I've concluded that yesterdays run of events was as a result of me upsetting the Patron Saint of Irish Breakfasts, a punishment if you like, for me starting my day with a bowl of fruit. I've decided I'm not going to risk that again, so this morning started with a full fry, I have to say it's been a fantastic day today !
I deviated from the Wild Atlantic Way this morning, deciding to take a few hours to drive around Glenveagh National Park, thank you Mr Doyle for the recommendation. It was a huge contrast to the scenery I've been used to whilst driving the coast, out in the national park it was rocks and mountains, wild grass, and forest, parts of it looked almost jurassic !
Mount Errigal
The derelict church at Dunlewy
As time is my friend on this trip, I decided to have a few games of "Let's have a look what's down this funny little road" and spent the next couple of hours totally lost on roads that would make Juha Kankkunen's eye's water, roads that Google maps say don't exist, and roads that I'm not even sure where roads, it was amazing !
According to Google Maps I was in a field when I took this, there we no roads anywhere near me !
Another thing I find fascinating is the Irish passion for selling coffee in extreme locations.....I'm not sure if they are doing this because they think it's a good place to sell to tourists or if it's "if we are up here the Revenue will never finds us" !!!
Back to the main event, I drive the main road down to Dungloe, then start driving back North on the Wild Atlantic Way back towards Dunfanaghy where my hotel is, filling in the bits of the WAW that's i've not driven.
First stop was Burtonport where you can catch the Arranmore Island Ferry, but I committed to a day on dry land today, so gave that a miss.
And then on to Carrickfinn Beach, have to say the best beach yet, absolutely out of this world, and very popular too, there was a total of 5 humans (inc me) and 2 dogs, so the busiest beach I've been on....
From there it was onto Bunbeg Harbour, officially Ireland's smallest fishing port.
Final stop for the day was Bloody Foreland, which had such amazing views.
So, I've got as far as Dungloe on the WAW by day 6, which my guide book tells me is 211 Miles from the start point in Muff. Based on this average, the 1500 miles trip is going to take me just over 45 days.....