The Washington Post: Castles and Cliffs and Boats...oh my

Day 2 of our trip started with breakfast at Dromoland followed by a couples massage in their spa. It was the perfect way to relax after my long flight and adjusting to the time change. May I say I have the best husband : ) After our massage, the spa packed up a lunch to go and we hopped in the car to move on to our second destination.

We drove for an hour or so to the west coast of Ireland and arrived in Doolin at Ballinalacken Country House and Castle. This place was incredible!!! The house/B&B we stayed in was built in 1840 and sits next to the remains of the castle. The plot of land is about 100 acres and overlooks the Cliffs of Moher and the Atlantic Ocean...Chad was jealous!!. The foundation of the castle was built in the 10th century then added on to in the 14th and 15th centuries.

We dropped our bags in the room and ate our fancy packed lunch before heading out to explore the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs rise over 700 feet above the ocean at their tallest point and were named for the Moher tower that was built at the end of the cliffs as a look out point for ships.

Factoid...the Cliffs appear in the movies Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and The Princess Bride.

Another tower we spotted from the road on the way to the Cliffs

The beginning of our walk (which turned into a loooong hike) started on a paved trail with railing... with about 500 other people out to see the same sights. Then we came to the signs below : )

Apparently many people have either accidentally or purposefully lost their lives on the Cliffs. At the end of the paved trail there was a memorial to those who died as well as signs of who to call if you were feeling suicidal. Very sad to think about : ( Chad and I both agreed we were feeling pretty chipper and it was probably ok to continue! We passed the EXTREME DANGER sign and kept on walking.

At this point the road became dirt, grass and rock but the view was still awe inspiring. Far off in the distance we could see the tower at the end of the Cliffs and we decided we would walk to the very end. How often do you get to experience something like this right?

Chad throwing rocks to watch the splash

We saw tons of sea gulls and other birds nesting in the rocks on the side of the cliffs. I was hoping to see a puffin but no such luck...maybe its not the right season for them? Anyways the gulls were all over as well as evidence of their new babies

Can you see the gulls nesting?

Egg shell in the grass

Needless to say, after a 3 hour hike we made it to the end of the Cliffs to the watch tower. The scenery was beautiful and green. Then we turned around and headed back : ) The hike back took alot less time because yours truly wasn't stopping every 5 seconds to take a picture.

We were pretty exhausted after the long trek and went back to the room to take a nap before dinner. At dinner we met a lovely couple from Chicago, Margaret and Josh. She had just completed her residency in pediatric neurology and he is a hospital administrator.

The following morning the 4 of us went on a tour of the Ballinalacken Castle ruins given by the owner. This castle and land, like Dromoland, were originally owned by the O'Briens but bought by the family that currently owns it in 1938. Were able to go up the original staircase to the top of the tower. Surprisingly, the castle tower is very sturdy though I'm sure this would never be allowed in the US. Someone would rope it off and say it was dangerous or a landmark or something.