough to upload these posts with the photos. One frustration after another. (It's titled BagLady's Travels and Torments for a reason...sometimes I like to complain:)). I had a long list of things I was going to get done over the wifi on the ferry. Not! Too weak. Argh. Then I figured I'd get a new SIM card in France and it would work better than my UK one on roaming. And that wasn't easy or simple. One girl spoke English but chose not to comprehend even when a gentlemen stepped in to help translate. You mean you can't just tell me the series of steps I have to take to buy and activate a card. How hard can it be?? And I have to what to buy a plan? Go to the Tobacco shop to put € on my account? You can't take my money in the Orange store? The store that sells and provides the service. I did all that they asked and while they closed for lunch, the 17€ I had on my account dropped to 4€ and is now 1€ maybe. I go back to Orange. Where's my money go? It's your phone. It ate it. Mise en jouer or something she said. How do I tell Orange which plan I want after the Tobacco guy puts money on my account? Blank look. I don't know what you mean. The Tobacco guy is suppose to do something more. Really? What? Clueless. I go back to Tobacco guy who speaks fairly good English. I have to put more money on. Will you call Orange and see if you can figure out the final step that applies the money I have on credit to a plan? He tried to first call and apply the voucher on my account but Orange was having technical difficulties. Argh! I gave up and left town. I have a voucher for 10 € more but I'm not calling it into my account until someone tells me how I get it applied to a plan before it just dissolves before my very eyes. This has been the most costly and most frustrating of all the new SIM card experiences. If you don't hear from me often, that's why. No service. Might do me good to disconnect. Who knows.

The good news is, once you find them, there are well marked cycle routes down lovely lanes and back roads. I did manage to get a book at the Tourist Information that shows them for this area. That should be good for a few days. They're longer to travel, but so much quieter.

And it's warmer here! Feels almost like home in many ways. No rain all day! Wahoo!

I'm tucked away in a farmer's field tonight. No views but oh so quiet and relaxing. Guess I needed this after my 18 hour ferry ride. I don't handle motion well so I took a bit of Dramamine. And as usual it knocked me out. I slept 12 hours. Good way to pass the time. So many people. So expensive. Better to sleep. And frustrate over the internet.

Overheard on the ferry:
Mother: Make sure your doll doesn't drop.

Little girl: I'm make sure-ing:)

Gotta love kids!

I did meet a fellow Triker, Stephan, from Germany that also took the ferry. I think folks thought we were together because we were riding the same bikes.



Livin' the life,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerma

Sleeping in a Cemetery

August 29, 2014
Ballygarrett, Ireland

After so many great camping spots, including last night's windy cliff spot
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ya have to finally suffer. A challenge to find because the area is populated without nooks and crannies for the likes of me...and not the finest of accommodations although someone did recently mow the lawn here in anticipation of my arrival...in the cemetery.

But the grave stones up the hill have a water view. I can hear the ocean. That must count for something.

Busy, social day. Started with John, the B&B owner next to my cliff campsite inviting me over for morning coffee with a shrill whistle and raising a cup. I gave him a thumbs up.



Oh did he have some great stories of guests he'd had. Especially the girl walking from Dublin to Rosslare carrying a harp to earn her keep.

Later in the day I came upon Julie and her mom, Sheila out for a walk. Sheila's wheelchair-bound now but has lived in her husband's family farmhouse 60 years. It's been in the same family for over 300 years! I wisely said yes to their invite for coffee and had a wonderful chat. Special moments!



Later a mom waiting for her son to get off the bus chatted with me saying she hoped that when she was older she would get to explore the world like I was. You can if you want to. Just put one foot in front of the other and make it happen.





Livin' the life,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

A Sunny Day in Ireland

August 31, 2014
Rosslare, Ireland

It's my last morning in Ireland and sadly, I'm happy to be leaving. The rain and cold has done me in this time and the warmth of the people was not enough to overcome it. And they have been warm and welcoming, cheering me on with their smiles...and cups of coffee:)

So wouldn't ya know it...on my last night here, I got my worst campsite: the side of a dirt road that leads to a cemetery. It had a grassy flat spot and after many attempts down odd lanes that led to condos, No Camping signs, or cow pastures, all overlooking the ocean with great views, I had to settle for this. But I learned that the view isn't always on the ground when I got this to watch out my tent door:




And this morning, would ya believe it? Sun and not a cloud in the sky. Not a wisp. Nada. I checked in every direction because I couldn't believe Ireland ever had days like this! So thank you, Ireland, for this beautiful last day on your green, green land!!!



Livin' the life,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

Livin' the life,

BagLady

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Livin' the life,

BagLady

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

August 18, 2014
Lough Gamhna, Ireland
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Camped by a lake tonight
Camped on the Shannon River the last 2 nights...2 different spots.
Camped by a lake the night before that, just out of Sligo
Camped overlooking the Atlantic Ocean from a roadside park the night before that.

