Oh Wow!

We enjoyed a full day of travel and exploring yesterday as we headed over to the opposite side of the country. I guess my body hasn’t completely accepted the Irish time zone, as I had a tough time sleeping the night before. This left me a wee bit tired for our train ride over to Galway.

We departed from Heuston station just after 7 a.m. I absolutely loved the green hillsides and all of the train stations along the way. The reminded me of a scene from Bed Knobs and Broom Sticks, though it’s been a hundred years since I’ve seen that movie – so I could be mixing it up. At any rate, they are very quaint little stone buildings… very busy though. Ireland has got transportation figured out, I think! People use the public transportation system heavily, and perhaps that’s a big part of why everything here feels so CLEAN!

Upon reaching Galway, we boarded a coach to the airport about 45 minutes away. Our plane took us to the biggest of the three Aran (pronounced like my name) Islands, Inis More (pronounced Inish More).

The island’s population is about 800, and Gaelic is the first language of it’s people. It is made up mostly of limestone rock… there are thousands of miles of stone walls built up all around the island. It is the work of thousands of years – generation after generation of hard work. These folks didn’t have electricity until 1972 when some generators were brought to the island. Later on they ran a power line in under the water. The roads are incredibly narrow, and I found myself cringing as our driver sped around every corner. The tour guides are pro’s, though – and friendly!

At the top of the island sits an old fort, Don Aonghas. Bill and I hiked up to the top to see this incredible structure. It was worth it! The cliffs drop straight down three hundred feet into the ocean, and the coastline is spectacular.

After our hike we stopped in at the local cafe for some of the best soup I’ve ever eaten served with brown bread. The food here has been interesting. Of course there is a McDonald’s around every corner – fighting Starbucks for the space, but we’ve got to some of the local spots, and here’s what I’ve come to conclude: Hotel restaurants seem to like to serve Asian cuisine only. Black and White Pudding is not what you’d expect, and it’s probably going to weird you out. The tea is good. Ketchup is weird. They don’t dip stuff here – a very sad realization for me.

ANYWAY – we had a fantastic day, and we even got a glance at a true Irish rainbow. I didn’t have a chance to look for the gold at it’s end, but I am expecting more rain, thus more rainbows, in the next few days.

We extended our time in Liffey Valley, and it was fantastic to sleep in this morning and visit the sauna, steam room, and hot tub. Bill booked us at a B&B in Cork for tomorrow and the next night, so we’ll jump on a bus heading in that direction tomorrow. After that we are thinking about heading to Killarney (because I’m such a Bing Crosby fan…) to camp.

I know these entries are a little lengthy – this is my journal. So, enjoy the pictures, read what you like, and let me know how you are! 🙂 Take a look at Bill’s Blog for his perspective and more pictures. Leave a comment and let him know you’ve been there!

Love from Ireland!