Doolin to Inishmore 12

The ferry to the Aran Islands left at 10:00 am, so we had to gather our things together and get out of the apartment on time. 

The apartment kitchen and eating area.

Katherine checked us out at the reception area of the hotel next door and we drove the short distance to the parking lot of the ferry pier.  The car would be there for 2 days, so we had to be dead sure about parking fees.  We would like to see the Stonic again when we come back!

Somehow, the ferry left early and luckily we were on it, stopping at the first of the Aran Islands, Inisheer.  We hopped off to change over to another ferry.  Our mission was to land on Inishmore and stay 2 nights on the "big island."  There are cars on the island for the 800 full time residents, but most visitors choose to ride bikes around and see it very slowly.

Yes, we'll stay inside where it was MUCH warmer.

The night before, we grabbed supplies at the gas station market.  I noticed a weird bag of "Meanies" and told Andrew that this was a must buy.  When we paid, I asked the cashier if they were any good.  She replied, "Quite Tasty for sure!"  After reading the bag, I found out that they are a locally made snack and not that bad for you.  But, why so mean?

Katherine smiling while hopefully not turning mean!

Kleine Maus keeping watch.  

Me taking in the view when the rain let up. 

After the pleasant ferry ride, we followed some Boston College students up the hill to the hostel.  Yes, a hostel!  But, this was only where we would meet the reception lady to take us to our apartment.  We hiked down the street with her for a while with our gear and arrived at our very own house!  It was fully decked out and we were really excited.

Katherine found a boat that fits her nicely.

No joke, this was our place for 2 nights on Inis Mor, complete with little porch and table. 

After stuffing ourselves with lunch and pints at The Bar, we then headed out on bicycles to check out the seal colony and the children's cemetery. Yup, another cemetery!  We read up on the shady practice of burying unbaptized children close, but not on, the grounds of the actual church.  The Catholic church would not allow unbaptized infants and other undesirables, such as convicted murderers and illegitimate children, to be buried in a church cemetery, so there are graveyards for these people on unconsecrated ground throughout the country.

After rolling down the road for quite a while, we arrived at the cemetery.  I was only informed about this from my Garmin Earthmate app.  It wasn't on the tourist map.  After paying our respects, we headed to the seal colony.

Children's Cemetery.  Only a few headstones had inscriptions.

Hard to see his tiny head poking out of the sea, but proof that we saw seals.  They kept their distance.

Riding into the wind was a real chore, so once we turned around, the riding became much easier.  We were soon back at the house and chilled for a while before dinner. 

The riding was actually pretty flat, but when it got steep, it was brief and manageable. 

Margaux did a great job, even though she mentioned not being on a bike since she was very young. 

After our massive lunch, we decided to grab some food from The Spar and have a smaller meal at the apartment.  While trying to put the frozen pizzas we bought in the freezer, we found entire unopened bags of chicken and onion rings that had been abandoned.  So, our light meal became a little less light while watching some videos on the giant TV as the rain poured down and the wind howled outside.  Margaux turned us onto "Come Fly with Me."  Check it out.  It's super funny. 

Tomorrow, we will be touring the island some more on bikes and hope to see as much as we can.

I included this bathroom picture from Doolin to show the on demand water heater.  They are quite popular in the rooms, but sometimes make a racket. They can whistle and whine, but the water comes out quite nice.  

Doolin, Moher Cliffs 11

Once again, Katherine made a phenomenal breakfast to get us started.  We had a long hike planned and wanted the best fuel for the mission.  Yesterday, we gathered provisions at the closest local market at a gas station up the hill.  We had fried potatoes with rashers, onions, peppers, and cheese.  Along with some instant coffee that we all hate, it made for a hearty breakfast.  There was also some fruit we had left over from Frank and Siubhan's place in Killarney.

We were on the road/trail by 10:00 am and headed to the Cliffs of Moher.  I had no idea what I was getting into, but took Katherine and Andrew's word that it would be best to walk the trail along the cliffs instead of driving to the visitor center.  We left the apartment and headed towards the ocean.

Up the hill we went, once again following rock fences and and skirting farmland.  We quickly gained the view of the Atlantic Ocean and were taken in with its beauty.  Little did we know that this was going to be the scene for the next few hours.  It was stunning!

Margaux and Andrew (Sporting the Golden Knights Hockey Jersey)

The trail went right along the cliffs and we had full force winds, and sometimes ocean spray coming over the lip of the wall.   It was chilly, but the sun was out and made the walk pure pleasure.  There were only a few other people on the trail and our pace was nice and slow.  Farther down the trail, the trail took numerous ascents and we gained altitude quickly.

Check out how small the people are for perspective!

We were about 3 or 4 miles in when we met up with tour bus tourists hiking towards us.  We knew we must be close to the visitor's center and parking area.  Once we were there, the cliffs were truly majestic and I really realized why this place is such an attraction.  However, the crowds made us want to get out quickly, so we started walking on the road back to Doolin.  Referring to the Garmin Earthmate app, we decided to trek along the road for a while and then take a farm road back through the countryside to meet up with our original trail.  That was a great choice as we were able to see some ruins along the way and also check out the cliffs from a different perspective.

Our friends we made on the way back.

Stomp, stomp, stomp all the way home.

Not many people walked back this way, probably for good reason.  The cars were passing REALLY close. 

This is on the side trail on the way back.  It's probably the best photo of the trip so far!

Soon, we were back at the apartment, and had 9 miles of walking under our boots.  I took a shower, and then a nap before heading back out to the local pub.

This is a screenshot of my phone running the Garmin Earthmate app.  Good work kids!

The pub had our same Irish ballads guy singing for everyone.   He was followed by an interesting group of a drummer, 2 flutes, and a guitar.  The intimate pub venue is something special for sure.  You are right up close and personal with the musicians and can see and hear everything.  One guy played right hand flute and the other left hand.  I had never seen anything like this before.  I must research and see what's up with the backwards flute.

Shane Macgowan, of the Pogues proudly hung on the wall.

Our closest pub happened to be great!

This is actually a detailed panoramic photo that has better resolution in its original full size.  It still gives you a feel of the pub's layout, I think.

Two flutes, guitar, and bodhrán.

We retired for the night knowing that tomorrow will be an early departure.  It's a big day since we will be taking the ferry out into the Atlantic to the Aran Islands and spending two night on Inis Mor, or Inishmore as it is also written.

Andrew is doing his signature pose from Varna, Bulgaria.  That's how you know it's time to retire for the evening.

Tomorrow, we take the ferry to the Aran Islands and will have a change of scenery.