Back to Ireland, Day 4: Doolin, the Cliffs and Lisdoonvarna

When we travel, we try to pack as much as possible into every day. Sometimes that means we don't get the depth I would like--we don't get to stay in one place and just sink into the life there or explore all the nooks and crannies. But since our opportunities to go and our dollars are limited, we stretch them both as far as possible.

Day 4 was a long day, starting early and ending late. We left the wilder country and made our way to the pretty town of Lisdoonvarna, where the annual matchmaking festival was in full swing. I'm not talking about the kind of matches we strike on a box either--this is a place for singles to meet up! The festival runs for the entire month of September, and the town was filled with people. Whether they were all looking for a mate or just enjoying the many activities offered, I don't know. But it was a hopping place.

Fortunetellers were on hand to help see if the future held romance.

The town gets totally into this, as the painted signs on the buildings attest.

"Love is in the air," The sign on the side of the building says.

I wondered how many weddings have been conducted here during the festival?

Irish Arms pub--nice name!

I enjoyed the brightly painted buildings so much!

We didn't stay long, much as I wanted to. I wanted to talk to a few people and ask them about the festival and why they were there but we still had things to see this day.

Like this: The Cliffs of Moher.

Now I saw these in 2015 with my sister Theresa, but can anyone ever see this sight enough? Larry was amazed! The weather had turned blustery and cold, with the wind strong enough to knock a person literally off their feet, but it was worth braving the weather to see the Cliffs.

A tower sits high above the water; we planned to hike out there but it was just too wet and wild for a walk.

The cave from the Harry Potter movies--so dark and ominous!

As we left the cliffs to find the town of Doolin for our night's lodging, we passed this tower--no long hike needed to see this one!

We ate a late lunch/early dinner and decided to see how far it was to the ferry we needed to take the next day--and it was still daylight, so why not see something more?

The road afforded such sweeping views of the coast, dotted with small villages.

And then we were back to the tower, seeing it this time for a different angle. It seems to be occupied or at least cared for as it has newer windows.

Far down below, an abandoned house nestles in a copse of trees.

And then we were back to Doolin, and ready for an evening of music.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

The Cliffs of Moher: From the Top

Not really cliffs in this first photo! We stopped for a late lunch at a pub in Doolin. The tables were made from the bases of treadle sewing machines! I had to get a quick picture of them. The food here was delicious, and so welcome after our trip on the ferry. Tea, sandwiches, soup, and a tot of Jameson's set me up just right.

 Looking west,

towards the Aran Islands.

O'Brien's Tower. O'Brien seemed to be the name on a lot of places in this region, and I came home with a macabre story about the wife of one of them. More about her in a later post, I hope.

Looking north, I believe.

The light changed again, and the water looked more gray and stormy.

The sentinel rock I showed in my last post, far below O'Brien's Tower.

And then we were off again to take the Wild Atlantic Way back to Galway.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

The Cliffs of Moher: from the Bottom

I struggle for words to describe the next part of our travels, a visit to both the base and the top of the Cliffs of Moher. Honestly there were times during this full day that I wanted to pinch myself to prove that I was really seeing these things and not dreaming.

(I cheated here: this was actually taken later in the day from the top of the cliffs. This is the cave from the movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and is one of my favorite photos from this vacation. I just couldn't wait any longer to share it.)

Our ferry boat seemed small as it approached the towering cliffs. 

 I looked back to Inisheer, thinking about those who first ventured across to the rocky island and what kind of vessel they must have traveled in. Surely much less substantial than the ferry!

The Plassy rested comfortably on her rocks and in the distance the lighthouse on the island that we did not have a chance to see.

Ahead, the cliffs! Our boat gave a few steep tips, and I looked in the wheelhouse to see why because the water really wasn't terribly rough.

And what do you know, a young lady passenger, who had been terrified, was at the helm! No wonder we were rocking a bit. She did pretty well, though, and she was much less afraid after her turn at the wheel.

 The cliffs are a 700 foot sheer drop at their highest point to the water below; atop them stands a tower (I'm not sure which one this is--one of them is called O'Brien's tower but I am not sure if it's this one).

Another tower at the end of the cliffs, with an intriguing portal through the rocks below. We did not get too close to this area; perhaps it is too rocky.

 The colors were just stunning--turquoise water, deep gray tones of the rocks and the startling green grass that clung here and there to the stone. All day the light shifted, sometimes incredibly clear, sometimes overcast, and with each change the colors changed.

This stone is probably the remains of a place where the cliffs once extended; now it stands like a sentinel, or a lighthouse warning travelers of the dangerous rocks ahead.

Birds nest in the cliffs too--I zoomed in for a picture of a few, hoping to be able to see if there were any puffins there, but my photo did not come out well enough to tell.

One of several waterfalls along the cliffs.

Looking north to the gentler lands of County Clare.

Homes atop the cliffs near the village of Doolin, which was the place were we would disembark.

Next up, a few scenes from the top of this stupendous place.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.