The Cliffs of Moher

(Day three recap of my recent Ireland trip.)

Ugh - I paid dearly for the previous night's beer consumption, waking up with an angry tummy.  Too much beer and not enough food was my guess (I'd eaten lunch/dinner at 3 pm, way too early).  So I showered and made my way to the hotel's restaurant - tea, toast, and yogurt please! 

Cars parked everywhere for Sunday morning mass

Kim was feeling kind of puny also, but she finally arose and joined me for breakfast.  Our tour didn't officially start until 2 pm, so we had most of the day to kill.  It being Sunday, we noticed the Cathedral across the street was busy.  People parking cars all over the place, even on the sidewalk!

Old Ground Hotel

We decided to take a walk through Ennis, hoping to find a coffee shop.  But we found nearly all the stores shuttered.  Apparently nothing opened on Sunday morning here.

Nice light on this building

But it was a lovely morning.  Yesterday's rain had blown away and the sun shone brightly.  We'd been expecting more gloomy, wet weather so it was a nice surprise.

Swan sighting in the River Fergus

Passing by the River Fergus I spotted a swan floating in its waters.  So beautiful!  The bird even posed for me.

Paddy Quinn - the scene of last night's memorable evening

We walked by Paddy Quinn, the scene of last night's adventure, where we listened to such great traditional music, made some new Irish friends, and drank way too much Guinness.

Kim takes in Dunnes - the "Irish Fred Meyer"

The previous day Kim and I had been walking along Ennis' main street.  The street was full of tiny storefronts leading to small shops.  We spotted one doorway that appeared to lead to a shopping mall.  Intrigued, we headed inside.  Beyond the doorway was a long corridor with a couple of small businesses.  At hallway's end it opened up into a huge department store called Dunnes.  The place had a housewares department, clothing for the entire family, and a full grocery market!  We were flabbergasted - who knew that such a small street front opening would lead into an enormous supermarket?  In the Pacific NW, we have a store like this called Fred Meyer, so I dubbed this place the "Irish Fred Meyer."

On this early Sunday, Dunnes appeared to be the only place open, so Kim and I walked inside to check out their breakfast and coffee offerings.  We didn't end up buying anything but bottled water, but I had fun checking out the grocery items on their shelves.  I discovered food packaging is very different in other countries.  They have also some really strange potato chip flavors (flame grilled steak anyone?)

Resident kitty-cat

Kim finally did locate an open coffee shop, so we each got a latte and headed back to the hotel.  Our hotel had a nice outdoor seating area, so we parked ourselves at a nearby table, sipped our drinks and enjoyed the morning.  Kim had fun petting the hotel's resident cat.  The pampered feline had her own little bed in the front foyer.

Old ruins photographed out  the bus window

Finally 2 pm rolled around and we eagerly followed signs to a nearby banquet room where we were to meet our tour group.  When researching tours for Ireland, one name jumped out at me - Rick Steves.  Well known for his European travels I'd watched Rick's show on PBS for years.  Having seen so many of his episodes, I trusted the man's judgement.  So it wasn't a hard decision to choose a trip sponsored by this famous traveler.  I was hoping this Ireland vacation we'd signed up for would live up to the hype.

The Cliffs of Moher visitor center was unique

The room was set up with two rows of chairs.  Some of the folks were already sitting down.  Our tour leader, Pascal, welcomed us all.  When all 28 participants had silently filed in, Pascal looked us over and predicted this would be quietest we'd be for the entire week.

Kim and I sat next to a nice couple from Wisconsin, Randy and Jessica.  Pascal said one of the first things we needed to do was to chose a "buddy" - someone who wasn't your travel partner.  Pascal said he wasn't going to count heads every time we boarded the bus.  When he called for a "buddy check" each of us were responsible for locating our buddy, meaning we had to make eye contact with the person.  If someone couldn't find their buddy, then Pascal knew that the entire group wasn't all present.  Kim and I asked Randy and Jessica if we could be buddies.  It worked out great - Randy became my buddy and I quickly found out he loved photography as much as I did.  Perfect!

Stone tower on the cliffs

After introductions the first item on our itinerary was a trip to the nearby Cliffs of Moher.  So we trooped out of the hotel to our waiting bus, which was a brand new full-size Mercedes - sweet!  Pascal introduced us to George, our driver for the week.  Our bus had everything, including seat belts, which George required us all to buckle.  With everyone seated and secured (and buddies checked) we were off through the lovely, green Irish countryside.

O'Brien's Tower

It was a 45 minute journey to the famous seaside Cliffs of Moher.  George zoomed through the breathtakingly beautiful countryside.  There were lots of farms, pastures full of cows and sheep, and occasionally I'd spot an old ruin.  The scenery was so lovely, I wish we could've stopped for some photos.  But we had a schedule to keep so I had to be content with trying to take photos from the bus window. 

