The Moher The Better
Day 16
We were out of the hotel early so we could arrive at the Cliffs of Moher before the peak hours. Once again the drive did not disappoint!
The vehicle navigation loves taking us down the narrowest roads. On the approach to the cliffs we were taking the bike trail single lane winding road. We did not come upon any cyclists but we did have to pass some hikers, and then we would see a sign shortly after indicating that people may be walking on the road. This is a single lane road with no shoulder, no sidewalk, just shrubs, trees, and rock walls.
It was windy and raining when we arrived, so we layered up and used our waterproof pants for the first time.
The climb up to Brien’s Tower was very accessible- stone stairs and a ramp. It was a bit of a hike but not too challenging. The view is pretty awesome! The cliffs are very high and very dramatic coming up from the calm Sea with lots of clouds and misty rain. We may have spotted a dolphin swimming close to the cliffs!
The view from the tower is good but has lots of small stone openings so you don’t get a clear view of the seascape. You are better off staying on the ground.
We walked back down and started up the cliffs to the left of the visitor’s centre. If you were to visit, I would suggest that order because you can walk a lot further, the path becomes dirt and stones at some point and very narrow. They have a barrier up along most of the path but there are places were you can walk up to the edge of the cliff. It is a much longer trek and well worth your effort. We spent close to an hour walking along the cliffs and back but did not go all the way to the end.
The view is great and I liked how you could walk for a few minutes and pause, look down at the water and cliffs and see something different that you weren’t able to see a few minutes earlier. Very dramatic and beautiful! AND it was the location of the Cliffs of Despair from The Princess Bride! Inconceivable!
While we were on the hike Bill received a call from Menlo Park Hotel to notify us that they canceled our booking for this evening - they are overbooked. WTF? They supposedly have moved us over to Maldron Hotel across the street and were going to send an email that Bill never received.
From there I enjoyed zigging and zagging our way down the cliffs to get back to the highway. Sadly others are not so enthusiastic and caused me to stay in second gear most of the time. We gots turbo - we need to use it!
We arrived in Galway and headed to McGinn’s Hop House for lunch. Sadly the lunch menu was different than what was online, so my only option for lunch was a burger without a bun (not bad), Bill enjoyed his steak sandwich, Sheila liked her chowder, and Doug’s burger was very good.
Sheila, Doug, and I walked around the city while Bill checked in to our hotel and did some work. We walked through the core and checked out Eyre Square. We did not see all the sites on the walking tour but did stop and check out some shops.
We stopped into the King’s Head pub for a few pints and to play a round of Rummy. Doug won this round - number 4 for him.
We did some more touring and walked down to the water near the museum and Spanish Gate. We then strolled along the fast moving water with lots of beautiful swans toward the Galway Cathedral.
We toured the beautiful and serene cathedral. It had rough stone walls, an ornate wooden ceiling, a beautiful dome above the alter that cast off a deep blue light, it had stone carved stations of the cross, and a few mosaic murals in the smaller chapels. The modern Mary and Jesus painting by Adam Pomeroy was not a typical traditional depiction.
We then followed the river, Bruach Na, toward the rowing club and watched some young boys get ready for practice while a mother swan swam past with her teenaged goslings. I also saw a small black water bird, who I haven’t been able to identify.
We had done a loop of the downtown and circled back to McGinn’s Hop House. Doug selected Hughes Pub to have a few drinks and play cards while waiting for Bill to join us.
We played cards, chatted with some of the local residents, had a few drinks, and watched Cork horse racing. Doug won again, two in a row for win number 5.
Bill came downtown during rush hour, it took 30 min in the cab instead of 10 min. He had some beer and whisky to catch up with us and we played another game of Rummy. Sheila has ended her cold streak and won her third game of the trip.
The gents next to us made some dinner suggestions but I was unable to book anything online for us this evening. A lady showed up and of course took charge. She phoned Papa Rich’s and booked us a table for 7:30.
We bid farewell to our new Galway friends and headed to the restaurant which was above a pub a few doors down and was Asian food. I had a crispy duck dish, Bill had their curry blend, Sheila had cashew shrimp and Doug had a dish that he enjoyed. He did not like the Woo Woo drink that he ordered (what do you expect from a drink with a stupid name) The rest of us stayed safe with our Tsingtao and Tiger beer.
We took a walk through the centre of town and along the water again for Bill’s benefit and stopped in at Cellar Bar to have the best sticky toffee pudding (according to some guy on the internet) in Galway to cap off the evening.
Sheila and I were falling asleep but we played another game of Rummy and Doug racked up win number six.