irish road trip #5: the giant's causeway (the end)

Day 4

In the late afternoon, we left the peninsula of Inishowen in County Donegal and crossed the Northern Irish border. We tried to get as close as we could to the Giant's causeway so we could go straight there in the morning. But, there was the search for accommodation again. My friend really wanted to try the b&b experience to get to know the 'locals'. We both felt that we had been reasonable food and accommodation wise, so a treat was well deserved. I kept an eye on my side of the road for a beautiful house facing the amazing seaview. One looked like it could fit the bill and we made a stop. A lovely little old lady answered the door and apologised profusely as there was no vacancy. I thanked her and was about to get back to the car when she asked me to wait a moment. Not only she went into the trouble to phone all the accommodations from the area until she found one for us, but she sent her husband on the road to show us the way. Utter loveliness. We were so touched that when we got to said accommmodation, we tried as much as we could to hide our disappointment when thanking our guide. The 'bungalow' was standing next to a petrol station, on the side of a busy road. It certainly wasn't the treat we had in mind.

Day 5

We realised in the morning that we had landed in the town of Bushmills (famous for its whisky), within a stone's throw to the Giant's Causeway. In an excited hurry, we set on our way! Once more, we were met by incredible landscapes meandering our way up to the cliffs. The hills surrounding us were recovered by the most vibrant patchwork of fields.

When you get there, you kinda realise how big a machine the Giant's Causeway is for Northern Irish tourism. You have to go through the visitor's centre to access the site and it's all sparkly and huge and very crowded. It sort of tarnished the experience of it all for me, I have to say. Maybe it's just me, but when you mean to visit a natural wonder, the last thing you think about is audio guides and leaflets. We managed to refuse it all , despite being offered several times. It was clear at that stage that it wouldn't be a peaceful stroll on the shore.

It was quite busy but we forgot about it as soon as we saw the majesty of the cliffs and the weirdness of the causeway. You're there standing on those hexagonal cylinders and you just bug. How is that possible?

Once we were done staring at it all in puzzlement, we got back on the path that reaches The Organ. There on the site of a cliff, more basalt tubes are shaped into what looks like a creepy instrument. Next were the Shepherd's steps, 162 of them that nearly was the death knell of me. But my, the view is all worth it! There you are standing on top of the cliffs, looking  down at people on the Causeway, bustling around like bees on a cosmic honeycomb. Behind you, the now familiar country fields, on your right higher cliffs and on your left, two strangely shaped ones with a flat top where black cows graze, seemingly unaware of the strangeness of their environment.

Proud of ourselves, we left the site. We had done it. The goal was to get here by the end of our trip and it was all kinds of amazing. We even had a half-day to spare. We used it to go back in the Republic of Ireland (easier for us as the currency is the euro) and also for the sheer practicality to be nearer to Dublin as we needed to get the rental car back in the morning.

I couldn't find any place mentioned by my guide on the East coast of Ireland between Dundalk and Dublin. So I decided to phone the boyfriend and make good use of his Irishness. He recommended a little sea resort Town located 45 minutes away from the capital, called Bettystown. He used to go there as a kid and had fond memories of the arcades. We unfortunately didn't visit them as we got there late, but it was an amazing recommendation as we found the b&b of our dream. The creepiest little dollhouse facing the sea and the kindest of hostesses, Nanette. I say 'creepiest' because at the time we were staying, the town was swarmed by daddy-long-legs and they were literally everywhere. It could have been the backdrop of a Stephen King novel. Despite the insect madness, I can't recommend  The Rannoch B&B enough, if you end up in that area. I'll definitely go back, even if it's not that far from where I live.

This marks the end of my Irish road-trip series sadly. I wish it could have gone forever. I'm already thinking about my next one... The Ring of Kerry, maybe? Now, all I need is a driver...

irish road trip #4: county donegal

Day 3

Like I mentioned in my previous post, we covered quite a bit of mileage in the afternoon from County Galway to County Donegal. We finally stopped in Donegal Town for the night, found a guest house and went to the restaurant for a well deserved hot meal (we had been having sandwiches for every meal previously).

