Anna's Awesome Adventures!!!: Ireland -- Day 9

Today was a free day (meaning unscheduled according to the class schedule), but my fellow students and our teacher decided to take a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher. So we got up much earlier than we are used to, about 6:30, to make the walk in to Cork city center and get on the bus by departure time at 7:45. We purchased our tickets through Paddywagon, which does a variety of day trips out of several cities to multiple popular tourist locations. A brief stop was made about an hour into the journey for a bathroom/coffee/stretch break, then we trucked on until we arrived at the Cliffs of Moher. Ranging in height from 300 to 900 feet (we were on the upward side of that number), the jagged rock faces plunge directly down into the ocean, waves of the Atlantic Ocean (aka Irish Sea) crashing and clashing together. It is so beautiful up there, almost like being on top of the world! And after a short bit, the stone walls/fencing disappear and one must mind their footing very carefully. There are a series of rugged, uneven dirt paths, and as long as you stay on them and pay attention, there shouldn't be any problems. I was bothered by the number of people stepping off the paths onto the grass, far too close to the cliff edges. Unfortunately, the Cliffs have claimed many lives over the past years, both due to accidents and suicide. I tried not to dwell on that, though, and truly enjoyed my time drinking in the beauty. It was so funny to have these incredible cliffs and endless ocean on one side, and lush green pastures on my opposite side, full of happily grazing cattle (and a horse that mostly laid flat on her side napping...sleepy baby). Another student and I walked a ways on down the trail (which ultimately goes for about 11 miles linearly) before circling back to get on the bus. Our next stop was the Baby Cliffs of Moher, near the quaint town of Doolin, which are much smaller but still quite majestic. The rocks were very different on the ground above these cliffs -- some were smooth, huge, and glass-like (almost like a dancing floor), while others were tiny and looked unstable, but were ultimately all joined together and didn't shift an inch when stepped on. Lunch of fish & chips and an orange club soda at Chervil Restaurant in Doolin was next in order, followed by a quick stop at Bunratty Castle, built in the mid-13th century and still standing strong. We did not actually go inside the castle (but stay tuned on the castle note...we might have another one to tour in store!), but picture opportunities abounded and there were a few adorable little shops to peruse the goods of.

We safely arrived back in Cork at 6:45, headed straight back to our dorms, had supper in tonight (a chicken-egg salad-coleslaw combo, leftover bread, a Naked Green Machine drink, and a little ice cream), and just relaxed and caught up on some work. Tomorrow brings the start of our second full week, with plenty more adventures coming up. I can't wait to share them with you!