For the past 2 days I have been biking  the Isle of Skye and the Outer Hebrides. Weather has been cloudy with sunny periods. Highlight was an afternoon and night camping on Luskentrye beach, where the sand is so smooth and goes for as far as the eye can see that the sound of surf  over sand goes on and on and on in one long continuous note.

Yesterday's hike throgh the Giants Causeway  was a day of grey wet dizzying views of towering stacks of rock blocks. This mornings ride from Ballycastle to Larne was a times through groves of sunlight dappled trees and then out to lush bright green fields spotted in the distance with sheep lamb, a stone bridge over sparkling stream. Like riding through heaven.

.

Break time in Belfast for street scone and latte.

Second day in Belfast was spent cabing through areas of Belfast most effected by the 'troubles' in the 80s. The driver was 9  at the time and vividly described the violence then and the continuation today of the seretarian tension as evidenced by 50 foot walls still being built, wall murals, marches and towering annual bonfires.
Past and present also came together touring Belfast ship yard where enormous oil rigs are built in drydocks that once housed boats like the Titanic.

The ride from Carling ford to Belfast followed the  Carlingford Lough and was a series of quiet roads gentle rolling hills, past former shipping docks of Newry and stone bridges just before entering Belfast  Once in Belfast the skies opened and it has been wet and cold all afternoon. I kept warm by eating an enormous, spicy burrito and wandering around Queens University Botanical Garden.

Since Galway I have stayed in three communities. Dublin was a day and half of art, history and exploring and energetic city by bike. The art highlights included paintings by the old masters including a Vermeer titled Lady In Waiting, a collection of rare books ornately bound in leather, a collection of intricate Japanese ornamental netsukas and readings of excerpts from various novels for The Word On The Street event.
The history occurred wandering through Trinity College and taking a tour of the Dublin prison infamous for the role it played in attempting to prevent the formation of the Republic of Ireland
The second day was taken up riding to Drogheda.
And the third day was  a ride to Collingford with a stop mid morning to tour burial tombs built 6000 years ago.

Galway's downtown core  is built around a series of  pedestrian only streets and lanes lined with cafés, bistros, gelato parlours and clothing shops. Busker's music and magic further add to the charm of this area.

Stoned on stones

Writing from the smallest Arayan Island, Inis Oirr.  Not a Not a tree on this tiny island, but a labyrinth of intricate stonewalls. The hamlet has one general store, one active church and four pubs., occupied from noon onwards. I 'll try some wild camping tonight.