DAY 12 - Tuesday / The Trading Post, Enniscorthy, County Wexford - Newtown Cove Caravan Park, Tramore, County Waterford / 80 miles

29/07/2014 / Tuesday / The Trading Post, Enniscorthy, County Wexford - Newtown Cove Caravan Park, Tramore, County Waterford / 80 miles

The following morning, Mike and Alexa's flu had mostly gone, however Alexa's knees, where now causing her some pain. She'd recently undergone knee surgery, on both knees, shortly before the trip and the riding vibrations was taking its toll on her, swelling them up and causing her a lot of discomfort, but she's a tough lady. Luckily it's only a short ride today. Once we are all packed up, and ready to travel again we make plans to follow the coastal road through Wexford to Waterford and then on to a campsite, in Tramore called 'Newtown Cove Caravan Park'.

We set of together towards Enniscorthy, to pick up the E01, to Wexford. The road to Enniscorthy was by now familiar to me and I soon found that 60 mph, was too fast a pace for the group. I slowed down to 50 mph but this was still too fast, and I constantly lose sight of them, from my mirrors. I find that between 40-45 mph seemed to be their pace for today, which was a little frustrating. To alleviate myself of the stress a little, I decide to pull ahead with the intention of stopping at the next junction on the E01, then put myself to the back of the group to sit and follow, to stop myself riding off again.

They turn up, after a short while and I put myself at the back, as planned. Via their Bluetooth intercoms, Mike asks via Alexa, if myself and Alex would like to split up and travel to the campsite at our own pace, whilst they take it easy. I plot in the campsite and this seems the better solution to keep everyone happy, and we head our separate ways. Alex blasts off ahead, clearly frustrated as well, he's mentioned to me earlier that he was somewhat conflicted about loving riding with the group but at the same time wanting to pick up the pace. My style of riding seemed to suit his better as I ride faster but stop a lot at places that catch my eye and I allow time to take in the scenery. Whilst he found, that Mike and Alexa’s seemed to ride all day none stop but at a slower pace. In Mike and Alexa’s defence, Alexa was still in recovery from having both knees operated on and was trooping along as best she could. The fact is that everyone has their own riding style and not everyone, regardless that they may get on very well, may not connect the same way when riding together, but even this isn't set in stone as your style, can be also somewhat changeable depending on your mood.

On today’s trip, I find the main roads a little monotonous, this might be because of the scenery that I had been spoilt with the week before. After Wexford, and in an effort to extend todays short journey, we take the E30 then the R739 South, followed by the R736 West, through Wellingtonbridge, then the R733, leading into New Ross. We ride through New Ross and cross over the bridge, which crosses the River Barrow, that demarks the boundary between Wexford and Kilkenny. We park up, near an old sailing ship that flying the American flag, The SS Dunbrody, the ships a tourist attraction and a reproduction of an 1840’s emigrant ship, providing an interpretation of what life would have been like for immigrants, being transported to the new world, in America.

Fig. 1 - The SS Dunbrody, an transatlantic immigrant ship.

Fig. 2 - James, over from the states, having a blast exploring Europe on his trusty, well equipped BMW GSA.

Whilst we take a few moments and lay on the grassy embankment, near the ship enjoying the day’s sunshine, Alex asks me if I saw Mike and Alexa, riding over the bridge a few minutes before and we both wonder how they seem to have picked up their pace or is it just us, slowing ours down. Whilst we wonder about this, a BMW GSA rolls up. The rider steps off and goes straight up to Alex, who he falsely recognises, as meeting at the Horizons Unlimited meeting, the previous week. We correct him and I make sure, I mention my involvement with the meeting. He's called James, a fireman from California, who has shipped his bike over especially to tour around the UK and Europe. His GSA is very well kitted out and has a feature that catches my eye, an adjustable side stand that can retract by itself. I take note to look out for one, for my bike. He stops a while and gives us some good advice, on the roads ahead of us as he’s been travelling in the opposite direction. He suggests, running straight past Cork, as it’s not worth seeing even, though everyone says it’s lovely and as for the 'Ring of Kerry', its best avoided at this time of year, being jammed up with tourists, but recommends we spend our time in the centre, riding around the mountains. He’s been having a blast so far but, he’s undecided whether or not to spend some time, in Scotland or Wales. Since I know Scotland best, I suggest he spends his time there, exploring its scenic West coast.