Have had a lot of water views this past week. And always seem to luck out with really great wild camping spots. But can't say we've been as lucky with the weather. Very cold (50's) and raining on and off all day long, every day. We never know if it's just a passing sprinkle or going to be a soaker so each time the rain starts, we have to stop and put away our solar panels (for charging smartphones) and get rain coats on. If we don't keep our gear dry, we won't get it dry. One day we literally put on and took of four coats about 8 times an hour. Exhausting! And when those storm clouds come, the temps drop 10-15* and it gets darn chilly. I'm pretty tired of this Irish weather. You can have it! It's been one cold August, that's all I can say! And it's too rainy and cold to do laundry, so after 2 weeks of not washing and there not being laundromats in Ireland, we checked into a campground so we could wash them. Not sure $40 for the two of us to do laundry (since there was nothing else we needed there) was really worth it:/. The laundry cost alone was $13 for one load washed and dried by us. And he made us share a tent or it would have cost us $10 more! See why we don't stay in campgrounds? We just get water at pubs or grocery stores during the day and have everything we need to stay anywhere we find.

We did happen upon an Irish music festival in Sligo last Friday. It's a week long event with competitions, venues, and buskers (street performers). Tens of thousands usually attend they say. It was quite busy there. We decided to stay just shy of Sligo the night before and cycle in to spend the day there, then cycle out. With those crowds, there wouldn't be camping options. The music and dancing we're fun to watch and hear. I loved the children playing in small groups on the streets. I even got pulled in to dancing with one guy doing an Irish jig. "You looked like you knew what you were doing!"said Mark, a cycle touring guy from Texas we met at the campground and spotted again at the festival. "I faked it!" I replied!!

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But an afternoon was enough of those crowds and we were ready to cycle out. 5 miles out of town we found a delightful picnic spot on a lake and bedded down for the night. How lucky was that?

We're dragging our heels a bit as we're heading west to east across Ireland just north of Dublin. We have more time than miles and if it was warmer and sunnier, we'd probably stay a day at one of these lake sights. But instead we dally. Sleep in. Leisurely coffee. Stop often. Stop early for the night. It's a pleasure going this pace:)

April's having a time with her feet blistering and she's suffering every day. We think it started because of all the rain and wet but even all bandaged up she's still hurting. I've had some strange hot spots in places that make no contact with any part of my sandals. Very weird but not as painful as what poor April is dealing with and can't seem to stop. She's only got less than a week left with me and I think her feet are happy about that.

Tonight I had to mend my only pants. They are favorites that I've worn on every tour. Can't find replacements that dry as quickly and fit over my bike shoes. I take these on and off multiple times a day. So when the seat seams and pockets started ripping, I decided they needed mending.

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Well, my hands are frozen being out from under the sleeping bag, so it's time to bid goodnight.


Livin' the life,

BagLady

Sun Showers

August 11, 2014
Killeter, Northern Ireland



We may have been rained out yesterday, but oh did we get "trail magic"! About midday when the rain was taking a rest, we wandered into town to find water and power. Being Sunday not much was happening but we did find a wee pub open. They kindly took us in and fixed us coffee and toast, then later biscuits, and later yet, wine and beer! Collette and her husband have owned it for 25 years. It was the sweetest, cozies place to land on a rainy Sunday afternoon.


Today we pedaled on but not until we stopped by for water and hugs!

When we look at weather reports here, they often show raindrops, a cloud, and sunshine all in the same icon. Now we know why. It means anything can happen and many times all three! That was today. Rain and cold, then sun and sweat. Jacket and pants on and off. At one time I was in my skirt with my raincoat, hat, and gloves on! We often look at the hourly forecast to see when the heaviest rain is expected but mostly see this trio. Today was most challenging because if we get too wet, we get too cold. Temps are in the high 50s to low 60s here and drop at least 10 degrees when one of those rain fronts passes over. In fact, the temp dropping means rain is coming. Today feeling that change in temperature and wind pick up I was worried about getting drenched when I spotted the open doors of a barn and cycled right in. April followed although she said she wouldn't normally do that. The sky opened up! We would have been so so wet. Good timing. It was a tractor barn and the farmer never knew he provided a haven for us.

Sometimes all we can do is stop, put up our umbrellas blocking the rain and huddle behind it with legs pulled up onto the bike frame. It works amazingly well and we sit waiting for the heavy stuff to pass. Rain. Sun. Rain. Sun. All day long. It just started raining again. And sometimes it rains when the sun is out, what the Irish refer to as "sun showers". We had a lot of them today!!!

Today after our huddle we cycled into a small village and saw a tent set up in front of a pub and pulled under it. The pub emptied out to study us and our funny bikes. Before we knew it everyone was riding them up and down Main Street racing each other. What a sight!







They found us a place to camp "in the garden", actually a small unmowed pasture in the Y just out of town. May have been a bad idea since the teens are already harassing us throwing rocks at our tents and propositioning April:). I followed them back up to the pub and told them we didn't want any trouble tonight. "Remember, we're Americans...and we carry guns!" Had to frighten them somehow! Hope it works.


Livin' the life,

BagLady

Tis a Rainy Day in Ireland!

