I have finally arrived at the “start” of my bike tour of Ireland.

Though, it is hard to say when a bike trip starts. Was it when I boarded the plane on Saturday night? Or, was it when I got on the train to Pembroke after assembling the bike and getting it into it’s carrier bag? The tiring 50 mile, all day ride (the last 20 miles of which were in the rain) from Pembroke Dock to Fishguard sure felt like bike touring (or at least, traveling by bicycle). Maybe,it started when the Fishguard ferry landed in Ireland and I rode the 14 miles to Wexford, a happening coastal town full of restaurants. For sure, it will start today, after 2 bus rides that ended at Cork and a 22 mile ride over every hill between Cork and the cute coastal town of Kinsale.

The ride from Pembroke Dock to Fishguard was far more up and down along the cliff tops, than a casual ride along the beach. In fact, I got few coastal views, which was a bit surprising. When I was at the coast, it always involved a steep downhill, a quick look at the beach and a few buildings, and then a very steep climb back up to the top. One fairly long bit was a 20% grade on a narrow road full of mostly patient traffic. Though, the 16% climb later in the day seemed harder.

I had wanted to spend the night in St. David’s, Wales' smallest city due to its enormous Norman Cathedral, a place I stayed on my first overseas trip in 1978. But, it was cheek to jowl with tourists and I now understand why I couldn’t find a place for the night.

It started to rain as I stopped to take photos of the huge church. It wasn’t cold and the rain wasn’t hard, so I just kept pushing the pedals. Eventually, as my jersey got wetter,I put on my raincoat. Welcome to Wales!

For the first time, I’m using a navigation app (ride with GPS) which sounds a tone when I take a wrong turn it has been incredibly useful on the back roads, as I tend to make several wrong turns everyday. Though, it eats phone battery and everyday I’ve ended with close to a 10% charge left on my phone.

I arrived wet and tired at the guesthouse that was not near Fishguard or a restaurant. I was in my room the rest of the night eating whatever food I had carried on the bike.

After a fabulous breakfast the next morning, I eventually rode the 1 mile bike path to the port and met 4 other bike tourists waiting for the ferry to Ireland. We had a fun conversation in the large waiting room, which continued onto the boat’s lounge. After about 20 minutes, Jerry and Vicky went to the upgraded lounge (which I’ll book next time) for the remainder of the trip.

Once I landed in Ireland, I discovered I had planned my route from the wrong dock and I had to make my way on the busy main route out of the docklands. Luckily, Irish main roads have a bike path/shoulder/breakdown lane, so I was able to ride safely as the cars and trucks/lorries passed by 10 feet to the right.

Eventually, I found my route along quieter roads and made my way to Wexford, my stop for the night. Wexford is a smallish town with a large outlet to the sea that was full of shops, restaurants, and a “happening” feel. I had rented a very comfortable 1 bedroom apartment and the owner had told me where the nearest big food store was. After cleaning up, I walked to the Dunnes department store (food, clothes, hardware, etc.). Along the way, after passing restaurants of many cuisines, I decided to eat Indian instead of making dinner.

The Indian place was well appointed and the waitstaff attentive. The food, a dry aloo gobi, was tasty but mostly potatoes, which are probably good for my legs but a bit boring for dinner. The most interesting part was the 2 Irish couples sitting next to me talking Irish politics and recent history. As I got up to leave, the mansplainer roped me into the conversation, which I joined for about 5 minutes, pointing out that I found it ironic that Northern Ireland, a (deserved) festering 100 year thorn, has become a major stumbling block for Brexit. The quieter of the two men noted that they were Protestant while the other couple were Catholic and they represented the current state of things in Ireland. As the Euro is equal to the dollar, the €20 tab for dinner seemed cheap.

This interaction is typical of the people I’ve encountered so far in Ireland (and Wales, too). They always respond to a “good morning” or “Hello”, which I really both appreciate and miss in San Francisco. Also, they are most friendly, smiling when approached by a stranger and open to casual conversation all the time. Whether it was the older guy riding his bike between Rosslare (ferry port) and Wexford who I met while we waited for a car to move that was blocking the bike lane, or the young man waiting for the bus to return to school in Galway, both gladly engaged smiling. It sure feels welcoming.

The “real” biking starts today with several 40 mile days along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. I’m a already a bit leg-weary from getting here and hope this 70 year old body is up for the hard work ahead. My legs are already complaining!
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Copyright © 2007 by Ray Swartz