Killarney ➝ Galway: "Pringle Pirates."
It has been a
very long day, but I am happy to finally be in Galway. It was a wild ride from
Killarney to the Cliffs of Moher and on to Galway—in more ways than one. But we
made it to the Harbour Hotel and we could not be happier without our rooms and
our dinners.
We were on the
road by 9AM, on our way to the small town called Listowel where John B. Keane
has a famous literary pub. He wrote The
Field about life in rural Ireland, and before his death a few years ago, he
would invite Nobel Prize-winning authors to his house to share stories without
pressure or presumption. I think that is a really cool idea that more people
need to try thinking about. Not everyone needs to be concerned with fame and
fortune—some people just need to keep being inspired to write or dance or make
more music in the company of others who feel the same way as them. We did not
stop at his pub, but it was great to learn a little bit about this humble
playwright who we will be studying later in the term.
The bus drove
onwards toward the Cliffs of Moher, our next major stop of the day. Before we
could get there, however, we needed to cross the River Shannon. This was not
just a bridge situation, nor was it a pedestrian ferry situation. It was a bus
ferry situation! We got to drive our bus, along with two other buses and a
handful of regular cars, onto the bed of the ferry and cross the river. It was
surreal to see that much heavy machinery floating on a boat, that’s for sure.
The bus I thought was so big was dwarfed by its new home. We climbed to the
upper level, sipped our tea, and ate our Pringles as we watched the salt water
mix with the fresh water in a tumult of foam. About a half hour later, we
reloaded the bus and drove off the docked ferry and continued on our way. Not a
normal interlude, but interesting to experience nonetheless.
Thatched roofs and hilly landscapes whipped by our windows
as we climbed switchbacks to make it to the Cliffs. All of us were getting a
little sick, and were thankful to finally be arriving there. First, though, we
made a quick stop at St. Bridget’s Well. Klooties filled multiple trees up a
set of stairs. The babbling brook descended a step waterfall and emptied into a
reservoir at the bottom. Daffodils bloomed in a little circle around a statue
of St. Bridget in the center of the nook. The view of the valley from across
the street was stunning. We were now reenergized and ready to see the Cliffs.
I did not know what to expect, really, but the Cliffs were
definitely more impressive in person than my previous imaginings of them. Even
the Princess Bride cannot capture just how large and imposing these faces are. A
600m sheer drop to the ocean, where the turquoise water stirred and crashed
against the rocks with strength. There was a faint crashing heard in the
distance every few seconds as the water hit the walls in a slow but steady
motion. The lilting sounds of whistle and accordion reached our ears when the
wind hit them the right way, sending them hundreds of feet to where we stood at
the edge of the barriers. I was given a job to photograph people crossing the
danger lines, and unfortunately, I was not without subjects. Multiple people jumped
the barriers, some venturing so far as the climb down multiple levels of cliff
to get closer to the bottom. That is completely unsafe and also completely
insane—Cliffs of Insanity reference or not, the safety lines are not to be
tested. We stayed back near the fence, breathing in the air and letting our
hair get swept by the wind.
After we had spent enough time outside, we went
in for a quick bite to eat and also a look around the gift shop. The food all
looked delicious, but since I had packed my own, I settled for just a chocolate
muffin. That disappeared quite quickly—it was gooey and delicious and exactly
what I needed to make myself feel better after a rough ride over. Once we all
finished our food, we went downstairs to the gift shop, where I bought a key
chain and another pop-up model cards similar to the one from Christchurch
Cathedral. Then, as a last goodbye, I helped a German couple get their picture
with the Cliffs of Moher sign. Their camera was set in German, too, so I really
hope I did it right!
Next, the hard part set in. The roads were
winding and our driver was quick and I couldn’t really handle it all too well.
The bus eventually pulled over a few times, and that helped me feel better. But
I was so thankful to see the Harbour Hotel sign roll up in front of the bus. I
do not think I have ever been happier to get off of a bus before. My head
instantly calmed down as we made our way up to our room with our luggage.
And our hotel! What a sight! Purple crushed velvet seats,
white slate floors, a fire burning in the lobby, an actual candelabra. And this
is only a three star hotel! Our room is not as big as the other room we had,
but it is infinitely nicer. We have real teacups, beautiful beds, and a
pristine white bathroom. Our view might not be as good, but everything else
makes up for it. Dinner was served in the hotel’s restaurant, a continuation of
the purple plush theme complete with mirrors and candle lights and mirrors. Our
meal of Caesar salad, salmon, and chocolate ice cream was so welcome after two
weeks at the Holiday Inn. A perfect meal to end a trying day, that’s for sure.
I have nothing else to report tonight, other than it is
great to be on solid ground. Tomorrow is scavenger hunt day, along with a
hurling match in the afternoon. It should be fun to see my first (and probably
last) GAA event. More photos in store tomorrow!
♥
photo credit Diana Cleveland
No comments:
Post a Comment