We checked out of our lovely cottage and drove to Doolin to catch a boat to Inis Oirr ("Inisheer"), the smallest of the Aran Islands. It was cold and rainy, and we got mighty splashed on the boat, but the change was good. It was nice to finally get to show Dan the stone pavement in the rain! We saw a sign for Bailey's cheesecake, which I thought sounded delicious, so we went into the small B&B for lunch. Dan got crab claws and a very weirdly thin chowder. I ordered a BLT because it was labeled in the menu as a local favorite. It was terrible! The "T" was actually tomato paste smeared on the bread, which was soggy. There was almost no lettuce or bacon, and they were not as fresh as the ingredients we'd been having all trip. Within a few bites of the sandwich, I felt pretty sick. The service was terribly slow, but we left as soon as we could, only to remember that we never got to try the cheesecake!
We wandered around the island, checked out the stone fort and castle, and wound our way through the maze of stone walls still used for grazing, farming, and making seaweed fertilizer. We saw plenty of birds, especially thrushes, and some pretty adorable calves nursing a few feet away.
We then walked up to an old graveyard and ruins of the original church. We heard a strange noise and looked up to find that a herd of cattle had gotten loose! For several minutes we watched the whole village come out to see the commotion and try to help the farmers get their cows back. The cows, in keeping with their adorably curious nature, seemed to want to see the world before going back. They wandered around looking at everything and prancing away!
On our way to a pub for the World Cup match, I decided that I really wanted a crepe. So, I got one, and by the time I was done eating, I had turned into a floppy puddle of flesh! I couldn't keep myself upright. (This happens whenever I eat crepes or other pastries with chicken eggs.) We found a quiet spot in the pub and I took a glorious nap! When I woke up hours later, I felt much better. There was an important hurling match ("our version of the Super Bowl" according to the bar tender) playing in the main bar, so everyone was decked out in Co. Clare colors and cheering for their team!
Soon it was time to go. Of course, the boat was late, so we all stood huddling in the freezing cold, rain, and wind on the pier, afraid to find shelter in case we missed the boat. Once on the ferry, I got soaked once again and horribly sea sick. We went past the Cliffs of Moher, which was cool but too windy/rocky to get that close. We saw where the Cliffs of Insanity were filmed in The Princess Bride and the horcrux cave from Harry Potter, as well as razorbills and other sea birds (although no puffins). I think I would have really enjoyed it if I hadn't spent the whole time willing myself not to hurl.
Dan captured this moment well, when we finally landed and tried to find our car in the massive car park (at which point he laughed and said "happy honeymoon to me!"):
We finally made it to Fanore, our final destination, and unloaded our soggy selves into our new place, which was an adorable guesthouse with a nice kitchen and the best shower ever! After thoroughly steaming myself back to sanity, I said hi to the horse outside of our window and we went to the pub in town for dinner. I had the best beef & Guinness stew of the whole trip, and Dan got an enormous seafood platter! We were stuffed and content, and even got to catch some fun trad musicians playing during dinner before falling asleep!
