Today was a very long day! But we got to see, and experience, one of the most interesting parts of Ireland.
We were up and out fairly early to head to Doolin to catch the ferry to the Aran Islands (home of Aran sweaters.) Got caught in a heavy “sprinkle” as we walked over to the car (about 5 minutes away…) We didn’t realize at time this was a sign of how the day was to go.
The drive to Doolin took longer than planned. Those one track roads! We had to stop and wait a number of times to allow cars to pass. My “favorite” one track roads? Those with a strip of grass/weeds growing down the middle of the road.
Along the way, a large and well-kept ruin (is that an oxymoron?) appeared.
I couldn’t just drive by, but we knew we were running late so we did a quick pop into the parking lot and Charles took a few pictures.
At the ferry port, we parked a bit further away than we needed to…but followed the rule of “take the one you see.” Getting out of the car, the wind was blowing furiously, spraying water everywhere. We were last to board the ferry…we sat in the back row on bottom level in the uncovered section.
The waves started rocking the boat immediately. Barf bags were everywhere. We were soaked within minutes. My new raincoat, purchased the day before in Galway, did little to keep me dry. The coats Greg and Charles wore worked better for their upper bodies. All of us had sopping wet pants and feet.
After the first stop, we were able to move inside. We weren’t getting splashed, but the rocking was much worse. The next 25 minutes were quite long.
Once we arrived on Inishmore (Inis Mor), the first order of business was to find somewhere warm to start drying off and to get lunch. Fortunately a lovely little restaurant was a quick 7 minute walk.
After spending many minutes brushing out my hair, we ordered two lovely fish and chips, and a Mediterranean Chicken Burger. Yes, in Ireland, burgers aren’t just beef!
It’s a very small island…the best way to get around is by a mini van tour. The drivers line up at the dock. We also could have ridden bikes (we had actually planned on doing that but we were so uncomfortable after the crossing we changed our minds.) Our driver was Patrick, he was very personable with lots of information about the island and the people who live there. I suspect most of it is even true! His family has been on the island for 6 generations and he figures he knows about 99% of the inhabitants personally.
The highlight of the tour is Dún Aonghasa “Perilously perched on a sheer sea-cliff, Dún Aonghasa defiantly faces the Atlantic Ocean. It is the largest of the prehistoric stone forts of the Aran Islands.” The 1 km walk (about 20 minutes) was a bit challenging toward the top, but the view was stupendous. It was incredibly windy, so I didn’t venture too close to the edge. But Greg did.
https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/dun-aonghasa/
We had a quick stop at the “Seven churches.”
So much to see on the drive around the island. Cows anyone?
The return ferry ride was a bit smoother, but not by much. At least we stayed dry! We were in a larger boat that was more stable. We were supposed to pass under the Cliffs of Moher but the conditions precluded that route.
Next stop: a long drive to Trim Castle Hotel. Those darn narrow roads! But a good portion was motorway and we made good time. Boring supper: convenience store food.
The hotel was fancy. Weird light system: your key goes in slot by door to enable the lights to turn in. The tub was very deep and the shower controls were unusual. And, it was a “triple”…three single beds. Charles and I pushed ours together and we didn’t fight about the covers.
We took quick showers and fell asleep pretty quickly.
Thoughts from 23rd Street 