Adventures in Deutschland: Day 56 - The Insane Cliffs of Insanity

Sunday was our first full day in Ireland. We began the day with a full Irish breakfast at our B&B. It was wonderful. I don't think I've ever seen Therese eat so much. She had 3 bowls of Rice Krispies (a standard B&B cereal it turns out) and 2 scrambled eggs, toast, and a sausage. Todd and I had the traditional Irish breakfast which turned out to be two eggs, toast, sausage, Irish bacon (very thick, more like ham than American bacon), 2 sausage links, and a sausage patty. Needless to say we weren't very hungry for the rest of the day.

The first site we wanted to see while in Ireland was the Cliffs of Moher (also known as the Cliffs of Insanity to all of the Princess Bride fans out there). It was a bit rainy when we set out, but the ended up being cloudy but dry for most of the time we were there. The cliffs were unbelievable (or inconceivable if you prefer a Princess Bride reference). There is this long line of cliffs that are black speckled with mossy green. They drop straight down into the dark blue Atlantic Ocean. The people on top of the cliffs were so small that we could barely see them so that the magnitude of these cliffs was hard to wrap our heads around. We just had to stop and stair. For a bit of the journey up one side of the cliffs, there were rock walls so that Therese couldn't see anything. I was grateful for the strong barrier between me and the 400 ft. drop to the waves below. There were signs everywhere warning you not to stand on the edge of the cliff, not to jump off the cliffs, and one that looked like it was telling you not to start a fire in the grass on the edge of the cliff (it turns out this was trying to tell us that this was protected land). We climbed to O'Brien's Tower and marveled at the expansive cliffs before us. We walked along another cliff and met many Italians along the way. I didn't notice it at first, but there were numerous different languages being spoken around us. I guess I was used to not being able to understand everyone around me. It turns out that the cliffs are one of the most visited site in Ireland which people from around the world (like ourselves) come to see. The whole experience was made perfect when a woman and man started playing Irish music on the cliffside.

After the cliffs, we decided to drive to a nearby town that is supposed to be neat to visit. By the time we drove along the coast past sandy beaches and barren rock on more narrow, unlined roads to the town, Therese was fast asleep. We decided that it would be better for all of us if we let her keep sleeping so we started the drive home through an area known as the Burren. The Burren is this large expanse of land that is covered by exposed flat rock with little bits of grass growing here and there. It is completely barren and desolate. Well, except for the tourists who drive through this solemn land on a very narrow road, again unlined because two cars can't really fit at one time and again lined by stone walls, that zig zags up and down hills in a way that makes you nearly retrace your steps only 5 yards above or below after every turn. Crazy. Every time we would make one of these sharp turns to zig or to zag up the narrow road, I would grab the passenger side door and hold my breath or yell "Careful! Careful!" It was a very pretty drive but in a depressing (and ultimately stressful) sort of way.

It started raining right as we got out of the Burren. I was very grateful that we didn't dawdle and headed straight out. I don't know if I could have handled that drive in the rain. Since it was pouring out by the time we got back to Bunratty, we thought it would be a good time to eat. We went to a tourist hot spot called Durty Nelly's. There was a rugby match (is it a match or a game?) on so the bar was packed with enthusiastic fans. Todd and I split a delicious fish and chips, Therese picked at a few fries, and Todd had his first Irish Guinness. He was a happy man. Therese also enjoyed her drink - her first ever orange drink. I know, she's so deprived...

After lunch we headed to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Unfortunately it was still raining, but we thought we had better still see the sites we came to see. Bunratty is known for this little area where they restored an old castle from 1425 and reconstructed the nearby village (including houses) to look like the area would have looked at that time. We immediately sought out the castle in order to escape the rain. This was by far the highlight of Therese's trip and perhaps her life up to this point. The castle is this massive stone structure that was very bare compared to the castle we saw in Germany. They let you wander around the entire thing, up narrow winding and well-worn staircases and through dining halls, bedrooms, up the towers and down to the dungeons. It was really amazing. In an upper banquet room, there was a woman dressed like a princess who told the little children (including Therese) about how princesses used to live in this castle and where the princess would eat and sleep. Therese is in a princess phase (well, we're hoping it's a phase) so she ate this right up. For DAYS all she would talk about is how she got to see where princesses live and where they ate and slept and how she wasn't allowed to jump on the princess' bed. Everytime she talks about this her eyes get really wide. It's very sweet.

The rain let up a bit while we were in the castle so that we were able to wander around the folk park. We got to go in reconstructed houses with thatched roofs that were decorated just like they would have been in the 15th century. Every house had a religious symbol or picture inside. They had all sorts of houses ranging from one room to 4 bedroom houses. Many had a bedroom in the loft that one could reach by climbing up a ladder. It was really interesting. The folk park also had a little collection of animals including ducks, sheep, horses, and pigs among others. Reese loved the ducks but was a little afraid of them because the roosters were housed next to them and they wouldn't stop crowing.

After our time in the folk park, we thought Therese should eat some dinner so we went to a place called The Creamery. Todd and I were still full from breakfast and lunch so we each had soup while Therese ate an entire burger and a plate greenbeans all by herself. With a full belly and a full day under her belt, she quickly fell asleep. After such an exciting day, Todd and I were quick to follow.

O'Brien's Tower on the top of the central point of the Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher - I really wish pictures could capture just how big they are

I included this one to try to give a sense of proportion. If you look really hard or if you blow this picture up, you can see little dots that are people standing on the cliff all the way to the left.