We then went back to our room and discussed the travel plans for the morning. We knew we had only one day to cover the county as we really wanted to visit the Giant's Causeway the day after, our last full day. We decided to go to the northest point of the county: the Inishowen peninsula. There were three reasons for this choice: we needed to keep close to the Northern Irish border, our guide book was raving about it and my friend had set her mind on a monument called Grianan of Aeliach which is located just at the bottom of the peninsula.

Day 4

We drove directly to the Grianan of Aileach. It is a fort on top of a hill and is believed to have been built in the 6th or 7th century although some claim that its origins can go as far as prehistory (there is a tumulus next to it). It is truly a sight to behold and its high position makes it even more magical. You have to walk on top of the fort and battle your way through the gusts of wind to embrace the 360° panorama, it will make you feel quite small and quite speechless.

Reinvigorated by so much beauty, we proceeded in direction to the peninsula. Our first stop was in the tiny village of Fahan, or more specifically, its cemetary. Why you'd wonder such a morbid halt? It happens to be home to one of the most ancient Irish crosses going: the Mura cross-slab, carved in the 7th century.

We then drove a bit further North and stopped at the resort town of Buncrana for a walk near the shore. It is where John Newton wrote Amazing Grace and standing there, on what feels like the edge of the world, one can feel why this place inspired such a hymn.

irish road trip #3: kylemore abbey

Day 2 

 We left our hotel in Galway and in reaction to the hectic day before, we decided to play it cool. Nothing planned, just follow our hearts' desire. We drove through Connemara, the road along the lakes. It was breath-taking: so many lakes and sheep and fields and stoney walls and round-shaped mountains (you can see some pictures from Connemara on my first post). It was a little frustrating because the roads in Ireland are quite narrow, making it near to impossible to stop along the road to admire the view. Every time we saw a tiny parking place, we screamed but they weren't as many as we wanted. 

At lunch time, we managed to find a quiet spot on the shore of a lake to have a little picnic in company of a very friendly dog. So, so peaceful.

We continued on this very relaxed pace until the evening, it was time to find accommodation. We settled on a guesthouse in the tiny town of Letterfrack (this one - highly recommend it, the staff were very friendly), we went to a pub and looked at the stars for ages. They were so numerous (it always amazes the city girl in me).

Day 3

 It wasn't an accident that we stopped in Letterfrack. The town is next to the Kylemore Abbey and we both terribly wanted to visit the place in the morning. We had an inkling it would be beautiful, from seeing pictures on the internet, but the place is truly majestic. We squealed when we caught sight of the abbey across the lake from our car. The entrance fee (12.5€) seemed a bit steep at first but it is truly worth it. The abbey is only partially open to the public and the inside is not as grandiose as the outside but it was interesting to get to know about the founders of the place. 

The abbey, originally a castle, was built by an English man, Henry Mitchell at the end of 19th century as a place to live with his wife. They had 9 children (!!) and they were terribly in love. Unfortunately, the wife, Margaret died of dysentery during a trip to Egypt. Henry was inconsolable, he built a mausoleum and a church in hommage of his spouse (you can visit them too).
During WWI, Belgian Nuns who were fleeing the country bought the property, turned it into an abbey and a boarding school for girls (imagine studying there...). They still own the place nowadays and live thanks to tourism and donations. They also sell their home-made products (pottery, soaps, etc...) in the souvenir shop.

My favourite part of the visit was the gardens (quelle surprise!). They actually are the largest Victorian walled gardens in Ireland. The house of the head gardener is a must-see!
We ate lunch on the terrace near the gardens and got back in the car as a long road awaited us. We needed to head far North for our next stop: County Donegal... Another adventure that calls for another post, until then, toodle-oo!