JOG-LE On route to Sperrin Mountains 30th June 2010

Photo shoot on the streets of Derry, thanks to Aussie Micheal for the photography.

Photo shoot, Derry.

Photo Shoot, Derry.

The streets of Londonderry.

On route to the Sperrin Mountains.

On route to the Sperrin Mountains.

My stay in Londonderry was excellent. Thanks goes to the Derry City Independent Hostel. a great place to stay in the heart of the city. Also a good place to meet fellow travellers, particularly Australians. I am now pushing on to the Sperrin Mountains and the direction of Belfast. My route will be south of Lough Neagh.

JOG-LE Takes in the craic in Free Derry - 30th June

Last night I went into Londonderry/Derry town to a bar playing live Irish music. I went with two fellow hostellers, Micheal from Australia and Martin from Sweden. The 'craic' was excellent.

JOG-LE pushes on to the road to Belfast today.

Please dont forget the fund raising webpage: www.justgiving.com/JOG-LE-cycling-exped

Thankyou very much..AW

JOG-LE The shadow of a southern plan.

I have ben thinking of the southern section of the JOG-LE cycling expedition and I have devised the outline of a plan and a route, as follows:
1. Cheshire into Staffordshire.
2. Bosworth Field battle site.
3. Coventry.
4. Bladdon churchyard to visit Winston Churchill's grave.
5. Oxford and the Lawrence connection.
6. Avebury ancient standing stones.
7. Stonehenge.
8. Salisbury for the Cathedral & Edward Heath's house.
9. Dorset and the Lawrence sites.
10. Dartmoor.
11. Dartmoor prison.
12. Plymouth.
13. Lands End.

Will see how it pans out in reality. I am excited about the route.

If you would like to donate to JOG-LE in aid of ASAP please visit the fund raising web page:
www.justgiving.com/JOG-LE-cycling-exped Thankyou.

JOG-LE On the Bogside - 29th June 2010

A beautiful thing.

Memorial to the Bloody Sunday dead, Londonderry.

The Bogside, Londonderry Memorial to the Maze hunger strikers.

The Bogside.

The Bogside.

Picasso in the Bogside.

This morning I have been walking in the Bogside, Londonderry. I visited 'The Museum of Free Derry'. The curator is a brother of one of the Bloody Sunday dead. I viewed and photographed the political murals of the Bogside.

I have put my bicycle down untill tomorrow, when I will head out to the Sperrin Mountains and my path towards Belfast and the ferry to dear England. The weather forecast is not so good.

JOG-LE Reaches Londonderry (or Maiden City) - 29th June

The Londonderry Arms Hotel, once owned by Winston Churchill.

The beach of Ballycastle.
Wild camp in the dunes at Ballycastle.

The famous Carrick-a-rede rope bridge.

AW meeting with Ian Campbell, endurance cyclist extraordinaire. When we met he was on a 300 mile training ride from his home in Newcastle, just south of Belfast. Ian is training for the Race Around Ireland and the Crossing of America. A true hero indeed. See his website: http://www.teamimpossibledream.com/

The Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland.

The Giant's Causeway.

The Giant's Causeway.

Night cycling from Coleraine. On the road at 2:30am.

The road to Londonderry.

Road sign politics, Londonderry/Derry/Maiden City.
The bridge over the Foyle at Londonderry.


JOG-LE cycling has reached the city of Londonderry after an early morning 60 km ride from the camp spot near Coleraine. I was on the road at 2:30am. I had a full cooked breakfast at a cafe here then checked into the Derry City Independent Hostel. It is an excellent lodging place. A good place for a short interlude. I will research politics and culture here in this once dangerous place where courage and cowardice has lived in equal measure.

JOG-LE Takes a Giant leap forward - 28th June

I am in the library at Portrush, Northern Ireland. This has been an excellent day to live. I was up and on the road at 7:30am after the marvellous wild camp in the dunes of Ballycastle. Reached the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge at about 8:30 and had to dally untill the opening at 10:00am. It is looked after by the National Trust. Crossing the rope bridge induces a weird sensation of floating and bouncing.
I then pushed on the seven miles in the direction of the Giant's Causeway. On the way I had the great good fortune to meet a most excellent fellow called IAN CAMPBELL. When I met Ian he was 100 miles into a 300 mile training cycle ride. Its true believe me. He is 64 years old and is recovering from prostate cancer. His plan is to take part in the Race Around Ireland and then go on to cross America in 12 days. A true inspiration to everyone. I am proud to have met him. Ian's webpage can be viewed at: www.teamimpossibledream.com
I reached Giant's Causeway at about noon. It is good to be on a bike because the main way that the National Trust generates money from the Causeway is through the hefty car parking charge. It is a 20 minuet walk down to the Causeway from the tourist visitors centre. As a spectacle the Giant's Causeway does not disappoint the visitor, particularly one who is seeing it for free-. It has some magic about it.
Sadly I cant upload photos here at the public library so followers of the blog will have to wait to see them.

