Day 11

By the time Sunday rolled around, we were all tired out and ready for a low-key day. So we took our time getting ready and packed. Mom planned for us to take a long scenic drive on the way to Donegal, but instead, we decided to spend a leisurely morning in Galway. My parents walked around and went in a few shops while Kevin and I went to a coffee shop for a couple hours. Then we all met up for lunch before heading to Donegal.

It was a three-hour drive, so we made a few pit stops along the way. We stopped at the ruins of an old Franciscan friary that was founded in the first half of the thirteenth century. Later, we turned off the road to get closer to a distant castle and discovered more beautiful sea cliffs on the way.

We spent the night in Donegal. My parents stayed at the regal Lough Eske Castle. We were originally all going to stay there, but when Kevin decided to come along on the trip, we had to find somewhere that could accommodate him as well. So the two of us ended up staying at a quaint B&B called Ard Na Breatha. It worked out really well; the women who worked there were extremely friendly and helped us figure out the best things to visit in the region.

Day 10

While in Galway, we stayed at a little apartment. This enabled us to do a much-needed load of laundry and to make our own breakfast. After getting ready for the day, we took a half-hour drive to Rossaveal, then a ferry to Inishmore. It's the largest of the three Aran Islands and is only about 3 miles wide by 9 miles long. The island is completely covered in rock with no farmland at all. So the people who settled there thousands of years ago created their own soil through a three-year process of mixing sand from the shore with the seaweed they pulled up from the sea. The process worked and the island became famous for it. During the Irish potato famine, Inishmore was not affected by the potato blight, so people flocked to the island. But today, it has returned to its meager population of 900 people.

When we got to the island, we jumped on a minibus for a tour, which is the primary way for visitors to see the island. Our driver was quite the character, singing away and telling us funny stories. He brought us to several sites including an ancient monastery that was destroyed during Cromwell's rule and Dun Aonghasa, a prehistoric fort built on the edge of a 330-foot high cliff. We ate lunch at a thatched-roofed cafe along the way. After the minibus tour, we had coffee and dessert at a little cafe, then took the ferry back to the mainland. It was an interesting island and I enjoyed it overall, but we were all a bit grumpy and the freezing, windy, rainy weather didn't help much. I think we'd all gotten a little tired out and were ready for a change of pace. 

Back in Galway, we had Chinese food for dinner, which was a nice change from all the hearty pub food we'd been eating. We stopped in an arcade on the way back from dinner and Kevin and Dad played a game of pool. We got ice cream bars, headed back to our apartment, and played our board game before getting to bed.

Day 9

We ate breakfast at our B&B again, then packed our bags and headed out. We drove north to Talbert where we took a short car ferry across the Shannon River and into County Clare. From there, we drove to a little town where we ate lunch at a busy pub. The waitress asked our plans for the day and we told her we were going to visit the Cliffs of Moher. She suggested we drive in the opposite direction to a set of cliffs that are just as beautiful, but completely unvisited. So we did just that. We drove west on tiny roads through what seemed like endless farmland until we reached the sea. We drove around a little bend and suddenly all said "wow..." in unison. The view was breathtaking. The road looked out over cliffsides in both directions, jagged rocks below, a large cliffy island ahead, and lush green fields behind. The entire scene was freckled with tiny pink wildflowers. So Kevin pulled the car over and we all got out. Kevin took off, climbing down the rocks toward the sea. I followed him about halfway and found a ledge to sit on. Like everywhere we've been in Ireland, it was extremely windy, but the sun was shining and the view was so beautiful it didn't matter. We stayed there awhile, climbing and exploring and taking photos, then resumed our journey to the Cliffs of Moher.

The famous cliffs were spectacular, rising 700 feet from the ocean. They're the same ones used as "the cliffs of insanity" in The Princess Bride. People come from all over the world to see them and the area was full of tourists. But the sun disappeared behind the clouds and the icy wind numbed my hands. I took a few photos, then found refuge and coffee in the visitor center before heading back on the road. I'm glad we visited them, but was also happy to have had our own stunning private cliff experience. 

From there, we headed to Galway, by way of "The Burren," meaning "great rock." This region of County Clare is one of the largest karst landscapes in Europe. The barren limestone landscape seemed surreal, especially after driving through endless fields of green.

We finally made it to Galway. Its one of Ireland's largest cities, with a picturesque town center full of little shops and restaurants. For dinner, we snuggled into The Pie Maker, a tiny restaurant just big enough to squeeze in three tables. It had a cozy, quirky decor with a copper ceiling, a tea kettle chandelier, a giant old world map, little nicknacks everywhere, and one wall completely covered with rulers. We each ate our own mini pie; mine was chicken curry. For dessert, Kevin and I split a mini apple pie and a mini banoffee pie, a delicious treat that I've missed since my semester in London. This was definitely my favorite meal of the trip so far.

Day 8

We ate breakfast this morning at our B&B. I had a delicious veggie omelette. Vivienne, the caretaker, was able to give Kevin a brochure for a place in town that rents bicycles. So after breakfast, he walked into town and rented one. We then all set out for the Dingle Peninusla, Kevin on a bike and the rest of us in the car. We took the Slea Head Drive, a 30-mile circular route around the entire Peninusla. The drive was beautiful, but very cold, rainy, and windy. We stopped along the way to sip coffee by a fire and later for some lunch. We hiked up to one of the many beehive huts, properly called Clochans. They are round huts made of stone, dating back to the 12th century. We also stopped several times to take photos of the beautiful rugged cliffs. At one of our stops, I hiked out to a large jagged rock that juts out over the ocean, Dad yelling at me to "be careful" the entire time. We passed Kevin a few times along the way. His bike got a flat tire so someone had to bring him a new one, which delayed him nearly an hour. He seemed to enjoy the journey, but was exhausted by the time it was over. I was tired too, so we both took a long afternoon nap.

Vivienne made us dinner reservations at a Michelin-rated restaurant called The Chart House. I had a salad with melon, cashews, and a duck wonton, followed by a lentil, tomato, and sweet potato strudel, then a cup of coffee to finish things off. It was delicious and the Michelin rating well deserved. We then went to O'Sullivan's Courthouse Pub for traditional music. I got a baileys and cream, which tasted dangerously similar to ice cream. But hey, when in Rome (or Dingle), right?

Day 7

We ate breakfast at a cute little café near our hotel. I've noticed that the menus in Ireland are a lot simpler than what I'm used to back home. I ordered eggs and bacon with toast. Luckily, the majority of places in Ireland have gluten-free bread, which has been wonderful! I've also noticed that most cafés don't serve brewed coffee, but only have espresso, so I've been drinking a lot of cappuccinos and americanos.

After breakfast, we packed up and headed out for Dingle, a tiny town on the west coast in County Kerry. We read online that the drive could take up to seven hours depending on traffic, so were relieved when it only took us about four and a half hours. This was my first time seeing the Irish countryside, and the view was stunning. It was just as I'd expected: bright green hills as far as the eye could see, sheep and cows grazing on endless fields, and perfect weather of blue skies and little white fluffy clouds. The scene was so picturesque it looked fake. Regardless, it was a long drive and I was restless by the end.

When we got to Dingle, we took advantage of the perfect weather by walking along the marina and through the town, taking pictures along the way. We ate dinner at Doyle's, then headed across the street to a little pub. Dingle is known for its traditional folk music and most of the pubs around town were "chock-o-block," meaning jammed packed. We finally found a table in one and ordered drinks. It felt a little strange to sit in a pub and drink a pint with my parents, but seemed like a classic Irish experience nonetheless.