Easter Sunday spin

[Jockser]

Not having been out last weekend, and with nobody here this w/e except me & the mutt, I thought I might take a wee spin on the Sunday

Yesterday dawned overcast & cool but towards the middle of the day the cloud broke up & the temps rose.
I finished the other bits I had to do & considered what I was gonna do with my afternoon
Yep, weather looks good - even the neighbours horses are sunbathing

Right, time to get the bike out & get going
Ah, there she is, ready & waiting
(And feck off about the state of the garage, the GS, etc. Timmy's rules apply to this pic )

Decided I'd do a little tour along the Grand Canal as I hadn't been down that way yet this year.
First stop Vicarstown. Lookin' good

Just down the road you get to the Camac aqueduct where the Grand Canal crosses the River Stradbally

Looking upstream from the aqueduct you can see the fish counter in front of the bridge

Looking downstream

On another bit & you come to Ballymanus Bridge which has been beautifully restored

Looking south from the bridge

Off to the side there's what looks like a chicken farm. No sound of chickens though

They're obviously not keen on visitors 'dropping in' though

Looking back the way I'd come

The road isn't too good hereabouts

I think this is the top of an old railway carriage

 

[Jockser]

The countryside hereabouts is very flat, which is kinda important when you're building a canal
But, in the background you can see the hills between Timahoe & Castlecomer

New residents
But at least the area around them is being kept a bit cleaner than the norm

And an old residence (or part thereof) & yard

Hello, anyone home

Nope. They musta heard me coming & scarpered

Be nice to have the time & money for something like this

And then we come to Milltown Bridge

From where you can see the back of the Clarion (I think) hotel in Kilberry

 

[Jockser]

Hmmm, I wonder....

Ah sure, why not

It never ceases to amaze me what people will dump in scenic / public places

Plenty of colour around

Didn't see much wildlife, except pigeons & crows, but there must be some around. No idea what it's from though. Calling Vireo.....

Heading back in the direction I came from but on the opposite bank. This is the old tow path but now it's the 'Barrow Way'

And back to Ballymanus Bridge

Someone out for a bit of exercise

Ah, that's the life (though I think I'd have 'parked' a bit further away from the beer drinking foreigners who looked like they'd been sat on the jetty all weekend !)

 

[Jockser]

The old National School in Vicarstown
They don't build them like that anymore

Looking back at the aqueduct from near the fish counter

The Barrow from Dunrally Bridge
Looking North

And south

The straightest bit of 'road' hereabouts

Not a very long spin today but it still took me nearly 4 hours.
And I was knackered after it


Things I learnt today :
I'm not fit
Need more air in the tyres for road work - it's not a trials bike
You don't (always) need speed
You can have just as much craic in a small area if you take your time as you can covering half the country

Did I mention I'm not fit ?

 

[Jockser]

So that's it
Another day over. Another RR filed.
Thanks for looking



Time to load up & head home

 

[Aidan1150]

Tosser.

 

[Hairnet600]

timmys rule about the garaqge pic and you file the last one

shure the kids werent with ya and you used low range lmao

you like views from bridges where this so

 

[bogman]

Great selection of photos there Jockser

 

[Ravenbyrne]

I started reading this thread about an hour ago and am only now picking meself up off the floor.

Thank's be ta God ya didn't post a pic of yourself wearing those little black lycra cycling shorts

Good man yourself, looks like you had fun,

I should have taken you up on your offer, but to be honest I'd look like an elephant in a sausage skin in my lycra shorts

great photo's

 

[Kamikaze]

Not having been out last weekend, and with nobody here this w/e except me, the mutt,

Right, time to get the bike out & get going
Ah, there she is, ready & waiting
(And feck off about the state of the garage, the GS, etc. Timmy's rules apply to this pic )

Feck Timmy. You'd have got as much exercise washing the GS.

Off to the side there's what looks like a chicken farm. No sound of chickens though

They're obviously not keen on visitors 'dropping in' though

There used to be a mink farm out that direction many years ago. Don't know if it's still operational. Would it have been that?

 

[(RIP) petcul]

Nice shots young man. Looking forward to seeing the slimmed down version of Jockser (tho not necessarily in lycra)

 

[Steve V]

timmys rule about the garaqge pic and you file the last one

shure the kids werent with ya and you used low range lmao

you like views from bridges where this so

Mmm .....Elvet bridge with browns Boat house on the right and the stunning Durham cathedral in the distance, very nice

 

[Hairnet600]

a euro to the local

 

[BOIRCHE]

NO lycra clad Pics Please!!, still traumatised from the Baywatch Speedo ones!, enjoyed the pics thanks for sharing








P.S. keep your Sudocream in the fridge.....very soothing for yer sore arse......Ooer Aaaaaaaaaah!

 

[Jockser]

Feckin' Durham ! Never been there so no hope of guessing the bridge. Had ya none that I might have guessed

Defo no Lycra pics, you're safe lads

Tom, it wasn't me that posted the bathers pic

Jim, you could be right. About the minks, not about washing the GS

 

[GerryC]

They're obviously not keen on visitors 'dropping in' though

Is it just me - this image is chillingly redolent of something else = concentrate?

 

[Kamikaze]

It sure does, Gerry.
If the mink escape, they are viscous and pose such a risk to native wildlife as to make foxes look like teddy bears, apparently.
Add to that the anti fur protestors, who might like to let the cuties run free and security becomes a concern.

 

[big fella]

Feck Timmy. You'd have got as much exercise washing the GS.



There used to be a mink farm out that direction many years ago. Don't know if it's still operational. Would it have been that?

Looks like a Leprechaun training camp?