The morning drive took us past The Burren, a region in County Clare of mountains covered in exposed limestone rock.
Continuing on the road to Doolin Pier to pick up the ferry to Inisheer, the biggest of the Aran Islands, we came across a sign that looked like this:
And they weren't kidding. We literally zigzagged up a mountain. To make it even more interesting there was a giant cow on the road. It took me a minute to get out the camera, but you might be able to make out the brown cow on the road. The other cows were mooing and yowling trying to help it back onto the grassy hill. An excellent example of cow teamwork.
Further down the road we saw more cows in the middle of the road. At least these were attached to people, who by the way gave me a really dirty look when I rolled down the window to take a close up.
We made it Doolin Pier and found the sea shack that belonged to our ferry company. I had to email 24 hours before to confirm our reservation and received an email back saying the forecast wasn't ideal, but that we may sail anyway...reassuring. My apprehension increased when I saw our reservation had been recorded solely on a yellow legal pad. I took a moment to regain my sense of adventure and went out to the pier to wait for the ferry. I looked out onto the ocean and the waves were starting to crest.
One of these would be our boat. I don't know what I was expecting, but these vessels did not seem quite large or sturdy enough to sail on a rocky ocean.
On the dock was a sea dog that Zach was quite fond of. He was very friendly and herding all the patrons.
Due to low tide we had to take a boat out to our boat. The small boat in the foreground of this picture is the boat we took. The difference between Irish and American safety regulations were slightly refreshing and slightly horrifying. The guy basically threw life vests in our direction and before we had the chance to put them on he starting driving toward the bigger boat.
And now a bit of juvenile humor, then I will move on...
The waves continued to get bigger. Keep in mind the size of boat we were on. I quickly lost my sense of adventure and spent the entire ride clutching to whatever bar I could find. Even though the boat ride was my idea I kept cursing Zach for allowing this to happen. I genuinely thought this might be it, so I began planning in my mind what I would do if I was tossed overboard.
The closer we came to the shore of Inisheer the better I felt. I was even able to pull my camera out of the clutches of my coat pocket to take a picture without fear of dropping it.
The water was clear and beautiful from the docks and I was just happy to be on solid ground.
"Welcome to Inisheer" or something like that.
When we first arrived on the island about ten men with horses tried to sell us a tour. We passed because we'd planned a carriage ride later in the trip, but in retrospect this was a poor choice. The small island was not as small as we thought. Our first stop was Cill Ghobnait a tiny church from the 8th or 9th century.
What I love about some of the more remote areas of Ireland is that you can simply walk up to an ancient ruin and poke around it. We were completely alone exploring this church. No one was there when we got there, no one came while we were there, and no one was on their way after we left. I love the trust of the people of Inisheer that we will respect the ruins and in turn are able to be among them in peace.
While taking this picture I realized that I loved the gates in Ireland. After this I took many more gate pictures which you will see in future blog posts.
The view from Inisheer to the the mainland. Stepping onto Inisheer was like stepping back in time - little houses and rock walls as far as the eye can see.
Zach and I got out our map and continued our walking tour to the other side of the island which promised a seal colony. Apparently it can only be seen at low tide, so no seals and a long walk back to the pier.
The Burren landscape up close.
On the walk back we noticed a unleashed dog running toward us. My anxiety spiked as it got closer and closer. We'd seen many unleashed dogs in Ireland, but none barreling toward us with no people anywhere to be seen. When the dog reached us it stopped and immediately rolled on its back. Turns out all he wanted was a belly rub.
A little weary from our long walk to a non-existent seal colony we decided to stop for lunch. There are only a few spots to grab tea or a bite to eat on the island. We chose a small pub.
Zach's Guinness had a shamrock in the foam. It took me a minute to get out my camera so it's a little faded.
Cnoc Raithni an ancient burial mound circa 1500BC. Walking past it I couldn't even comprehend something that old and like so many things in Ireland it is just there on the side of the road. I could've climbed an ancient burial mound if I wanted to. I didn't of course.
We continued on up a hill to O'Brien's Castle (Caislean Ui Bhriain). The sky and clouds were beautiful.
That's tiny me in front of the castle. There is also a man and a child in the picture because Zach took this and he doesn't have my talent for people-free pictures.
Zach inside the castle. What a perfect sunny afternoon.
Zach made me get in the dungeon and then he told me to frown so the picture could be authentic.
The view out from the hill.
We kept climbing to the signal tower and the old national school both built in the eighteen hundreds. Then it was time to make our way back down the hill and onto the ferry.
This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip - looking out onto all the stone walls and the vibrant green grass of Inisheer.
On the way back down the hill we were able to get inches away from two beautiful grazing animals.
Before getting onto the ferry we walked across the beach. Believe it or not there were people swimming and it was sixty degrees.
We passed this crow and Zach made a huge deal and said, "Look at that bird!" I made fun of him for the rest of the trip every time we passed an "Irish" crow.
Check out this sign. I don't even know what it means. "Don't drive off this cliff"?:
It was time to get back on the ferry. While we were on the Island the water got a lot rougher and here is where I met who I will refer to as my "Canadian Angel." Our ferry was a little late and while waiting we struck up a conversation with some Canadian tourists. I expressed my susceptibility to seasickness and she offered me a Canadian motion sickness pill. I had no idea what kind of pill it was, but I took it anyway.
Finally our ferry arrived. We had to go back to Doolin and wait on the boat for our Cliffs of Moher cruise. The waves on the way back were huge and crashing onto the side of the boat. Once again I feared for my life.
When we arrived back in Doolin, Zach and I were the only people on the boat to see a dolphin. It was only for a split second, but it is such a vivid a memory. Since we didn't get a picture, we took a picture of this sign instead to commemorate the moment. We made fun of this sign too: "No Swimming with Dolphins"?
...Flash forward to our one hour "Cliffs of Moher" cruise in which we sailed for an hour past the cliffs at sea level. One tourist spent the entire ride puking over the side of the boat and while I didn't feel amazing I was able to enjoy the cruise thanks to my Canadian Angel.
Seeing the Cliffs of Moher from sea level is something I can't really describe. I'll let these pictures do the talking.
Then it was time to drive to the top of the cliffs. When we got there it started to rain for practically the first time on our trip.
The other O'Brien's castle on the top of the cliffs.
If The Cliffs of Moher aren't on your bucket list, they should be. There is something about standing on the majestic cliffs that makes you realize the miracle of nature and the preciousness of this panet.
My favorite picture of the cliffs:
It was so hard to leave, but of course we were on a schedule, so it was back to the hotel. We had dinner at our favorite pub in Galway, An Puncan.
That night they had Irish dancers performing. It was like having our own private Riverdance...in a bar. Ireland is so cool.
One of my favorite strange things from the trip was that in our hotel elevator (and on our floor for that matter) there were a plaque that said "Dental Surgery." I found this especially amusing because dental surgery happens to be my biggest fear.
The end to another awe-inspiring day.
"I remembered that the real world was wide, and that a varied field of hopes and fears, of sensations and excitements, awaited those who had the courage to go forth into its expanse..." - Charlotte Bronte
