Dave Byrnes' Adventures

Round Ireland - 2016
Overview     Planned Schedule     Map     Diary     Pictures
Day: 078
Date: Friday, 10 June 2016
Start: Ballynure
Finish: Belfast
Daily Kilometres: 26
Total Kilometres: 2157
Weather: Mild, humid and hazy to mid-afternoon, then overcast with rain.
Accommodation: Bramble Lodge B&B, Bangor
Nutrition: Breakfast:  Cereal, scrambled eggs & smoked salmon, toast & jam
Lunch:  Sandwich
Dinner:  Cod, chips & mushy peas, ice-cream
Aches: None
Highlight: None really
Lowlight: The last 90 minutes of today's walk by a freeway and then through an industrial area which seemed to go on forever when I was hoping for a short day.  To add to my misery, it began raining hard.  Then, to cap it off, when I reached Belfast and caught a train to Bangor (and my B&B) I had to stand up in the crowded peak-hour train, wet and stinking, I'm sure.
Pictures: Here
GPS Track: Here
Journal: The day started well with a good breakfast and no problems catching my bus from Larne back to Ballynure where I stopped walking yesterday.  I was looking forward to a relatively easy roadwalk into Belfast, despite a latish start (10:30am).

I picked rural backroads into the northern suburbs of Belfast on a warm and sticky morning, and then it seemed to cool a little as I joined a bicycle route that would take me all the way into the city.  As I neared the coast, I bought a sandwich from a store near the bike path and when I reached the coast found a park bench overlooking the sea to have my lunch.  A few ships were going in and out of the port, and people were out walking and riding along the path, which was quite scenic apart from the uninviting brownish water in the bay.  Despite the persistent heavy haze I could just make out the cranes in the distant Belfast seaport and shipyards (home of the Titanic) along with a large ferry.

After lunch I followed the bike path towards Belfast and enjoyed the scenery, but it all went downhill with about 7km to go, when the path turned inland and paralleled a busy and noisy freeway before entering an industrial and port area that seemed to go on endlessly.  It began raining heavily, I put on my jacket, and just continued plodding along wanting the day to end.  Eventually, I reached the city area around 4:40pm and made a beeline for the railway station where I caught a train for Bangor, about 20km out of town, which is on my route and was the only place near to Belfast where I could get reasonably-priced accommodation on the weekend.

It was peak hour and the train was full.  Even I think I smell, especially when I'm wet, and I pitied my fellow passengers, though no more than I pitied myself having to stand all the way when I dearly wanted to sit down.  At Bangor it was still raining as I walked 400m to my B&B and checked in without a problem.  Later, I walked into the beach resort shopping centre and bought some take-out dinner.

Tomorrow I plan to catch a train back into Belfast, have a look around and then walk back to Bangor tomorrow afternoon.  I might just take a small foldable day-pack I have and maybe even just wear my spare (running) shoes for the day.  My feet are already getting excited about that prospect.

ADVENTURE LIST

 

Round Ireland
(2016)

Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)

Via Alpina
(2012)

Australian Alps Walking Track
(2011)

Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)

Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)

Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)

Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)

Three Peaks Race
(2004)

Appalachian Trail
(1986)

Alpine Track
(1983)

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You can email Dave directly at dave@davebyrnes.com.au or subscribe to his Adventure Blogs here.

You can see Dave's Running Blog here.