Cliffs of Moher and Doolin Town

We were very excited that when we woke up, the nasty weather prediction seemed to prove untrue. Our BnB hostess commented that it rained overnight, so maybe the storm had passed. It was all sun and puffy clouds when we arrived at the Cliffs of Moher visitor’s center.

Note that the center and the shops are embedded underground. The architects who designed it in the 1970s purposefully planned it that way to avoid ruining the landscape. 

We were impressed with the center, especially the children’s area.

Maybe 15-20 minutes after arriving, we went back outside to a completely different day.

Fierce, pelting rain. And the wind was astounding. This is Maddy and Austin trying to secure Teddy’s stroller cover. Volume up!

We split up and I continued toward the tower. When I got there, it was still windy. Keep your sound on!

But a great view!

After the rain eased up, the views improved tremendously.

Like Will said in his Facebook post, the cows didn’t seem concerned at all. I also wondered how those lucky people got rides up and down the hill.

The weather may not have been perfect, but it made for a dramatic visit! We hung out in the visitor’s center for a while, then headed out.

We ate lunch at a little sandwich shop near Doolin. Afterwards, Will and I wanted to explore the town of Doolin while the others went back to the BnB and a nearby children’s petting farm.

On the family front, Luke very much enjoyed petting and feeding the animals. Thanks for Hannah for these great photos!

Will and I also visited Doolin Pier, where the ferry travels to the Aran Islands. We had planned to visit the closest island, but the weather and ferry times resulted in a change of plans. Our time on the island would have been almost all outdoors. You can see the closest Aran Island, Innisheer from the ferry pier.

I did ask a ferry employee if they still run in these rough seas. He said yes, because it is the only transportation to and from the islands, and people need to get there and back. But they did cancel the pleasure tour along the base of the Cliffs of Moher because they didn’t want a lot of seasick tourists. Views of the sea and cliffs from the pier:

We had dinner at Gus O’Connor’s pub. It was delicious.

When we left the pub, it was still windy, but with the beginning of a beautiful sunset. 

Hannah, Doug and Nezzie returned to Gus O’Connor’s later for the live music. 

Tomorrow, the plan is to leave our BnB. I have a feeling Luke will miss Rocky.

Will and I hope to take a drive through the Burren with the family heading back to Dublin. Will and I will then head up to County Mayo, where the O’Malleys all come from.

Parting shot of a stone shed with a red door at our BnB. Each time I walked past it, all I could think of was designing a quilt to look like that.