Unconventionally, our bike tour of Ireland’s west coast begins in Dubrovnik, Croatia. A spectacular walled city on the sparkling Adriatic coast, Dubrovnik provides a suitably dramatic setting for the wedding of Allegra’s half brother Geoff and his wife Eva, a Croatian American whose family roots go back many generations to a small island off the Dalmatian coast. Geoff and Eva are worldly, accomplished and beautiful while also being thoughtful and kind. The wedding is nothing short of a multi-day bash, complete with a marriage ceremony in the 300 year old St. Ignatius church, a parade led by traditional musicians down the ancient Jesuit Steps and through the old town, and dancing under the arches of the stately modern art museum as a massive lightning and rain storm rolls by. And that is just Friday. It’s easily the most glamorous weekend we have had this year (decade?) and we are delighted to help Geoff and Eva celebrate.

We fly to Dublin, where we assemble our bikes and put the tuxedo and ball gown in hotel storage, and the following morning take a train to the southwest coastal town of Killarney in County Kerry. We ride through Killarney National Park and over Moll’s Gap, a small mountain pass. The narrow road is beautiful, with views of green valleys and rocky hillsides dotted with white sheep. It feels great to be on our bikes.

We arrive at a small B&B in quaint Kenmare and are warmly greeted by the owner, a lovely grandmother wearing a tight fitting tee-shirt printed to look like a jean jacket. It’s pure 1980s and we love it. We sleep well and enjoy a breakfast of freshly baked scones and dark Irish breakfast tea. I don’t quite have the gumption for a full Irish breakfast (two eggs, pork sausage, bacon, black and white pudding, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, baked beans and soda bread), but I’ll work up to it I’m sure.

Our ride from Kenmare is spectacular, taking us 100km along the coastline around the Beara Peninsula, over Healy Pass and Priest’s Leap, a steep and nearly straight single-lane mountain pass crossing from County Cork to County Kerry, before returning to Kenmare. The scenery and riding is far beyond what I had imagined, the hills steep and dramatic with waterfalls and craggy cliffs, the valleys lush with many hues of green, small dairy and sheep farms with stone fences, and quiet single lane back roads that allow us to listen to birds, enjoy the flowers and daydream as we ride.