Cliff scenery north of the tower

Our bus passed through a couple of small villages.  One of them had an intersection with an extremely tight corner.  Both roads were narrow, and to complicate matters both also had buildings located a very short distance from the curb.  Our route required George to make a left turn at this particular junction.  After waiting for the cross traffic to clear, George swung the bus quickly to the left.  We all gasped as the front bumper just barely cleared one of the adjacent building's façade.   However, George knew what he was doing (I'm sure he drives this route frequently) and our bus emerged from this tight corner unscathed.

Walkway above the cliffs - notice there are sheep grazing

As we were traveling Pascal talked to us over the intercom, giving us a bit of Irish history along with some tidbits about what life in his country was like.  He was a wonderful speaker and talented storyteller.  I really enjoyed listening to his talks, it made the bus journeys fly by!

Cliff view looking south (in very crummy light)

In no time at all, our bus was pulling into the parking area for the Cliffs of Moher visitor center.  It being a Sunday, the lot was full of tour buses and private vehicles.  Pascal handed each of us a ticket, and told us we had an hour to explore the place.  Only an hour?  I looked up at the walkways stretching in both directions along the clifftops and realized we'd have to hustle to see much of it.

This fence was made of stone!

The Cliffs of Moher are famous sea cliffs running along Ireland's west-central coast.  One of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland, they are recognized by UNESCO as a global geopark.  The cliffs extend for about 14 kms (or 9 miles).  At their southern end they rise 120 meters (390 feet) above the Atlantic Ocean and reach their maximum height of 214 meters (702 feet) just north of O'Brien's Tower, a large stone fortress near the visitor center.

Joining the masses walking along the cliff top

The visitor center here was quite unusual.  Built into the adjacent hillside, its doorway and windows blended into the landscape.  It looked like a very interesting building, but with only an hour to explore the cliffs, I didn't want to waste any time poking around inside.  So Kim and I bypassed it and headed up the walkway.

Interesting stone barriers

I glimpsed O'Brien's Tower in the distance and told Kim we should check that out first.  A short walk brought us to its base.  Of course the place was crowded with people but I wasn't about to wait for the area to clear for a photograph.

Some of our tour-mates.  Friends already!

Looking over the edge the views were fabulous.  The blue Atlantic Ocean stretched away, as far as they eye could see.  Green-topped cliffs stretched left and right.  We lucked out with the weather - the sky was blue and visibility was excellent.  It was a bit windy, but it actually felt good.  Thinking it would be cold outside, Kim and I had layered on jackets, sweatshirts and knit hats before leaving the bus.  But - surprise - the temperature was actually quite mild and if not for the stiff breeze we would've roasted.

Stupid people ignoring the signs and sitting at the cliffs edge

The afternoon light meant photography was better looking to the north.  After checking out O'Brien's Tower, Kim and I headed south, me hoping to get as far as possible for some good light on the cliffs looking back north.

Magnificent view looking back towards the tower

The clifftops were lined with large stone slabs located a short distance from the edge that acted as a barrier.  Because of risks associated with constant erosion and rock falls, signs warned people to stay on the "official" path beyond the barriers.  But of course we saw many folks ignoring the signs, (or thought the rules didn't apply to them) vaulting the barriers, and walking right on the rim.  I guess there are stupid people everywhere!

Same view, zoomed in

After huffing a short distance south, I turned back and took in the magnificent view of the cliffs directly below the stone tower.  Mega camera lens candy!  Kim spotted a boat below the cliffs.  Evidentially there are companies that give tours of the cliffs at water level.  Next time!

The trail went for a long ways, but we had limited time

Kim and I caught up with our buddies, Randy and Jessica at this viewpoint.  Randy was frantically trying to photograph the scenery from every angle he could - which was exactly what I was doing too!  Eyeing the path stretching along the clifftops to the south we both bemoaned our limited timeframe, wishing we could explore further.

Official "we were here" photo

There was just enough time for some "we were here" photos, before we had to head back.  Not wishing to be the one to hold up our entire tour was a powerful incentive to get moving.  Still it was hard to tear myself away from such a beautiful place.  

Hustling back to our bus!

Gathering back at the bus, no one was late (we had a great group of people).  Pascal noted how lucky we were to have such great weather.  Evidentially sometimes the cliffs get fogged in.  That would be a bummer to travel so far and not be able to see anything!

Sea pink flowers on the cliffs edge

Heading back into town, George once again successfully navigated the tricky intersection.  Pascal said there was an important hurling match taking place in Ennis and we'd probably hit heavy traffic getting back to our hotel.  But George was so awesome, he knew a shortcut that avoided much of the gridlock and got us back without delay.

Leprechaun sighting!

Our group gathered at a local restaurant for dinner that evening.  Kim and I sat next to Kim (another Kim) and Alicia, the ladies we'd met in our hotel on that first jet-lagged day.  Kim and Alicia were friends from California, and we hit it off immediately.  It was an evening of great conversation, getting to know some of our fellow tour-mates (but sorry Alicia for accidentally drinking from your water glass!)

Lovely village on our return trip

Tomorrow we'd bid goodbye to Ennis and start our travels.  Although I was sad to leave this friendly little town, I was looking forward to seeing more of gorgeous Ireland.

Day four coming next!