Summer of ´04
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And I have to say it was a brilliant summer!
After all the stress I had to finish my exams in collage I needed a break.
And for the following term I anyway had to make a big work experience that
I wanted to make abroad in Ireland. So after a long discussion weather and
how Tine, Carles, Tim, Wilma and myself decided to cycle through Portugal
first and than afterwards we all go to Ireland together. It was a pity that
Julia didn't come along, but somehow this was always the case up to now, that
we never spent the summer together. And so I packed my good old van with all
the stuff I needed in Ireland and the way up there and picked up Tim in Hamburg.
Together we picked up Wilma in Düsseldorf and drove for 3 days in turns
to Valderrobres in Spain to meet Tine and Carles.
Only one puncture and a new alternator later we arrived.
It was a pity that we couldn't meet up with Göran who was coming back
from South America via Spain. And so after a few days recovering we all drove
to Vianna do Costello in the north of Portugal where we left the van and cycled
south...
I don't want to write everything twice, so the cycle part has to be looked
up here
After the trip we were just four people left...
And so we were heading back to Valderrobres. After this one month exercise,
all of us had to much energy, and we couldn't stop being sportive in Spain.
Every day we had to keep us moving. One day we went climbing, a two day hike
through the mountains, another longer and shorter mountain bike trip with
proper mountain bikes and of cause we went swimming every day. And not to
forget the good food there, even Tim couldn't resist Onofres and Lourdes homemade
Paella...
Then time was passing by too fast and we stuffed all of us once again into
the van and drove to Bordeaux where we finally met up with Göran who
joint us for two days towards the ferry.
And a short sailing later we've been in Ireland. Once again...
The only pity was that we didn't have that much time left before Tine and
Carles had to go to Germany. But we tried to do and see as much as we could
during that time. Lots of it was driving, but I think it was worth it.
We met up with nearly everyone we knew from last time there. We stayed for
a while in Thomastown, drove down the south coast to Cork to meet Paddy and
further south into the wild and green west. Of cause we always used up our
spare energy in long walks through the mountains. Finally we went to Galway
were we stayed in Roisins house for two days before we made our way towards
Dublin Airport to drop off Tine and Carles...
So Tim and myself were the last remaining and after the alternator broke down
a second time just on our way out of Dublin, we also split up in Kilkenny
and the summer was over...
But the time in Ireland
just began...