Sunrise was spectacular from the air! We were above many clouds, but finally we could see a little glimpse of water below us, with the sun sparkling on it. The sun sparkles made a row just to the left and ahead of the airplane, a shining path leading us to Ireland.
Our first view of Ireland was just like the photos in those big glossy coffee table books: small square and rectangular fields covering the hills with forty shades of green. I was listening to The Northumbrian Community Daily Prayer CD, and as we touched down in Ireland, I listened to a prayer of St. Patrick:
Our first view of Ireland was just like the photos in those big glossy coffee table books: small square and rectangular fields covering the hills with forty shades of green. I was listening to The Northumbrian Community Daily Prayer CD, and as we touched down in Ireland, I listened to a prayer of St. Patrick:
Christ, as a light illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield overshadow me.
Christ under me; Christ over me;
Christ beside me on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light; Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me on my left and my right.
It was a warm bright day; the cows in the fields next to the airport watched our plane land. Shannon Airport is tiny and peaceful, especially in comparison to the Las Vegas airport. (I think I've seen bigger parking lots at Walmart stores!)
By now we'd been awake for almost 24 hours and we were exhausted and drooping. We had a yummy Irish Breakfast at the airport with a fabulous pot of tea that revived us a bit. We bought bus tickets and waited for the bus in the sunshine. Near the bus stop was a bed of roses – the bushes covered with huge pink or red blooms.
The bus took us to the station in Ennis, driving through the most charming towns I've ever seen. Pubs and cottages with window boxes and a few ruined stone buildings. In Ennis we waited about an hour. Part of the time I sat inside the station, where I talked with three other American tourists. One was a girl backpacking through Europe, the other two were mother and daughter-in-law to be. The daughter-to-be was recently engaged – just the day before, at the Cliffs of Moher.
We took the Galway bus to Doolin (Doolin is between Ennis and Galway). The villages were even more charming, and the countryside more rural. We passed the Cliffs of Moher – huge black cliffs rising abruptly from the sea. The bus route took us above Doolin, through Lisdoonvarna, and then down into Doolin. We told the bus driver where we were staying and he let us off at the proper intersection. We left the paved road of Fisher Street and trudged up the rocky lane past two houses to Lane Lodge. The owner, Teresa, met us at the door and offered us tea in her breakfast room. Somehow we kept our eyes propped open while we drank her exceptional tea, and then we went up the stairs to our room and collapsed on the bed. After a couple hours we woke up and looked around. One of our windows looked out on a small field with a horse. The other window looked toward the Atlantic ocean and Inisheer. It felt exciting to be half-way around the world and yet it felt like home too.
By now we'd been awake for almost 24 hours and we were exhausted and drooping. We had a yummy Irish Breakfast at the airport with a fabulous pot of tea that revived us a bit. We bought bus tickets and waited for the bus in the sunshine. Near the bus stop was a bed of roses – the bushes covered with huge pink or red blooms.
The bus took us to the station in Ennis, driving through the most charming towns I've ever seen. Pubs and cottages with window boxes and a few ruined stone buildings. In Ennis we waited about an hour. Part of the time I sat inside the station, where I talked with three other American tourists. One was a girl backpacking through Europe, the other two were mother and daughter-in-law to be. The daughter-to-be was recently engaged – just the day before, at the Cliffs of Moher.
We took the Galway bus to Doolin (Doolin is between Ennis and Galway). The villages were even more charming, and the countryside more rural. We passed the Cliffs of Moher – huge black cliffs rising abruptly from the sea. The bus route took us above Doolin, through Lisdoonvarna, and then down into Doolin. We told the bus driver where we were staying and he let us off at the proper intersection. We left the paved road of Fisher Street and trudged up the rocky lane past two houses to Lane Lodge. The owner, Teresa, met us at the door and offered us tea in her breakfast room. Somehow we kept our eyes propped open while we drank her exceptional tea, and then we went up the stairs to our room and collapsed on the bed. After a couple hours we woke up and looked around. One of our windows looked out on a small field with a horse. The other window looked toward the Atlantic ocean and Inisheer. It felt exciting to be half-way around the world and yet it felt like home too.
First we walked to the beach – the rockiest beach I've ever seen, with views of the Cliffs of Moher and Inisheer. Then we headed back to Fisher Street and stopped at the first restaurant – O'Connor's Pub, established in the 1830s. A heavenly fragrance was wafting from their doors, and we found that it was their seafood chowder, a rustic delight that I shall dream of for years. They also served a fabulous goat cheese tart, and quite lovely fish and chips. We walked through Doolin, stopping in a few little shops. Doolin is spread out over a couple miles – one main road winding through the village. Shops and pubs alternate with pastures of cows, horses, donkeys and sheep. O'Connors Pub is at one end of the village, Doolin Church is on the other. We thought we saw the whole town that night, but later found out we'd only seen half of it. On the way back to Lane Lodge we stopped at O'Connor's for apple pie, then, still feeling travel-weary we went to bed before 9. It's light til after 10 in Doolin this time of year but we did not stay up to see the sunset on this particular night.
Photos of Doolin (not ours) http://www.doolinireland.net/doolin-photos.html
Photos of Doolin (not ours) http://www.doolinireland.net/doolin-photos.html
Why did we choose Doolin? I began researching our trip with a simple Google search for Bed and Breakfasts near the seaside in Ireland. Something in Doolin was the first on the result list. I read a little about Doolin and learned that it was the center for traditional celtic music in Ireland. The ocean and the music sounded like the perfect combination, it was near Shannon Airport (it's cheaper to fly to Shannon than to Dublin), and also not far from the Aran Islands and Galway. I looked at a few other locations rather half-heartedly, and kept coming back to Doolin. And we're thankful that I did.
No comments:
Post a Comment