If you would like to donate to JOG-LE in aid of African Support & Assistance Project please visit the fund raising webpage:
www.justgiving.com/JOG-LE-cycling-exped Thankyou.

JOG-LE Reaches Ballycastle in N. Ireland 27th June

I have reached Ballycastle after an excellent day. The only sad blemish to the day being the England v Germany football result. Never mind, life holds better things.
I arrived in Larne last night at 10:20pm. Luckily I found a campsite and caravan park only half a mile from the ferry port.
In the morning I was on the road at 7:30am. I had heard great things about the Antrim Causeway coast route and today I cycled it. Marvellous.
At Carnlough I stopped at the 'Londonderry Arms Hotel'. This hotel is famous because it was once owned by Winston Churchill. He inherited it from a great aunt. I went into the Churchill room where there is a portrait hanging on the wall. The receptionist took my photo with the bicycle outside the hotel (I will post photos at a later opportunity).
The Antrim coast route north of Larne hugs the sea and is flat untill you reach Cushendall when it climbs out of the Glendun. I pushed the bike for about 45 minuets. The ride down to Ballycastle is a sweeping freewheel from the high moors.
Tonight I will wild camp on the edge of town in some sand dunes near a golf course.
Tomorrow will be a feast for the senses. I will cross the famous Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge before pushing on to the wonder of the Giant's Causeway.

If you would like to donate to JOG-LE in aid of the 'African Support & Assistance Project' please visit my charity fund raising webpage:
www.justgiving.com/JOG-LE-cycling-exped Thankyou.

JOG-LE Burns birthplace, Alloway - 26th June

The birthplace of Robert Burns, poet & Scottish national hero.

The grave of Robert Burns father, William Burns.

The Burns monument, Alloway near Ayr.

Robert Burns birthplace cottage.

I camped last night on a pitch and putt golf course. It was the best camp of the trip. Cut grass and all. This morning I was on the road at 4:30 am to reach Alloway, the birthplace of the great Scottish hero, Robert Burns. I learned that he died at the age of 37 years old.

I will now travel to Troon from where I hope to get the ferry to Northern Ireland. I am hearing great things about Northern Ireland and its interest and beauty.

If you would like to donate to JOG-LE in aid of the 'African Support & Assistance Project' please visit the fund raising web page:

www.justgiving.com/JOG-LE-cycling-exped Thankyou.

JOG-LE Reaches Brodick on Arran - 25th June

I arrived in Brodick just now. The 14 mile ride from Lochranza was very scenic but included a difficult and long climbing section. I stopped at the village hall in Corrie to have tea and cakes. Taking the opportunity to post a flyer on their noticeboard.

I will try to take the next ferry to Ardrossan on the mainland. Apparently there is a coastal cycle path from there, heading south.

It looks likely that I will wild camp by the cycle path tonight.

Objective; Troon.

If you would like to donate to JOG-LE in aid of ASAP please visit the fundraising webpage:

www.justgiving.com/JOG-LE-cycling-exped Many thanks.

JOG-LE Reaches Isle of Arran - 25th June 2010

I was on the road this morning at 2:30am after wild camping early yesterday. There were about 30 kms to the ferry pier. I sailed to Lochranza on Arran at 8:50am. Total cycling is now 720 kms. The weather and scenery are marvellous. Will push on to Broddick about 14 miles south of Lochranza. Hope to reach the mainland this evening sometime.

If you would like to donate to JOG-LE in aid of the African Support & Assistance Project please visit:

www.justgiving.com/JOG-LE-cycling-exped Thankyou

JOG-LE On the Mull of Kintyre - 24th June 2010

I am cycling from Oban down the Mull of Kintyre with the hope of catching the ferry from a small pier at a place called Claonaig to Lochranza on the Isle of Arran. That will probably be in the morning.

JOG-LE Reaching Oban - 23rd June 2010

I have just reached Oban. I took the 5:00pm ferry from Craignure on Mull. The weather has turned a bit bad. A fine continuous drizzle. I was going to wild camp but I will probably now stay at the Youth Hostel in town. It will be nice to get clean after three days by the road. I had the good fortune to meet a couple from Northern Ireland on the ferry and the prospects for my visit there look very good. In about four days I hope to take the ferry from Troon to Larne, the beginning of another adventure, I hope.