On Sunday we travelled the coast in County Clare and got the best exposure (and memories) of the Irish landscape. People associate themselves here with the county they belong to as opposed to the town they live in - gives a real community feel to the place. We stopped at a castle on one of the cliffs along the way and marvelled at the moors all around us. The weather was crisp and sunny, perfect to take in the green fields and cliffs and sparkling sea as we drove past.
Syd took the opportunity on these small windy roads to practice his 'F1' racing skills much to our handle-gripping chagrin. Thankfully brother was up front navigating so that Bec and I didn't have to watch the road as much. We soon got used to it and even kind of liked the rollercoaster dipping feeling in the tummies. Every once in a while I would go 'whee!' and Bec remarked that I would be a good companion in the backseat with her son Isaac who enjoys such thrills as well.We had picked up a picnic lunch earlier in the day so we could eat at our main destination - the Cliffs of Moher. We made a stop in a town called Doolin on the way as 'duty called', and Syd was also craving a beer so we stopped at O'Connors pub (apparently its THE place to go in Doolin) by the river for a quick stop. This ended up being a 1 hour stop as Bec found a souvenir shop, and our pints took longer to complete as we were diverted by taking group shots of ourselves.
I happened to have the good fortune of chatting up some locals who gave us a tip as to the best way to see the cliffs - from below in the sea! They said that just at the end of the road we were parked on there were ferries that circled the cliffs every hour. Good tip! So we decided to have our picnic on the ferry instead and view the expansive cliffs from below. Apparently it is the more touristy thing to view the cliffs from the top, but you wouldn't get nearly the scope of the elevation from there as you do from below. The cliffs boast one of the most spectacular views in Ireland and is one of its top tourist attractions, and they weren't kidding. You could see the gradient on the rock of the evolution over time, topped with patches of green, and waaaay at the top you could see tourists, and even sheep and cows hovering near the edge. There were no fences at the top, so on a windy day a daft tourist could be blown right off the side if they get too close!
An interesting tip that Syd learned is that the Cliffs of Moher were also the Cliffs of Insanity used in the movie 'the princess bride'. They were absolutely amazing - and made for romantic picture opps too! ;o)
By the time the boat trip ended it was near 6 pm and we had a good 2.5 hour drive ahead of us to get to Kilkenny. Upon arrival at our cute b&b called Mena house in Kilkenny. Bec got a kick out of the mini shower that she forever calls the 'leprecaun tub'.
That night we walked into town and just barely got seated for dinner by 10. A great restaurant called Paradise took us in and kept their kitchen open just for us. Unfortunately we didn't see much of the town, but Kilkenny Castle was right on the canal and made a very pretty sight lit up at night with its reflection eerily still in the water beneath.
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