Derry to Omagh - Ireland 2016

SadiB looked at maps for hours in Derry, trying to decide where we'd go next. I had tossed out the possibility of heading up to Giants Causeway and continuing around in Northern Ireland and then making may way back down the east coast, but as SadiB tried to find quiet ways around Belfast, she just saw way more congestion that I wanted to deal with.

Also I had missed a few interesting spots on the way up, and wanted to hit some of the mountains a little ways inland from the coast, so I decided to head back south and explore a bit more in these areas.

In addition to highlighting the busier roads, making it easy to pick quiet ones, the OSM Cycle maps also color code cycle routes and I'd found their roads to be just my style. 

So SadiB mapped out a route that crisscrossed the Sperrin mountains following a couple of marked cycle routes. The ride proved gorgeous and had plenty of vertical. What it lacked was services, meaning I didn't have lunch til almost 4pm. I quickly realized that when I get away from the touristy areas and the coast, I need to start packing snacks and lunch. 

But I really don't know why this area is not popular with the tourists. The scenery was fabulous.

 

 

 

 

Found myself back in bogland, with a few varieties of bog shapes.

 

 

 

No day is complete without a climb up to wind turbines.