August 10, 2013
Newtonstewart, Ireland or Northern Ireland



It's hard to know which country I'm in at any given time without seeing the color of the post office. If it's red, then that's the Royal Mail and I'm in the UK (Northern Ireland). If it's green, the Ireland. That was how I figured out yesterday that we had crossed the border sometime earlier. And it means we have to use Euros to buy stuff. Luckily my wallet has a pouch on either side: Euros on one, and Pounds Sterling on the other! People living along the border must do the same, although it appears the stores will take either with no exchange rate even though we pay more for £ than for €.

Forecast Summary
Sunday: Cloudy with showers or longer outbreaks of rain, becoming heavy at times.

Yup, that's today's forecast. So needless to say, we didn't pack up this morning. Looks like a zero day (day with zero miles) in our tents in a town park by the river near a beautiful ancient bridge. We're a bit light on water but hopefully if the rain stops for a while we can stroll into town (?) and find some. Also low on power. The iPhone is a great source of entertainment but also eats up power quickly. I have a power pack with a couple of recharges and then that's it. No sun, no power. Amazingly the solar panel has really earned it's keep. Most days I get a full charge off if it for both my phone and my power pack top off.

My tent is strewn with gear and clothes and food. It's probably a good thing I brought the 2 person one. Not so cramped when "house-bound":). And everything is getting a bit smelly. Showers and laundry have been scarce this last week or longer. I do a wash up most every night in a small amount of water and soap right in my tent. Last night was a luxury with a fresh waster river nearby and I got a full body wash including hair. Too cold for swimming though. (And a bit dangerous according to the signs.). But my clothes stink. Washed my silk boxers last night. I wear them under my cycling skirt to be "decent". They're soft and comfy. Sure beats the hot and heavy compression liners they put underneath. I cut them out. We can't find a laundromat here. Even in Londonderry they said there wasn't one. Supposedly everyone has a washing machine, even in apartments.

Yes we did cycle through the Walled City of Derry or Londonderry. Cities are not our favorite place to be, but I wanted to see it. We thought we'd stay at a hostel to get showers and laundry. Nope, they were full up. And another was on the 2nd floor...not good for bikes. So we decided to see the sights and cycle on. Who needs a shower and laundry anyways? Overrated, I always say:). So in the middle of this city is a wall all the way around a center section with archways to enter. And inside are shops. Lots of shops! Ok. Saw the wall. The most interesting thing we checked out was a gallery of photos about the conflict in the 70s. Very moving. That's what comes to mind for me when I hear "Northern Ireland". Internal strife. One man my age said when he went to school, the children were searched every day for bombs. It was a way of life. Get on with it.

I have to say I don't always get everything that's said to me by the Irish. Sometimes the accent is so strong I can only pick out a word or two. If it's important, like directions, I ask them to repeat it...but if they're just chatting away, I nod and smile and act as if I understood. Then April and I ask each other, "Did you get that?" "No, I thought you did!"

So that night after touring Derry, we continued following the National Cycle Route we've been on since Larne down along the river on a cycle path. And what do we come upon? A clearing with a bench and a sculpture and a mace for our tents! Nicer than any hostel! Sun, no midgies, no bees, delightful evening!!! So glad we didn't stay in the city:))))


Livin' the life,

BagLady

"Keep It Between the Hedges"

August 6, 2014
(Happy Birthday, Nate!)
Castlerock, Northern Ireland

Camped in an open field surrounded by woods tonight. Last night we camped next to the remains of a church an cemetery built in the 1300's.


Night before on a coastal overlook.


Night before that along a stream by the side of the road.



Night before that in a campground we took refuge in during a torrential rain storm.

Been a hilly and rainy week. But between the hills and the drops we've met some kind Irish souls and seen castles and cliffs and unusual geological formations.

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And I had a 65th birthday this week. Hate to admit my age, but it is what it is. And how many women my age are doing what I'm doing? (Or would want to, some would say:)). April began my special day with coffee cake. Rich cake flavored with coffee! Perfect! We got to eat it at every break!!! And candy! And colored pencils to draw with after she's gone and I do more of my artwork.


Now this is Aug 4th and I have 3 hats on my head to stay warm. Summer has a whole different definition up here:). Then when the sun comes out, I'm stripping everything off!

We are cycling the Coastal Route which hosted the Giro, an Italian cycling race similar to the Tour de France and pink bicycles are everywhere along the route.

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Last night as we left Dunluce Castle pondering with locals about where to camp, an Irish elderly gentleman said, "We have this saying up here: 'Just keep it between the hedges!' ". And I knew then the title of my next blog!!!

There's been a lot of fascination about our bikes and our tour. Exhaustingly so. It's nice having April here to buffer them and handle her share. Too much of a good thing, I'm afraid. I like to share but telling the same story again and again and again does get old. We're starting to keep it simple. Sometimes we just say we biked from Madrid with no further explanation. Sometimes I just say we're biking around the world without explaining that April's going home. And sometimes they even get to sit:)




Ya know how I've struggled with ticks and midgies (no-see-ums or sand flies) in Scotland? Here in Ireland it's yellow jackets. Aggressive ones that keep harassing me even as I'm walking away trying to eat my breakfast. Argh!

Livin' the life,

BagLady