This one is a tough post because it was our heaviest day of travel with so many things to see and just far too many pictures to post!
We woke around 5:30 am and were fueled up and on the road before 6:30 am. I am actually surprised that they were smiling when we took off! We headed off on the Wild Atlantic Way!
Our first stop was the Cliffs of Moher. It was a little overcast, but better than being rainy and foggy. They pretty much speak for themselves. Pretty intimidating beasts with whipping winds that make you a little leery of the edge. The pictures just do not convey the magnitude of these things.
We intended to take the WAW all the way from Galway to Kinsale but after several hours of driving and hiking the cliffs, the kiddos got road weary so we rerouted to the Blarney Castle for some foot travel to stretch our limbs around 1 pm. We got to take in the sites of Spanish Point, Kilkee, Kilrush, Shannon, and Limerick prior to hitting the Castle. We didn’t get to get any really good pics since there were limited places to pull over and taking pictures is challenging due to the narrow roads and fast movie locals. We just took in the sites to memory while making sure the car stayed on the road!
I always thought that the Blarney Stone was some sort of rock on the ground but I learned tonight that executing this task was more daunting than I realized. After climbing almost 130 steps up a cramped spiral staircase, we crossed a walkway that dropped off on both sides only to lay down and look upside down through a grate to our potential drop below. Pretty sure I held my breath the whole time. I have never made it down stairs that fast in my life.
We made it by dinner to Cobh where we will stay tonight. Cobh was the last port call of the Titanic before it began its fated journey across the Atlantic. This town is so quaint and packs a lot of history including the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 during the 1st World War.
The hotel we chose to stay at itself dates back to 1854. There is too much history to type out so check out the Commodore Hotel directly to read about its rich history. The hotel decor is true to its original design and uses a regular old fashioned key to unlock the door. Dinner tonight was at the Titanic Bar on the harbor.
If I can give a word of advice on lodging, you have to be willing to appreciate the uniqueness of the hotels. You will not be staying in modern hotels with all the fancy amenities. You have to learn to enjoy the quirkiness. Crooked doors, creaky floors, etc but full of character. In most cases we only spent time in the hotels to sleep, except in the rare case the kids wanted to swim for a bit. So be willing to accept less than perfect to be able to stay in the mix and heart of these towns!
Tomorrow after exploring Cobh, we will depart for Waterford which is the home of my grandmother’s family and the site of our reunion weekend!
The Roaming Roths 