{i’ll be posting my ireland journal in it’s entirety for the next few days. if you haven’t had a chance to view the images, check that posting out here. i’ll also be posting my polaroid images when i get them scanned into my computer}
“we left westport around 10, after mom once again had to see if a store was open (it wasn’t).
we drove down south toward the coast and stopped outside ballyvaughan for – what else – another shop! we then went out into the burren to find a prehistoric dolmen called poulnabrone. it was actually pretty cool, and the rocks in the burren are very interesting – all light gray, flat sheets w/ deep crevices.
we went back into ballyvaughan after that and a few scenery stops, got lunch at a grocery store and drove out to the coast road. {we almost died a second time today: mom realised she was going the wrong way, so she pulled into a driveway to turn around, but failed to see the bus that was careening along the road, which almost t-boned our car. thank god the bus driver was paying attention!!}. we took a few stops for scenery and made it to the cliffs around 3. we had to pay to park – and admission – but no one ever took our ticket. so odd.
jess + i walked up to the cliffs after a bathroom stop, where mom met us. she had left gma at the cafe, and jess was looking for her camera lens cover, so she went back to retrace her steps while mom and i kept walking up. it has changed so much since 8 years ago…. the walkways are now cement and flatrock, there are handrails, there’s a visitors centre and cafe… 8 years ago it was just a massive gravel parking lot and some dirt paths.
after we walked around up near the napoleonic tower, mom and i met back up with jess and gma to go into the atlantic exhibition, which shows various things about the cliffs forming, the climate in the area, the flora and fauna, etc.
when we left the cliffs, we drove another hour into bunratty – near shannon – to the b+b. it’s kind of off the beaten track, but really easy to find once you know where its at (right? isn’t it always?). after checking in, we drove back into bunratty for dinner. we got to watch the end of the munster-leinster rugby game and the start of the man u-barca game.
we leave in the morning…it’s been a fantastic trip (aside from almost dying twice) and i am so glad i took the chance to go and spend time with my cousin jess.”