High tide
we start in Ennis, stop at the Cliffs of Moher, and end in Galway
So, picking up where I left off Left Ennis fairly early on Saturday morning, and headed out towards the coast. The country was all cows and farms and stone walls, after a bit anyway there seems to be quite a lot of new construction surrounding the towns. Once I got up to the Cliffs, I found that I had arrived at high tide; and it was quite windy and choppy as well so the sea was quite a sight what lovely color from the clearest green to a deep, almost dusty blue. Theyve quite tamed the site as one might expect given the traffic of tourists and the fact that the cliffs are in fact, cliffs, a giant drop off to the ocean, so there is a walkway around and walls put up, etc. The wind and the tide together resulted in what was almost a fountain or a geyser, a spray really, at such a velocity that I decided I neednt venture round past that point. A few other doughty sightseers were there as well, even at this very off-season time of year, some in more appropriate gear than others. It was, as I say, quite windy, and storms blew in every so often; one poor fellow was caught in his leather coat that cant have been pleasant.
After departing from there, I sort of fell upon a dolmen / tomb Poulnabrone which also afforded a nice opportunity to walk around just a little in The Burren area. Its really quite extraordinary and otherworldly. I got right along into Galway city, but shot out the wrong way in a roundabout and took a detour of about an hour, then looped through Galway city center about three times before getting the right turnoff for the BB (do you see a trend). I was rather hungry by the time I got in so I nipped straight off to the town center and had simply the loveliest lamb stew with root vegetables and mash (and a clear broth made it just perfect, and not too heavy) and, of course, another Guinness. One must taste for consistency. This may have been an error simply from a timing point of view, but I cant say I really regret it. I puttered about the pedestrian zone for the rest of the afternoon and made an early night of it; I keep pretty early hours as it is, and being that its just me, I didnt want to go running around too much on a Saturday night in a town I dont know.
My BB was quite clean, and the patrons were very nice, but I must say I am not sure the BB thing is for me. Perhaps if it werent owner-occupied which is not to say that doesnt have its advantages but I felt, just a bit, like I was staying with relatives, maybe quite distant, slightly elderly, relatives. Perhaps it all depends. Also, it was just a bit further away from the city center than was practical to be walking in and out in the evening.
My second day in Galway was more eventful, and more interesting; so Id like to be a bit fresher to write that up. Ill see about that tomorrow.