85 - no, not kilometers

The day starts with an Irish breakfast, well, only half of it. We didn't try the black pudding and white beans since today is our first day on the bike.
We set off towards Cork around 10 AM. We still need a gas cartridge for the stove and (embarrassingly forgotten in Switzerland) a travel adapter for outlets. In Ireland, there are some ridiculously looking three-pronged plugs. The first challenge after leaving the hotel: LEFT SIDE DRIVING. Intuitive driving: not a chance. You have to concentrate all the time to stay on the left. Every intersection is a challenge. Entering a two-lane roundabout on the left is no easy task! We only take a quick look at Cork. It's crowded with people, construction sites, and cars. We just want to escape, heading west towards the sea. But that’s not so simple either; the city keeps us captive. It reminds us of San Francisco, going steeply uphill, so much so that you wish for more gears to shift down - pressing harder doesn’t help, and the heat becomes oppressive at 22 degrees. Finally, we catch our first glimpse of the Atlantic. Just like you imagine it, green meadows and steep cliffs. A delicate feeling of well-being comes over us. But Ireland doesn’t make it easy; there are still steep climbs, and the drivers, well, let’s just say they drive like pigs and always on the wrong side ;)
We ride towards Crosshaven along fields of yellow wheat, but also a lot through tunnel-like forests. The roads aren’t great, especially narrow. Everywhere bramble vines reach for us, trying to stab our tires below and scratch our faces above. We feel like we’re not making good progress, and before we know it, on our first day, we end up in a small town called Kinsale. We sleep at James's loft right in the middle of the town. Now we leave the exertion behind and go in search of food. We are by the sea in Ireland, so of course, there are fish and chips. It’s not a culinary high point, but it's very tasty and fitting for this nice little town with colorful houses. Around nine, we end up in a pub, and what awaits us there is almost unbelievable. No, it’s not the many loud and quite drunk Irish, nor the stocky bartender with a bald head and a Hawaiian shirt, it’s 15 rowdy, dancing, singing, cheerful ladies celebrating the birthday of one of their own. The girl has just turned 85 today, and the others are either already there or close to it. Happy birthday from us and the whole pub. The singer performs songs from Johnny Cash and the Beatles, and we sing and dance along with them until we’re hot and our Guinness is finished. When it’s at its best, one should stop - but that only applies to us. 85 - not for a long time! What a wonderfully beautiful evening, full of lived joy, warmth, and hospitality. It’s 1 AM, and we lie in bed, contemplating the future, the near (Peter on the Garmin for route planning) and the distant future, which will be at 85. And we both know exactly what it’s going to look like....
Miles traveled: 65
Elevation gain: 880