For the long weekend we decided to try cycling a different route than our usual one. There’s a segregated cycle lane in Hartstown / Huntstown which we haven’t used yet. It made our commute so much safer. It really begs the question why aren’t these everywhere in Ireland? Traffic was busy enough but not impacting our journey except at crossings or roundabouts.
Fully protected by the kerb. 
Kerb has gone for the bus to be able to stop but still clearly marked. 
Lane disappears completely at the roundabout unfortunately. 
Safely protected at a busy junction.
Later we made our way through Laurel Lodge where we took a turn to lead us through the estates rather than staying on the main road. We came across this through way(see pictures below) which was so nice to pass through. A far better choice than kissing gates that inhibit cyclists access. We often come across kissing gates and it’s so frustrating when your access is impeded by a poor choice made by the council.
An open pathway… 
…linking two separate estates.. 
…which in turn led us to this beautiful section.
We really enjoyed the long weekend. We visited Millenium Park and St. Catherine’s Park. Both have beautiful walks with plenty trees and space and their playgrounds are excellent.
Martin got to see both sets of grandparents (from a Covid friendly distance of course) which should help towards him getting to know these strangers that are eager to know him. We cannot wait for him to know his wonderful grandparents properly. Bring on the end of social distancing and bring back warm hugs! I’m sure he’d enjoy playing peek-a-boo even more with them than his mammy!
cargobikemum 