We had a lot ahead of us for the day and it was something I had been looking forward to for Ireland. Cliffs of Moher which was recommended by many to me was the destination of the day and it would be an all day adventure. When we woke and and got ready it was freezing outside. Like early fall freezing back in Minnesota, and I was shocked and also hoping the sun would come out for the hike on the cliffs. You also guessed it, it was yet another two hour drive to get to them so we packed our lunches for the day and embarked on the drive to the coast. This was by far the scariest drive we took the whole trip because we thought Northern Ireland's roads were windy and narrow...but wait till you get to the countryside of Ireland.
We had started to amuse ourselves with the roads in Ireland where every time we went over small hills we'd say WHOOP and when we would round sharp narrow curves we'd either scream as the oncoming tour buses would take up the lane or take them very slowly. Or so I thought. Jaseena got the hang of the Irish back roads and how fast the Irish drive so she would take every turn like a pro and scream every time a bus or semi took up too much of the road when they passed us. She said it was nice that the car had the lane correction feature but most the time she just wanted to drive a bit in the grass because of the narrow road.
The whole ride in we enjoyed looking a the old Irish farms and towns and viewed many farmlands with cows and sheep grazing on them. We preferred these roads over the main hghway because you couldn't get views like these on the highway. So another *tourist note* if you rent a car in Ireland, TAKE THE COUNTRY ROADS! You will get better more unique views of Ireland and experience the actual life of them. Also, you'll be a professional driver by time you are done!
When we were driving into County Clare, Ireland the sun started peaking through the clouds and by time we parked it was out and fully shining! Which made us happy because as we hiked the sun would keep us warm against the wind along the cliff seaside. It was yet again busy with a lot of tourists but easy to park and get into. Here you paid for your ticket at the gate and they had student discounts so we all got in with that! I believe it came to thirty six pounds in total. When we parked we walked to the main area and passed many shops that were actually dug and placed on the side of the cliff. I thought it was so fitting for the destination and it didn't affect the view of the sea or the cliffs when you walked up which was genius.
When you are at the starting point of the hiking paths you basically choose if you wanted see the south or north side of the cliffs. Our path was the south side trail but most views in the beginning was of the north side of the cliffs then mainly the south. It wasn't till after our hike on the south side we saw a lot of stairs you had to climb to start the north side hike so we were happy with the route we chose. Something else I noticed was the farther you walked on the cliff the better view you would have of the cliffs. The first twenty minutes or so of the hike was hard to experience how far down the cliffs were and in general to see them but it got better!
I was finding new interesting ways to take pictures and also see the farmlands that surrounded my left side of the trail, There were cows that close to the cliffs edge and I thought it was so cool to experience something like that. There was a point in time I saw Jaseena get down on the ground by the edge and hang her head off the edge of the cliff and told Sarah and I to look down the cliff edge the same and gain a new perspective. *Is it too late mom to tell you not to worry about us going close up to the cliffs edge and take pictures...? Sorry..we were careful and safe!*
Farther up the path I saw a dog sun bathing on the rocks and he looked like the happiest animal on earth. It wasn't until I got up to him that I noticed a lady making hand made Celtic jewelry and I asked her if it was her dog and if I could pet him. She happily said yes but I was embarassed at myself not noticing the dog first and not her art...again apologies but I love dogs and missed mine dearly in that moment. When I went up to pet Tuco (his name was from the film The Good The Bad The Ugly) it took him a while to realize someone was petting him he was in such a daze with the warmth of the sun on him. When he noticed me I swear I saw a smile on his face as he went on his back for a belly rub. I would've stayed there all day with him if I didn't have more of the cliff to see.
In that moment I wanted to be him because he had the best spot on the cliff with the sun hitting him just right. But I digress, enough dog talk although I could go on. And for those of you wondering if we had gone up just to pet the dog we didn't...well Kallie didn't she actually bought a necklace from the sweet lady which was cute. I am sad to say I went for the dog, whoopsie. A bit farther with our hike on the cliff we enjoyed sitting in the grass and relaxing with the wind in our hair and the smell of the sea in front of us. I liked watching the seagulls fly on the cliffs edge and seem like they were floating in the air. They nest all along the cliff so you saw them fly in and out alongside it.
I continued taking many pictures and kept hearing my mom in the back of my head. We had a recent family trip to Arizona and we visited the Grand Canyon and Horseshoe Bend and especially at horseshoe bend my mom would always say, "okay that's close enough, don't go to the edge. Be careful!" so I had that constant reminder in my head and the quote of the day was "my mom wouldn't be happy with me taking this shot". So again I am sorry mom for going to the cliffs edge to get a great picture but be happy I had your constant voice in the back of my head to be careful! Oh did I mention that there was a recent mudslide that happened on the cliffs so everything was still moving and settling?
Another section of the cliff was notable was the section that had rock sculptures in an open area where the wind was the strongest. Surprisingly they all stayed standing but man I thought the wind was going to pick me up like a feather it was so strong. It was around there we reached an endpoint of the cliff for us and still had the evening to drive somewhere and get dinner. So we decided to head back to the car and eat our snacks and find out where we wanted to go for the rest of our day.
Galway, Ireland would be the next destination. It was along the west coast and had a lot to choose from restaurant wise and was also recommended to visit. So we headed on the road and make the trek. The road out of the cliffs reminded me of Arizona, as a lot of things had in Ireland, as the roads were long, narrow, and zig-zagged you down the mountainside. This was similar when you would get out of the Grand Canyon and experience the expansive rocky hills. It was amazing and called for breathtaking views the farther you got down. There was even tour buses taking the narrow trek down and that was stressful to watch but I give props to the bus drivers for knowing what they are doing.
Once we made it Galway, we parked our car and walked around city center with the daylight we still had. We walked around to find good places to eat and experience the towns. We ended up eating at The Quays Bar and Restaurant (pronounced keys). There we enjoyed drinks and live music from a local band. There was also a bridal party there celebrating so we also had entertainment for the night and enjoyed hearing Irish songs for the bride to be and they even covered American songs like Sweet Caroline. After that we wanted to check out another bar along the Quay Lane and ended up at the 1520 Bar where we enjoyed more live music and some locals who were very nice. They had us try Irish whiskeys and shared stories of Galway for us.
Again, the locals in Ireland are very nice and well worth having a conversation with. We ended up getting back to the Airbnb around eleven o'clock at night and were exhausted from the day. This was our last day in Ireland and a great way to end it! Next stop, Netherlands!