Today we decided to cycle to the Royal Canal Blakestown. We planned the journey because we knew it would be a nice day and it was the last Sunday before I return to work after 2 weeks holidays. I had bought Paul a compact picnic table as a gift and we (as in me – haha!) were dying to try it. It was perfect. It fit nicely into the cargobike and as you can see below the boys had no difficulty assembling it. https://www.flyingelephant.ie
We had everything we needed, a mini picnic table with inserts for our bottle of Graham Norton prosecco (we were going to enjoy Mimosa’s in honour of my American friend Jaime) and wine glasses, a mat to sit on and a delicious picnic put together by yours truly. All we needed was to pop the cork and enjoy … and that’s when we realised we left the corkscrew at home!!!! Thankfully Paul was in the Scouts when he was growing up. We always have a bike tool repair kit with us so he improvised and we got to enjoy our bubbles! Hurraaayyy!!!
What can I use? Mmmm … 
… a mini screwdriver should do the trick … 
… success!! 
Mmmm … floating cork, what a delicacy! 
Add the orange juice – sláinte!
I must remember to leave a corkscrew in the bag permanently.
With our bellies full it was time to fully relax and enjoy our surroundings while sipping our cork filled drinks. It was lovely. Plenty people passed and enjoyed a little bit of Irish banter, mostly admiring our cargobike of course. Then we spotted a canal boat. To complete the scene a train passed too! Paul happened to tweet a picture the other day of his Dutch bike and a train passing along the canal calling them the best forms of transport. https://twitter.com/Paulcorcoran10/status/1380489143990509571 Royalcanalrunner joked a response that all he needed was a barge to complete the trio … well here it is!!
Martin really enjoyed playing around the cargobike. Using it to get up and down like a yoyo and giggling away. His new runners from Rena Beau in Dunboyne will be well worn looking in no time! http://www.nylesandrafe.com/ (Nyles and Rafe is their sister shop across the road)
He even started playing peek-a-boo when I stood on the other side of the bike. My favourite kind of game when he does all the work! Teeheehee!
It was a really simple yet enjoyable way to spend our afternoon. We just brought what we already had in the house with us and incurred no cost other than the groceries we already had. I love a good picnic! Going that little bit further up the canal is a real treat as it opens up and you can enjoy a sit down without being in the way of passers by. Bring on the good weather when we can do it again!
cargobikemum 