Day 11. Waterville - Milltown 42 miles ish. Bike computer doesn't like rain!

Luckily, I'd done the worst climb of the ring of Kerry last thing yesterday: Coomakista Pass is only about 300 metres, but you start at sea level, and, well, with the horrendous head-wind which really must have been near-gale force at times (that's 7 on the Beaufort Scale, readers) i was doing 3.5-5 miles an hour all the way up it, only to find the hostel in town was shut down, the B&B was a little spartan, and the pub had a loud-mouthed Londoner with tourettes in it. Before I got there. Anyway... that's yesterday evening. I set out after a ridiculously early check-out. 0930, into cold rain. Nasty. the wind wasn't as strong as the day before, and as I knew I'd be heading inland after 10 miles or so, I was happy to have it at my back for most of the day. I found a library with internet access, but the PC worked so badly that it could have been set up by Prav Gupta. (in-joke for vermin).

Disgruntled, and still unable to work out why these blogs appear to be out of synch (any ideas Mikey?) i rode off and met the German couple on their bike tour that Rebecca had told me about. They had so much kit strapped to their bikes that I was moving about 50% faster than they could. Nice couple, but where's the fun in that?

Nayway. The cloud was low enough to obscure the views accross to the Dingle peninsula, and if I'm honest, the traffic on Inveragh was so heavy and fast at times to spoil it as a cycling route. I did get a glimpse of Inch Beach where Keith and Jane went on their honeymoon and I'm keen to see it properly as everyone says how gorgeous it is.

I stopped for a cup of tea in Glenbeigh as I was fed up of the drizzle, and it was there the day improved. I met Jill and Wilkie (proof that not everyone whose name sounds that way isn't best avoided, ignored or worse) and they recognised my bike from the paper straight away. Being a family of cyclists - their sons Louis and Michael race (I think Ava their daughter is much more keen on her dancing), they were keen to find out about the trip. 3 minutes later, I was offered a bed for the night and the rest is history.

Riding through Kilorglin on the way here I met my first traqffic jam since Dublin. I also met Steve, my first Leicesterfarian, from Huncote. He's left the M69 corridor to live in Kerry and he's been here for 9 years. I can see why, but, oh, I'd miss the curries.

I'll be headed for Dingle when I leave their house, which from where I sit, I can see Carauntoohil from the window. Thanks guys!