THE CLIFFS OF INSANITY!!! (a.k.a The Cliffs of Moher)

Anyone who asks me my favorite movie will get the answer "The Princess Bride". This movie came out the year I was born and I've probably been watching it ever since. I can quote nearly every line of it! If you challenge me to a quote-off you will probably lose. Just sayin'. I long ago found out that the "Cliffs of Insanity" from the movie were actually called the Cliffs of Moher and were located in Ireland. I also found that Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince filmed a scene there. So this place held signifcance for two of my favorite fandoms. I mentally added that to my list of things I must see sometime in my life. August 6th, 2014 I got to cross that one off my list!

Before I get to talking about the cliffs, I will show you some of the other things I saw on my tour and save the best for last!

These two pictures are of Dunguaire castle, a 16th century castle in the town in Kinvara on the shores of Galway bay.

Next up is Corcomroe abbey which dates back to the early 13th century.

Cool photo from inside.

"Hello? Mr. Rabbit?"

Why such a tiny archway? Medieval doggie door?

Then we moved on to the site of Poulnabrone, a neolithic dolmen, or portal tomb. This tomb is over 5,000 years old and has the remains of over 30 people in this ancient site. Here is a Wikipedia excerpt about dolmens:

"It remains unclear when, why, and by whom the earliest dolmens were made. The oldest known dolmens are in Western Europe, where they were set in place around 7000 years ago. Archaeologists still do not know who erected these dolmens, which makes it difficult to know why they did it. They are generally all regarded as tombs or burial chambers, despite the absence of clear evidence for this. Human remains, sometimes accompanied by artifacts, have been found in or close to the dolmens which could be scientifically dated.'

Poulnabrone dolmen

With the people standing behind it you can see that it's pretty big.

Then we stopped for lunch in the fishing village of Doolin where I had a traditional Guinness beef stew for lunch.

Doolin!

It's cute!

Delicious lunch!

Then, we finally go to the Cliffs!!! They were SO STUNNING. It was beautiful, and amazing and yes, insane. I already want to go back sometime and spend even more time there taking it all in. The pictures don't do it justice just how beautiful they are. I was very lucky to be there on such a nice day, because I've been told that when the weather is bad you can't see anything. So please enjoy the beauty that is the Cliffs of Moher!

The Cliffs!

A lookout tower

Just look at how beautiful that is!

LOOK AT IT!!!

Sitting on the edge.

It's a long way down!!

Selfies on the edge!

The view from the highest point, about 700 feet up!

I will leave you with some gorgeous panoramas of one of my favorite places I visited so far while in Ireland.

 I'll see you again someday, Cliffs of Moher!

3 Nights in Galway

During one of my "weekends" from working at the hostel (I get 2 days off a week, but they're weekdays) I took a trip to Galway to easier explore some of the picturesque and popular destinations in the west of Ireland. For this trip I didn't have to be alone and one of the other hostel volunteers had the same days off, so she came with me. We booked the Kinlay House hostel, which was a really nice hostel! If you go to Galway, I recommend Kinlay House!

I did quite enjoy this big mural on the wall of the common room, which was a take on The Last Supper but had the interesting addition of a wild haired Anthony Kiedis look-a-like just off center (lead singer of The Red Hot Chili Peppers) leaping into the air while playing a bohdran, which is a traditional Irish drum.

You can click the picture to make it bigger.

After checking in we took a walk around to explore the sights.

Eyre Square, which is right outside the front door of the hostel

A stroll down the street.

Flags representing the 14 original tribes of Galway, dating back to 1232

There were so many swans swimming around

On the way down towards the water.

Saw my first Irish rainbow!

This was some kind of kayaking water polo??

The streets are filled with entertainers, like these ones playing traditional music.

Or this guy on a unicycle

There are many places to see and check out. Restaurants and pubs line the streets. I ate a meal at one place with a bit of history.

We were only supposed to be in Galway for 2 nights, but due to an error from the tour company we had used for day tours we got back to Galway too late the second night to catch the bus back to Westport. The tour company graciously booked us into a different hostel for the evening, complimentary. But it did mean we had to be up at the crack of dawn to catch the 6 AM bus back to Westport in order to start work again in the morning. After all the stress from the late tour, missed bus, and impeding early morning I needed some comfort food. I had dinner at a bar with Blue Moon on tap (one of my favorite American beers) and some chicken wings! Just a bit of American food to comfort me in the stress. I wish I had more time in Galway, but if I ever visit Ireland again it will be on my list of places to visit again!

See ya later Galway, you were grand!

Look for the next entries that will detail the sights I saw on the tours that left from Galway: Connemara and The Cliffs of Moher!

Let's explore Westport, Ireland!

Hey everyone! Coming to you from Westport, a town in County Mayo Ireland. It's a lovely little gem of a town on the coast where you wont find any Starbucks, McDonalds, or even a movie theater. It's main attractions are Croagh Patrick, the holy mountain that St. Patrick climbed, Achill Island, Clare island, and Westport house. In this town is a small hostel called The Old Mill which is where I've been living for almost the past 2 weeks. I'd like to introduce you to this little corner of the Emerald Isle!

Let's start with some pictures of the town.

"The Octagon" in the town center.

The clock tower near the street with the best pubs.

A view of the town from on top of the hill.

A beautiful church in town.

Brightly colored homes

The river that runs through the town.

Me at the river!

Just down the road from the town center, the ocean is about a 20 minute walk, or 15 minute bike ride. From here you can see Croagh Patrick, go kayaking or snorkeling, or visit Achill or Clare islands. This area in the pictures is called The Quay (pronounced "the key") and it's stunning on a sunny day, which I captured here.

Beside both The Quay and the town center is Westport House, a beautiful Irish historic home built on the remnants of a castle that was owned by Grace O'Malley, the Pirate Queen, and the house is owned by direct descendants of her. Read more about that here. In addition to seeing the house and grounds there are lots of activities like the paddle boats, and a demonstration of falconry and birds of prey and small rides for kids. Those things cost extra though, and I am a broke kid so I just did the house and grounds.

Those white things in the front are sheep!

Sheep in the shade!

The drawing room with sky ceiling

Formal dining room

The cannon mentioned in the previous picture.

They've given it kitschy decorations.

Pirate themed of course.

Of course I took a picture of the wine cellar!

Statue of Grace O'Malley

Out of the river you can rent swan paddle boats.

Pretty bridge

A look across the grounds.

The back of the house.

To visit all these great places, I need a place to stay! So let's check out the hostel I live in! The description from the website: Built around C1780 the building has undergone many changes over the years. It was part of a network of warehouse buildings used as a brewery in the 18th century. It later served as a storehouse, animal shelter and slaughter house, a chicken hatchery and in 1991 was renovated and converted into a low budget holiday hostel. It has been welcoming visitors from all over the world ever since.

Through that tunnel is the main road to the town center.

My room! It's really tiny. I stood against the door to take this.

The big kitchen where I've met so many people already.

The common area where I'm sitting on that seat on the left at this very moment to type this blog! 

That's a little tour of Westport so far! Next I'll take you to Galway city, Connemara and Kylemore Abbey and the Cliffs of Moher!