Part 6
We’re heading to the Irish countryside 😊
Today is the road trip to the Cliffs of Moher! Buckle up, I have lots to share!
Snacks packed – check! Water bottles for days – check! Let’s go!! Yes, I was really that excited. I called shotgun, we shoved the boys in the back seats 😉
New lesson: every petrol/gas station has their own petrol/gas price. So, we drove around a bit before stopping to fill up. Newton gets a chance to use the self-service pump & go inside the store to pay. After a tussle between him & Carmen about who’s paying (he won!), we hit the road again.
Well… now I am seeing the Ireland I imagined for so long. The lush, green rolling hills. Mountainsides. Valleys. Winding roads. A little cloudy, cool but lovely. I’m already grateful for being chauffeured by Carmen, my eyes are absorbing so much natural beauty I don’t think my brain could keep up!
We stopped at a pier & I remember this pitstop because of the cute border collie following me as we walked, but for the life of me I cannot remember the name of this quaint fishing pier.
Back on the road, passing cows and sheep grazing peacefully. They’re everywhere.
We drive up to the entrance of the Cliffs of Moher. People everywhere. Lots of tour busses.
I remember seeing the steep uphill to the walls of the Cliffs & thinking… “hmmm, am I ready for this?” But there was adrenalin rushing through every vessel of my being. (I had no idea what was ahead of me!) Up steps to the right, passing a delightful gentleman playing tunes on his accordion, we reached a point where we had a full view of the Cliffs. It’s breathtaking!!
Up more steps, we saw a Tower we could enter & explore. This is O’Brien’s Tower, the highest point of the Cliffs. It’s named after a descendant of the first High King of Ireland; Cornelius O’Brien was the landlord in the locality. How fascinating.
Going up inside the Tower… and outside at the top of the Tower
Time for a trail walk. (Carmen, if you’re reading… contain yourself haha!) A dusty path with views of the ocean to the left & green pastures to the right. Along the fence I stopped to watch a cow graze (I know, lame) & heard the loudest chewing from an animal! Sounded like it was ripping the grass from the ground. Of all the things/sights/sounds that stay with us, mine had to be of a cow chewing!
Further down, we were taking photos of the amazing views and while everyone was facing the ocean, I turned to take pictures of the fields. Stretching over the fence suddenly my life flashed before my eyes!!
The fence was electrified & I shrieked & freaked! Pretty sure I freaked out the entire bunch of tourists around me! After a quick check of my vitals (thanks my darling nursie friend Carmen), everyone burst out laughing! Guys, I could have died over here! Nope, hysterical laughter all round is what I got… until I laughed along! From this moment, this day would be remembered as a … “shocking experience”! You’re welcome, I aim to please 😀
We made our way back to where we started, by now Carmen & Warren were leaving us on our own. We wanted to explore the other side of the Cliffs… they said, “see you in 2hours!” what!?
Off we went, for a gruelling uphill most of the way, but oh boy was it worth it!
Honestly the most magnificent views of nature. A couple times, I told Newton to slow down & just look around. Ok maybe to rest a little too 😉
You don’t realise how quickly time passes & before you know it, you’re leaving a place and all you have are memories. So, while in the experience, I always try to remind myself… this may never happen again. Be fully in it.
We had some lovely selfie spots, sat on rocks overlooking the Cliffs, Newton found edge-of-the-mountain photo ops… while I sat watching 😐 But I admired him so much, loved that he was getting his fill of this experience too. There’s one candid photo I took of him (not sharing 😉), which is just a picture of joy & relaxation.
This visit to Cliffs of Moher is part one of today because there’s too much for one post! We grabbed sandwiches & drinks from the cafe, before jumping in the car for more road trip fun!
Next week, I’ll bring you some more stories & pictures from the Irish countryside.
A truly special place ❤
lots happening up there 