Thursday, 3 May 2007

Day 6. Cork to Inchydoney. 47.4 miles 4 hours 34

Google Inchydoney. See? Gorgeous. As is Kinsale, Kinsale Head and the beaches en route here are as pretty as anything on Lewis or at Sidney... The town of Timoleague should be in a movie or a TV programme. Gorgeous. The civic art in Belgooly? Bizarre. Truly, I would have taken a pic if I weren't so horrified by it...

Anyway, Ray D'arcy tells the nation my knee is giving me hassle on the radio yesterday, and basically appeals for some accommodation for me...

Which is why I end up here... www.inchydoneyisland.com but it was a tough ride to get here, really. an I didn't eat enough as I underestimated the distance and the hills . Kinsale was pretty much ALL uphill from Cork apart from the final drop down into the port. Kinsale head is rugged, peaceful, wild and spoiled by a golf course on the vey tip. Please, spare me from golf. Please, the Irish need a National Trust equivalent to reclaim this bit of land. It's as crass as anything I've ever seen.. anyway, the beaches heading west? Stunning. The roads? Brutal. hilly, and partially surfaced for about 4 miles that felt like riding through treacle. Can I dispel a myth? Irish roads are OK. pretty good a lot of the time. Honestly. Except the bit near Timoleague.

I was on my last legs when I got to the Spa and met Ruth, who'd offered me the room for the night and the treatments for my legs. I was whisked to a room with a view of the beach and taken to meet Aoife who was to sort out my knotted muscles and to do some cryotherapy on me!

2 relaxing and occasionally painful hours later, after all the knots were ironed out of my legs I was shown to the thalasso therapy spa. I went to a spa in the Pyrenees last year, and it was one of the highlights of my holiday. This one was a little different in it uses sea water. Amazing... Jets of water massaged and relaxed my back and legs and neck and to be honest, I'm falling asleep writing this! zzz.

Short day tomorrow, then press on!

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