Along the border to the Timneys and LegenDerry

I've been wonderfully well looked after by Olga and her mum Moya at the Derg Arms in Castlederg.  The pub has been in the family for a century and Olga is a leading light in Northern Ireland tourism as an organiser of the annual Dergfest music festival. Dad had been bombed during the troubles but still managed to get the pub up and running in the garage within days. It isn't a surprise to find her uncle Roy and family in charge at Dergview FC Darragh park. They are preparing for a big tie against local rivals Ballinamallard this weekend. Lovely to meet Hazel Caire and Jaxon. I cycled out of town past the huge remains of the fortified police station. Amazed it hasn't been demolished yet. The lane leads up the hill to a modest change in the tarmac. That's the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. A few miles on the way to Clady I come to a delightful Irish anomoly. House in UK,  Garden in Republic. Anne and her neighbour Paul explain the oddities that come from only accessing their homes in Tyrone via Donegal. There's the stories of different postmen, different electic providers a and the drama of getting bins connected. It's a great hour together and after a cuppa and confessing that she had mistaken me for a for someone selling at the door! Anne blesses me and my bike with splashes of Holy water from Lough Derg. It's a simple powerful heart warming gift and I shared with her a brother Martin name tag. If ever there was a defining moment to my circumnavigation it was this generous personal spiritual moment.  Thank you  Anne. I'm blessed to have met you. This day continues to give me reasons to reflect. I ride slowly through Clady to the pretty town of Sion Mills that for many years was the leading maker of flax across Northern Ireland. The gorgeous graceful mill buildings are derelict. The factory closed decades ago.  I remember filming here in 1987 with wacaday. We did flax making, the famous cricket story when Ireland beat the west Indies and the swinging bridge over the best salmon River in Ireland. I retraced those footsteps with the help of local Marty and sketched the ruins of the old mill. There'll be a painting from here. Took the quiet old road into Strabane over the attractive footbridge to the park of impressive sports facilities. I came to the statue of the Tinnies. Music and dance in Stainless Steel. There's gigantic graceful figures have an elegance and movement that is arresting.  I love em. The hardest part of the day came next.  The cycle path by the main road disappeared and I made the decision to abandon my plan and had inland. Outside the Spar shop in the next village a Family waited with their 5 year old son (Down syndrom) I'm reminded of brother Martin and was delighted to spend time with them. These back lanes had little standard traffic but the Tractors are terrifying as they take up the whole road. It's raining as I come into Legenderry maiden city.  Patrick Danielle and manager JP are waiting for me at Bishops Gate Hotel to Show me to the Penthouse.  Going to relax with some comfort....