Cliffs of Moher

 Besides visit the Aran Islands, which we did yesterday, our other reason for staying here in Doolin for a couple of days is to visit the Cliffs of Moher, the number one natural attraction in all of Ireland. I'm talking sea cliffs rising above 200m into the air, views along the coastline spanning for miles, seabirds riding on the air currents or diving into their nests in the cliffs... It's a UNESCO Global Geopark, and understandably so, with it's fantastic visitor's centre tucked into the hills lining the cliffs in such a beautiful way that they seamlessly blend into the surrounding scenery. This includes a large information hall, 2 gifts shops, a cafeteria, a 4D cliff-soaring experience and accompanying museum, AND a gift shop village, plus more bathrooms than I can be bothered counting... Of course, because this place is so well serviced, it invited tons of tourist traffic, so when we arrive to see the cliffs, we know that we are going to be sharing the experience with crowds of other people. The views are impressive, regardless of all the added company. 

Capturing the view from the viewing platform	Gift shops tucked into the side of a hill
The cliffs	That's a nice sea stack
People walking along the paths from O'Brien's Tower	O'Brien's Tower
Paths along the cliff's edge from the tower	Can you tell there is a whole visitor's centre in there?!

We sit for a moment after walking from end to end of the park, snacking on apples and nuts. This is a great place to visit, but there used to be a coastal walk that led from Doolin, where we are staying, through the Cliffs of Moher viewing area, and all the way down to the next town, Liscannor. This was the real reason I wanted to visit, to walk the cliffs from end to end. Unfortunately, sections of the trail had to be shut last year due to erosion and safety concerns, and a new plan needs to be put in place for trail maintenance. Most of the trail lies on "borrowed" farm land, and the farmers don't do upkeep, but now things are getting dangerous. So we come face-to-face with the big "no entry" sign at the north end of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor's Area. 

However, we can still follow the path from Doolin, south until about 500m from the closed section, and then retrace our steps along that same path, and still get to experience hiking along the edge of the cliffs. And this, being the first truly warm and beautiful day we've had Ireland, is the perfect day for a hike. So we stop for a short break at the cottage to get our hiking gear, and then head for the trail head in Doolin for a much more wild, muddy, but also peaceful, experience of the Cliffs of Moher.

Walking the cliffs from Doolin	Stone bridges to cross small rivers
Cliffs seen from the North end	Skinny hiking trail along the coast
Making our way back in the other direction	Impressive views from this close to the edge
Baby horses!	This cow is looking at me dubiously.
Mario exploring the lower rocks	Last stretch before returning to the village

Biscoff ice cream!

Two very different experiences of one mind-blowing set of cliffs, both great in their own way. But Doolin has ice cream, so you know what we did after finishing the hike? We got ice cream. Well, I did.

And tonight, we decided to take full advantage of this wonderful little cottage we have been renting, and Mario made a fire in the wood stove for us to cuddle up to. Yes, it was a beautiful, sunny day, but the nights are still damp, and there's nothing like a warm fire to make everything better.