Leaving England to set sail for the island (as they call it)...Ireland.

We loved Ireland as soon as we set foot on the Island and we knew that the week we had allotted    ourselves to visit was not going to be enough!  As Jethro (a new Irish friend) put it "it's almost an insult to the country" and in this case I have to agree but we have to take what we can get sometime.  Maybe we will have to come back.

The first thing we noticed about Ireland was that the towns were a lot newer, new subdivisions and commercial  property in most villages but also many were for sale.  They also have very old structures as well, it seemed to us there were more castles and estates, both private and open to the public.    We were very happy to notice that the campsites in Ireland had a few more amenities than those in the UK.  It makes a big difference to us motorbike campers when we have a campers kitchen and maybe a place to sit out of the rain (because you know there will be rain!), and maybe even internet! 

Ireland found us trying out a few different accommodations.  We couchsurfed for the first time..twice actually and they were great experiences.  We were able to find out a little bit more about what makes the Irish tick (other than their great beer and whiskey, both of which we had to try-Ken the Guinness and I, an Irish coffee) and I also think we made a few good friends as well.  We also tried out a couple of hostels, The Monastery in Letterfrack (thanks for the suggestion Jethro) and a World Youth Hostel in Bushmill.  We were pleased to find that the hostels offered private double rooms (for us married types) as well as dorm rooms, both for a bit more reasonable price than a B&B and both were complete with a kitchen at our disposal.  We nearly had to opt for a dorm room in Bushmill as the Great Northern 200 motorbike street race was on at the same time as our stay.  It is the biggest motorcycle event in all of the UK, we couldn't figure out why we were seeing so many bikes on the road as we approached the event.  Once again, was our lack of doing homework a good or bad thing?  

The rugged coastline has to be one of the major sights in Ireland, unlike the white cliffs in England, Irelands banks are mainly black, rugged and made of a granite.   We did two tours in the south, The Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula loop.  Both tours had brilliant coastlines surrounding mountains dotted with farms and dissected by little roads.  Rain again was predominant but amazingly the sun happened to shine through often enough for us to enjoy a view or two.  The Cliffs of Moher, on the west coast and The Giants Causeway, in the north were also amazing examples of mother natures talents.   All of this we managed to fit into our whirlwind trip...next time I'ld like to stay longer.

Saundersfoot, the last stop before catching the ferry.  A "little" rainy but we still made a walk in it. 

The last set of cliffs we stopped to admire on the way to the ferry in Fishguard.

Ken loves the riding on the small country roads.  I love the views and the photo opts.  We have never seen so many different shades of green.

The rugged coast of Ireland, this will not be the last you of it!

Blarney Castle, it is said that anyone who kisses the Blarney Stone in the castle will be blessed with the gift of gab.  This was as close as we got to the gates, we thought we were blessed enough!

 

The typical little town along the south coast of Ireland.  Murphy's draught...if I had to drink a beer this would be the one!  Ken caught up with a few Guinness.

Many, many rocks make up the homes, animal shelters, fences, roads...you name it!  Here we are looking down the road on the Dingle Peninsula.

 

Sheep, sheep and more sheep!  They are always head down eating...or are they looking for a four leaf clover?

As promised, another stunning coastal view.  This time up the west coast of the Dingle Peninsula.

 

The roads are narrow, very narrow, and more times than not deemed only for one way traffic.  These roads are made for motorcycles.

The Cliffs of Moher, the sight of the cliffs from the edge looking over the top is not for the faint of heart.

Nice and cosy in "The Monastery Hostel" in Letterfrack.  Some very nasty things happened here at this monastery, which was a home for orphan children, up until the early 1960's. 

 

A sunset hike in Connemara National Park.

Basalt columns at "The Giants Causeway" near Bushmills on the northern banks...

Ken uses them as stepping stones.

Loaded and ready to go, off the island and across to Scotland.