Day 5 in Ireland

Another great day here in Ireland – I meant to wake up at nine, but as luck would have it, my body didn’t wake up until ten.  I don’t know what my deal is, but I don’t have an alarm clock, and this room is just so perfect for sleeping.  The goal is to get up at nine tomorrow.  I guess we’ll see how that goes in the morning.  Once I woke up and got ready, I planted leeks in the garden with Joe.  It didn’t take too long and before I knew it, we were on the road heading to the Cliffs of Moher.  I was so excited to travel from County Limerick to County Clare I could hardly stand it.  Along the way we passed beautiful landscapes, and I got to see the River Shannon.  I love all the rolling hills and 40 shades of green everywhere.  It was a bit hazy and rainy, but I could still make out the grandeur of my surroundings.  Once we were near the Cliffs of Moher, we stopped at a pub for a quick bite to eat and then headed up to the cliffs.  They cost 6 Euros for adults and 4 for students.  If we had known you’re only paying for the exhibit that’s not worth the money anyway, we would have had Joe drop us off at the base.  Regardless, it was a great deal for everything we had the opportunity to see.  The Cliffs are a finalist in the new seven wonders of nature, and are one of Ireland’s top visitor attractions.  The Cliffs are 800 ft high at the highest point and are surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean.  We hiked the short distance up to O’Brien’s Tower, which was erected in 1835 and cost 2 Euros to go up.  It is the highest point at the Cliffs, but I found it difficult to see anything because it’s crowded, and the castle points block visibility.  Rather, my favorite part was when we “off roaded” on the other side of the Cliffs.  We bypassed the sign that was labeled “Please do not go beyond this point,” and took our own tour.  The view was undisturbed and unmatched.  I felt like I was on the edge of the world, and in many ways, I was.  From the Cliffs, you can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, as well as the Twelve Pins, the Maum Turk Mountains in Connemara and Loop Head to the South.  Puffins and gulls are native to the Cliffs, and although it was too hazy to see them very clearly, I did catch a glimpse of them flying down below us.  After two and a half hours of exploring in the wind and on and off again rain, we got in the car and drove to Doolin.  Doolin is known for its music, and each night, random musicians from around the world bring their instruments on holiday and play in the pubs.  We got to hear them playing for awhile, and I took a video, which I thought was fun.  We then headed to the Doolin Beaches.  It was still rainy and windy, but that didn’t take away from its beauty.  The waves kept crashing against the rocks, and I loved jumping from rock to rock to try and catch the waves in my pictures.  When I turned around, I could see a huge rainbow stretched across the sky.  I decided while I’m here I need to find my pot of gold.  It was the perfect ending to a fantastic day.