Cliffs of Moher

October 3, 2012

It was a long day yesterday, so we rested last evening and are writing this after a wonderful Irish breakfast. 

We started out driving to Tarbet to get on the ferry.  We’ve been on a lot of ferries in Washington, so this wasn’t super exciting, but it was different.  They walk around the cars/trucks/busses and collect the fare.  I couldn't get out because we were parked so close to the wall.  Here's my view:

BC got out and took some pictures of the water.  The wind was blowing quite a bit as you can see.

Speaking of.  I’ve tried to think of all the adjectives to put with windy.  Sorta, tad bit, very, really, kinda, blow your ear mops off and finally Popeye’s blow me down windy.  The wind pretty much blows all the time.  However, we have been very lucky with the rain.  Whenever we go to see some outside place, the sun shines.  The moment we are done, the sky clouds up and pours.  Nice. 

We got to Killimer and drove through Knockerra, Creegh, and Quilty!!!  Can you imagine?  A town called Quilty!  Here’s the town sign.

There is the Quilty bank where you keep your money to buy fabric. Then there is the Quilty post office where they send said fabric.  Here’s the Quilty Bar and restaurant where you eat and drink after a long day of, you got it, quilting.  Then when you have made all the quilts you can possibly make, you go to rest at the Quilty cemetery.  Gotta love it!

On through Milltown, Malray, Lehnich to the Cliffs of Moher.  Pronounced “more”.  There we got out; put on every piece of clothing we had in the back seat and walked up to O’Brien’s Tower.   It was very windy.  As we were walking up to the tower we came upon a rain shower.  BC said bent down and to wait here next to this wall until it passes.  So there we are, all bent over waiting for this rain shower to go by.  I got tired of waiting and walked on.  When we turned around to look, it was the wind blowing the water from the Atlantic Ocean so hard that it was spraying that particular place on the path.  We could have crouched down there forever!  Silly tourists! We got to the Tower and it was so beautiful.  And Blow me down windy.  If I hadn’t had bc to hang onto I’d be Dorothy in the wizard of Oz.  Here’s some pictures:

We walked back down, stopped to by a CD of my friend Rita Connolly because as I mentioned the radio is terrible in the tin car.  It’s a beautiful CD and makes driving through the Irish countryside so pleasant.  Anyway, just when we got about 50 yards from our car the blow your ear mops wind came up and I had to chase them down.  I got to the car just as torrential rain and blow me down wind came up.  I literally flew into the car, pulled my legs in as fast as I could as the door slammed.  I couldn’t stop laughing.  We were soaking wet on the left side of us.  Too funny. 

Got back on the road and drove through Ennistimon, Liscannor, and Lisdoonvarna and ate lunch at the Ritz.  A small friendly pub.  On down corkscrew hill through Kinvarra, Kilcogan, Clarinridge, Oranburg, Carrowmeh and stopped at the Ailwee caves.  We walked a half a kilometer into the cave.  Very interesting. 

Back into the car as the rain started, to go through Galway at rush hour, Maycullen, and into Rosscahill where our B&B is.  It’s called Ross Lake and is really off the beaten path, but oh so nice. 

We drove into Oughterand for dinner at the Boat Inn.  Fabulous mussels and a goat cheese puff pastry.  Glad we got the appetizer portion!  Hey Andy,  18 year old Jameson!

We are off on another adventure today, staying here again tonight.  Take care, bc and gc