Fig 3 - Newtown Cove, Campsite for the night.

When John, goes on his way we mount up and ride through Waterford, then carry onto the campsite. When we arrive, we park up, check in and ride into the campsite, to find Mike and Alexa, already fully setup. They’re heading off down to the beach, leaving us to tent-up. I need to find some elastic, to replace the snapped elastic, in the fibreglass rod that holds up my tents entrance. It snapped a few days ago and is now becoming a small nuisance. We decide to walk into Tramore, to find a shop that might sell some by, following firstly Google maps on Alex’s phone, which decided to screw us over by sending us out of town. Giving it another go, it then sends us in to a house in a housing estate and most definitely not an outdoors shop. From then on we followed directions from the passing public, and eventually make it into town and to a hardware store. But to no avail, as all they have are thick bungee cords. We’d taken so much time, over this impromptu tour, that Mike and Alexa had already returned from the beach and were now ensconced in a pub. But not just any pub, apparently a "world famous pub” no less. So again using people power, we navigate our way there.

Fig. 4 - The Esquire, good food!

The pubs called 'The Esquire', and does great food, plus has a very well stocked bar. It also has some unique décor, having no end of random stuff stuck to all the walls, including the ceiling!!

We parked ourselves in the corner, on some comfy leather bench seats, nearest the bar with our drinks and order a bowl of oysters with garlic sauce, as we were peckish. The oysters where so good, it persuaded us to stay there for dinner. However, on enquiring, there was a little confusion, as to whether they were running their restaurant menu that evening or just the bar menu, luckily they eventually decided, that the restaurant menu was on.

The restaurant area, situated on a floor below the bar level, had a cosy feel to it, with ships portholes as windows to look out, onto the street at foot level. We place our orders and have a few more drinks. The food when it arrived was just as good, as we had anticipated.

We left at around 8pm and decided to hop on a bus into Waterford, to visit a pub called the "Henry Downes Pub", just off of Thomas Street, that had been making its own whiskey, since 1797 and still made one of their original brands, called 'No. 9'. Incidentally the Irish spelling is Whiskey, where in Scotland it’s spelled Whisky.

Navigating to the pub, we walk off the main drag and down Thomas Street which is quiet, with the somewhat continental architecture, reminding me of a sleepy street in France. We find the wooden door of the pub and push through, stopping momentarily, allow our eyes to adjust, to the dim lighting inside. The place had an old smell to it. The décor also seems old, giving the place, an ‘if it’s not broke why fix it’ feel. The small bar is divided by a column, so we flow to the left side portion. We are greeted warmly by the friendly owner, and are asked "where we’ve all come from and how we have had come to find ourselves there?".

Whilst ordering in a few drinks, we are repaid for the questions by hearing the owner's own story, and the history of the pub plus have a short tour around the place. The place has been passed down through the generations and has so far survived through Ireland’s history, and contrary to the painted 1797 brewing date, on the outside wall, the distillery has been going on since 1750 and are informed that the founder, has his painting hanging above the fire place. Intrigued I go and take a look, and find the old oil painting, hanging above the cold fire place. The painting has clearly been there a while, showing the slow build-up of tar over the years, from pipe smoke not to mention from the fire place.  It could do with a good clean, in fact the whole place could, but I feel that that’s missing the point of the place. If you dared clean it, the character would be also be lost.

We order a dram each, of their No.  9 to sample. My verdict is that it’s OK but I find the taste is fleeting, unlike the depth of a seasoned Scottish whisky. We were propping up the bar, chatting away and enjoying a few drinks, when a couple of woman from the states drop in. We enveloped them in our chatting circle, as Mike and Alexa are from Hawaii, but there came a point when the cultural divide became too far, leaving Alex and I, as Brits, feeling a little like the odd one’s out. Remembering the full sized snooker table, that I had spotted on the tour earlier, I get permission to use it, from the barman, who gives me a warning not to damage the 80 plus year old table, I then challenge Alex to a few games, to keep us entertained and leave our American friends enjoying their reminisces.

We decide to stay late and subsequently miss the last bus back to camp, leaving eventually around half midnight. Feeling hungry we find a pizza and grab a taxi back to the camp, eventually crawling into bed around 1am, with the plan of getting to Cork, only a short ride away, by the end of the following day.