Dave Byrnes

Round Ireland - 2016

Overview Planned Schedule Map Diary Pictures

Day:	080
Date:	Sunday, 12 June 2016
Start:	Bangor
Finish:	Portaferry
Daily Kilometres:	36
Total Kilometres:	2219
Weather:	Overcast with lengthy rain periods in the morning and warmer with some sun late in the afternoon.
Accommodation:	Adair's B&B
Nutrition:	Breakfast: Fruit & yoghurt, scrambled eggs on toast, toast & jam Lunch: Muesli bars, Snickers Bars and chocolate Dinner: Hamburger with the lot, chips, fruit trifle
Aches:	Sore feet
Highlight:	None really
Lowlight:	Passing through the village of Kircubbin, I needed a 'loo' stop when I spied a sign that said 'Toilets 700yds'. Of course, by the time I got there I really needed to go, but I found it was one of those fully automatic toilets that required 10 pence to open. I didn't have any change in my pockets and had to undo my rucksack and dry bags, not a quick process, to get to my wallet and the needed coins.
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	The North Down Coastal Path, along which I walked yesterday, was a 'quality' Ulster Way section according to their website and I now have to get to the next 'quality' section that starts from Strangford. The website suggests a 'linking' route which mostly follows the east coast road southwards, but it seemed indirect to me and I decided to on a more direct route utilising what looked like minor roads for at least part of the way. My goal was Portaferry, a short ferry trip from Strangford, but it was going to be a 36km day to get there. It was overcast and cool when I left Bangor at 9am, but there was rain in the forecast, and it started an hour later. Spitting at first, but gradually getting heavier until I had to put on my jacket. The narrow road was not as minor as it had seemed on the map and there was a lot of traffic, adding to the unpleasantness. The countryside was green and undulating, with some unidentified crops complementing the usual cattle and sheep, but my attention was primarily on the oncoming vehicles. As the rain puddles got bigger, I also had to make judgments about when to hurry or stop to avoid getting drenched by the passing vehicles. The rain just kept falling, and while not torrential, was saturating everything. I just kept plodding along, listening to 'The Economist' on my iPod, and looking out for somewhere with shelter to take my first break. In the event, it was 1pm and four hours of virtually continuous walking before I reached the village of Greyabbey and found a bus shelter. It was nice to sit down, but I was wet enough to start shivering and I didn't stay that long. Greyabbey marked the point where my route reached the eastern edge of Strangford Lough, a vast tidal inlet whose neck is where the ferry crosses from Portaferry to Strangford. I joined the even busier A2 road here and followed it all the way to Portaferry, with nice views over the Lough, but plenty of traffic to dodge. Later in the afternoon, the sun appeared and it warmed up. It was also noticeable that the amount of traffic dropped as 5pm, the kick-off time for the Euro 2016 match between Northern Ireland and Poland, approached. I finally reached the village square and my B&B in Portaferry at 5:20pm. Sadly, my room does not have a TV so I could not watch the game, but on the other hand it means I will have an earlier night, which I need after a long day. The B&B owner warned me that options for dinner in the village were limited and that the take-out shop closed early on Sundays. I hurriedly showered and changed and went to buy dinner, discovering that early meant 7:30pm, so I had plenty of time. When I planned this trip, I intended to walk every step, but as the Ulster Way guide stipulates catching the ferry from Portaferry to Strangford, I guess I'll make an exception to my rule tomorrow morning.