Blowing westward and then home again

Well, if you're reading this, you can know that we are safely home. Sorry to have been lax in blogging these last few days, but the opportunity hasn't really presented itself since we blogged on Wednesday... well, it did present itself Thursday morning, but we had nothing to say at that point!

After leaving Sligo on Wednesday morning, we were headed west, around the Belmullet Peninsula of western Ireland, skipping a few places that were on "the list", but just enough out of the way to mean too much extra time as well as driving on yellow, or (horror of horrors) road of no color. (I should explain, green roads... as noted on the map) are the "best" roads, followed by green roads of higher numbers, followed by red roads. Yellow roads can best be compared with that we'd call alleyways stateside! Roads of no color (grey roads???) are bad alleys that make you want to inhale if you're meeting a car coming the other direction... just so you're not as wide on the road as you really are! The car catastrophe happend on, I think, a road of no color... John will know definitively as he was master navigator on this trip!) Skipping the coastal road, we weren't sure what we'd find, but figured there were mountains there that might provide a terrific view. That was the hope, at least. And, in point of fact, the hope was realized. It was a hard driving (approximately 200 km - 124 miles) day, but on mostly good roads and the views were simply spectacular. In a few minutes here, I'll start downloading pictures and see if I really got anything! Anyway, the drive was grand and occasionally we just pulled over and looked and did the requisite "WOW... look at that!" and then moved on. We did stop outside Westport and had lunch... yet another GREAT meal at a pub. (More about pub food later!) then headed on. We passed by and photographed Ireland's only (they said only... but who knows) fjord. Amazingly beautiful! We found ourselves driving through the Twelve Bens, a mountain range in the Connemara region of western Ireland. They aren't huge mountains, by our Rockie Mountain standard, but to someone who's lived in some of the flattest places in the U.S. they were pretty darned impressive.

Driving through this Connemara area was really impressive and boldly different from other parts of Ireland. Filled with mountain ranges and numerous lakes, it is made up of several peninsulas cutting through the western region. At one point, we found ourselves driving through a valley that was rather flat (and with straight roads!!!) for a bit and I realized we were driving through some of the famous peat bogs. Peat is a huge source of fuel in Ireland and clearly 1/6th of the country is covered in one of two types of peat bog. Peat fires are very warm and cozy and we enjoyed very much sitting next to several. If you want to learn more about peat bogs, check this web site (http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/geography/bogs.html). It's very interesting.

We also found ourselves sharing the roads, quite often, with sheep. Now, it wasn't that picturesque view of the herdman taking his herd across the road. It was the odd sheep who had managed to get outside the fence and was enjoying grazing along the roadside. On several occasions, we figured they were enough in the roadway that they might end up as lamb chops that evening if they weren't quick getting out of the way of an oncoming truck. We stopped at a shop that seemed to be in the middle of no-where and John was chatting with the proprietor who noted that those sheep can move pretty quickly when required!

After a day of driving, we went in search of the evening's B&B. Once again, we were aware that the phrase "just a short distance" is a relative term in Ireland and that when you think you've gone the wrong way or passed something up, you should just keep going... it's most likely just up the road. We spent the evening in Oughterard with Mary Maloney and her dog, Sandy. Once again, we faced steep stairs (NOW we know what some B&Bs focus on "all rooms on the ground floor"!), but Mary's son was home and he hauled our large bags up the stairs. We had decided it was time to do the serious packing up, getting rid of the too many shopping bags we had acquired and seeing if the thought of purchasing a small suitcase was going to be a reality -- it wasn't!)

Things were nice and toasty in the room when Mary showed it to us and we were thrilled at the thought of all that warmth... we were also very aware that it was most likely that the heat would be turned off at some point, usually when the proprietor went to bed or figured you should be in bed and not turned back on until sometime the next morning... hence the early morning temps of 55 degrees in our rooms! Fortunately, the room was so nice and warm... and the heat stayed on until about 10:00... that the early morning temp next day was about 61! Wooo hooo.... a heat wave! It sure made you get up and moving in the morning and out the door where you could crank up the car heat and get toasty again!

Thursday, our last full day in Ireland (THIS trip, as John keeps reminding me!) was set for seeing the Cliffs of Moher. The weather didn't hold out much hope as it was very cloudy and rainy, but this is a must see sight in Ireland and we were bound to see it. We also made a few side trips to see some last minute additions and the occasional ruin you notice as you're driving down the road. As we made it toward the Cliffs, I passed the B&B where Kerry and I spent our first night in Ireland 5 years ago. They aren't listed in the guide we had so I don't know if they're still in business. A quick stop into a little woolen shop (in search of great socks!) prior to reaching the Cliffs had us warned of the changes that have taken place. The old visitor's center has been knocked down and they're in the process of building one into the side of the hill... guess they think it won't be "noticed" there???.... so I was prepared for some of the change. What we weren't prepared for was the wind. Talk about brutal... John said it did help us get up the hill, but it certainly didn't help going back down the hill. Once again, I was thankful for my earmuffs as a hat would have blown out to sea on that day! We made it up to the top where we could see some of the cliffs, but the weather prevented the impressive view that can take your breath away on a good, clear, weather-friendly day. Needless to say, we didn't hang around long as it was simply too raw to hope the clouds would clear. Next trip, better weather and better views!

And then it was time to head off for the last B&B and our last night in Ireland before the day of airports that we knew would face us on Friday. We found a lovely B&B, very comfortable and nicely warm... the first "find" with a heater we could plug in if we got cold during the night. (That heater goes on the list of things to remember if and when we're ever B&B proprietors!) We had a comfortable evening in a beautiful room and managed to get those last few things packed into our suitcases before Friday morning.

Friday was much like any travel day that you spend when winding up a trip... it was a day filled with airports, short and longer delays... and the added fun of going through immigration and customs... all went smoothly and we managed to get to Indy about an hour later than anticipated, got the courtesy van to the hotel and made a cup of tea, turned up the heat (which stayed on ALL night!), took long hot baths and then crashed.... after, of course, being amazed at all the channels on the TV (after only 4 channels - one in Irish Gaelic - most of the time!). A slow morning got us back on (hopefully!!!) the right body clock schedule and we rolled into Terre Haute about 1 p.m.... after breakfast at Crackerbarrel....

So... we're home... after a grand, lovely, brilliant trip to Ireland, relishing our Irish Adventure and thinking fondly about all the wonderful moments we shared.

Time to download the pics.... Cross your fingers!

Until later... and the next trip... .Dawn