One Challenge too Many

 Note to self: 300km on a bike doesn't make you immune to gravity. Six days post-challenge, we headed to the Slieve Blooms. By the third climb (Glendine), I was spent. Between the 10% average gradient and the 15% kicks, I had to pull over to find my lungs! Brian "accidentally" guided us onto this monster, and while Laoighse powered through like a machine, the rest of us were feeling it. Still, you can't beat a day like that in the mountains.

Click here for the full album

24H Challenge

We did it! Huge thanks to everyone who sponsored me. As a club, we raised nearly €35k for our now yearly 12-Hour Challenge, which is just mind-blowing.

I opted to stay on the bike for the full 12 hours this time around. Thanks to a bit more prep than last year, I crossed the 300km mark— the furthest I've ever gone in one go! The vibes were great all day, and honestly, the group spirit is the only thing that got us to the finish line.

Support from young and old!

Form one of the official photographers:

 

The Flying Dutchman:

My  setup

Northern Lights

 Another great lightshow in the sky tonight. This is the third time now in just over a year and for us the most clear (to the naked eye ) yet!

Art Exhibition Athlone

 Just like this time last year, Noeleen and I both have entries in the current art exhibition at the Luan Gallery in Athlone.

Noeleen has asked me to take some picture of her 'blanket' for publishing purposes. So today I went there and took some pictures of her and my own work 😁

A Little Snow

 This morning we woke up to see a little dusting of snow. I love the way the world goes a little quieter when it has snowed. Giselle and I also took the opportunity to go for a run in the snow of course, always nice!

Morocco Day 6; Marrakesh Revisited

We have a late flight, so can spend one last full day in Marrakech. We start with a visit the Dar El Bacha Museum. It turned out to be a fantastic alternative to the Secret Garden - much cheaper, and students even get in for free! The gardens are beautiful, surrounded by traditional architecture, intricate tilework, and stunningly carved wooden doors and alcoves.
The palace is also home to a world-famous coffee room. Giselle would have loved to sit down for a coffee in that beautiful, old-style café, but the waiting time was four hours! By that time, we’ll need to be making our way back to the airport. 

Instead, we spent our final hours wandering through the city one last time, and I still managed to spot a few more perfect photo opportunities

Here is an album with all the photos from the city...

Morocco Day 5; Hiking and Birthday Cake!

 Just as New Year’s Eve went by quietly, New Year’s Day was also a day like any other here. Douwe and I booked a trip into the Atlas Mountains—the Ourika Valley, to be exact. It was a long drive, but we hardly noticed the time because the scenery was so lush and beautiful; it was quite a contrast to the desert we saw yesterday!

(The "Lungs" of Marrakech: The Ourika Valley stays green year-round because it’s fed by the melting snow from the High Atlas peaks. While the Agafay is a "rain shadow" desert, the valley acts like a giant sponge.)

We took a hike to the famous waterfalls before heading back down to the river for yet another traditional Berber meal. I must admit, we are really enjoying the food! 

In the evening, we celebrated Irene’s birthday a few days early back at "Limoni". We had great fun; the waiters turned off all the lights before surprising her with a candle-lit cake!

Morocco day 4; Camels and Fire Works

Before meeting for our next excursion, we had lunch in a more upmarket restaurant where we were able to get an alcoholic drink—the only time in this city! We enjoyed a refreshing Casablanca beer.

The excursion itself turned out to be the best value for an unforgettable experience ever! We rode camels into the sunset in the Agafay Desert while taking in the magnificent scenery. Afterward, we sat down for a delicious, authentic Berber meal, followed by traditional music and a spectacular show by fire dancers. We paid less than €25 per person for the entire evening! The night concluded with fireworks, which apparently happen every night, but for us, it was the perfect way to celebrate the New Year—a fact that is otherwise quite subtle here in Morocco.
Here is the photo album for this excursion

Morocco day 3; Le Jardin Secret

 Le Jardin Secret in Marrakech isn't much of a secret anymore; it’s actually quite popular with tourists looking for a break from the 'mad' city. However, it is still well worth a visit! There is nothing like enjoying a glass of fresh orange juice under the shade of the orange trees to recharge your batteries...