Aran Islands & Cliffs of Moher Day Tour (above and below the cliffs)

I don’t know that I can accurately convey the … bigness … of the Cliffs of Moher. They made me feel so very tiny. Not in an “oh my, I’m so insignificant, I must not matter” way but more in a “humans are so insignificant, with any luck things like this that are so big and beautiful will outlive what we do to the earth, and will still be here ages after we’re gone.”

Here are the pictures from the ferry trip under the Cliffs. We went out from Doolin to the end of the Cliffs, turned around, and came back. Jenn and I were on the side of the boat that was farthest from the Cliffs on the way there, and closer on the way back. On the way there (very windy, very choppy) you’d think the people on our side of the boat thought we were going to just go on out into sea and never come back, because a bunch of them stood up in the middle of the boat to take pictures. I am surprised they didn’t go flying off like tiddly-winks because y’all, THE SWELLS. I joked with Jenn that on the way out, the only way I ever got pictures without people’s heads in them was when the boat was almost sideways, with Jenn and I on “top”. It sure was exciting, and again, I’m glad I don’t get seasick.

Below, the first 12-15 photos are on the way out to the edge, and the second half are from on the way back.

And here are some pictures from the top of the Cliffs. Once the ferry got back to Doolin, we got back on the bus and went up the hill/mountain (whatever you call it). We had two hours at the top before we’d have to get back to the bus, and I’ll tell you, two hours was not enough. There was a walk you could take that was … rather hilly; to get to the second half of it you actually have to cross into someone’s private property and there’s a huge sign about how if you climb over this thing and take the rest of the path, you are NOT to stray from the path onto the private property, and if you DO stray from the path and you fall to your death, it’s on you and the farmer is not responsible. I got about halfway out there before I gave up and turned around. I was hungry, and I wanted the bathroom before we got on the bus for another couple of hours. Plus, my hips were very, very angry at all the climbing/walking at such an angle.

While I was out there, I got a little obsessed with testing the zoom on my camera…

And here’s the far end of the Cliffs. Like I said in my other post, we could not have gotten a better day for this. It was sunny the ENTIRE time, and a good breeze… cool, but not cold. And absolutely stunningly gorgeous.