Day 2 in Ireland Day 9 of our trip

It was another long driving day in Ireland 

I do have to say it is nice that the round-a-bouts are named

 

even if the name is usually something that I don't dare try to pronounce 

but when you are using printed Google maps directions and a compass on the iPhone, things get a little confusing 

We usually have to ask for directions once and usually it's when where trying to find our next hotel 

we really needed a GPS 

But anyways on Friday March 23rd 

we left Galway and headed to the Cliffs of Moher 

It was a spectacular sight 

and freezing cold 

it was also pretty windy 

luckily it didn't start raining until after we left the cliffs

we have seriously lucked out with weather this trip 

I was expecting rain everyday but have been pleasantly surprised 

and my eyes were getting super watery that it looked like I had a black eye of mascara 

If you have been to the cliffs in the past 

you might notice that there is a new addition of a fence to keep tourist from getting too close 

I guess they have had quite a few deaths at the cliffs 

which I was thinking if the ground did give way and you fell would there be anything you could do to survive 

I think I would think that whatever was gonna happen next would probably hurt a lot 

is that what dare devils think about when their tricks go wrong?

food for thought

so you are no longer to go out as close as others did in the past 

which if you remember from the last post that husband has a fear of heights 

so he was perfectly ok with staying on the path

me on the other hand 

am a little bit of an adventure 

I was the kid that wanted to be Indianan Jones when I grew up

So I saw that there were a tourist on a trail that was closed to the public

and quickly joined others in exploring the closed path along the cliffs edge 

I think I almost gave Nathan a heart attack 

are conversations would go as followed 

n: ok that was your last picture lets go 

c: wait let me get one more further up (I walk further down the closed trail)

n: ok you got your picture 

c: let me look a little longer (I move closer to the edge)

n: ok you have looked enough (walking as far away from the edge as possible)

Nathan says that while I was exploring 

he was thinking that 

he wanted to tie me down from getting too close to the edge 

understandable for someone who is afraid of heights 

I do have to say that I maintained a safe distance while exploring the closed area

I really wasn't that close to the edge

there were other tourist that scared me with how close they were getting 

but the cliffs were a spectacular sight for sure

I would like to see what it's like looking from the ocean up

I think that would be an equally impressive view 

I guess I will just have to watch the 6th Harry Potter movie 

From the Cliffs of Moher it was off to Blarney Castle 

Blarney Castle is famous for the Blarney stone 

legend states that if you kiss the stone you will gain the gift of gab or eloquence 

So that is what we did 

the stone is at the top of the castle 

you have to lay on your back and scoot far back so you can kiss the stone 

funny thing is that I was scared to lean back but Nathan was fine 

I think it was because its not something that I really have control over 

the castle was cool to see but I particularly liked the underground tunnel 

not all of it is open to the public

but there is a tunnel leading from the castle underground to some caves 

they said in the past when the castle was under siege 

people escaped the the treasure in the tunnels 

and the invading army had no clue where everyone and everything went 

There was also a poison garden 

it has things like nightshade and other poisonous plants you hear about people killing each other with in old stories 

Nathan and I thought it was funny they had a cage with some of the 'hallucination' plants 

but there was a sign stating that the marijuana they had grown was confiscated by the Irish police 

we thought it was funny 

the grounds of the castle were pretty fun to explore 

there were some wishing stairs

 if you climb up and down without opening your eyes your wish will come true 

It was a little scary 

as cool as the castle was the most annoying part was they did not accept card 

cash only was a theme in Ireland for attractions 

and when you forgot about your automatic student loan and mortgage payment go through while your on vacation 

and your transfer from savings doesn't go in for another day 

at one point I think we had $0 to our name 

it was a little scary but luckily everything worked out 

but seriously the entrance to Blarney Castle wouldn't accept credit card but the gist shop would? 

lame 

plus when its the end of an international trip who really wants to take more cash out 

not me 

We spent the evening getting lost trying to find our B&B in Cork 

and eventually having lunch/dinner at a little restaurant

that thankfully took credit card  

Top of the morning to ya

Early Thursday morning we left Liverpool and flew into Belfast Northern Ireland
After figuring out how to work the new rental car, 
it was off to the Carrick-a-Rede Rope bridge
but not without getting lost a few times 
Somehow we ended up on the Antrim Coast scenic route 
which was gorgeous 



but thank goodness we were the only car 
lets just say it was not built for 2-way traffic all the time 
Nathan let me have him stop the car whenever I wanted to get out and take pictures of something 
When I got out to take a picture of the sheep on the coast, 





they must have thought I had food 
because they all came running up to the fence bahing 
We eventually found the Carrick-a-Rede Rope bridge

and I don't think Nathan will ever want to go back 
someone is a little scared of heights 





Hanging 98ft above the scary rocks was a little too much for Nathan 
I could barely get him to take a picture of me 

he didn't want to linger on the bridge 
in fact I think he would have preferred to curl up in a ball and stay there the rest of the trip 
It was then off to Giants Causeway
 


Where the giant Finn MacCool tried to build a bridge to Scotland
Or something along those lines

Either way it was interesting to see and look at 
We explored as much as we were up too 

before heading back to the car and getting lunch in the nearby village 

We spotted one more ruin castle in Northern Ireland 

before continuing around the coast down to Galway 
without stopping
Yes you heard us 
We drove from Belfast airport around the Northern coast to Galway 
Lets just say we were exhausted and tired 
I really should give Nathan a standing ovation because he did that drive on his own 
while I tried really hard to not fall asleep but did anyway 
Nathan still can't believe how hard it is for me to stay awake sometimes 
We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Galway 
and enjoyed Irish breakfast the following morning
The whole time when we were in England Nathan would try to talk in a British accent
but the whole time we were in Ireland I would try to talk in an Irish accent
we were entertainment for our car ride 

Lets go back and visit England....

So I never finished writing about our England trip. 

Maybe it's because I took over 1,000 pictures and still haven't looked through them 

or maybe its because I am lazy 

or maybe its because I took so many photos 

or maybe because I took so many photos and don't really want to edit all of them 

I think that last statement goes back to me being lazy

Anyways lets go back and visit England 

On Wednesday March 21st We drove to Liverpool

We only had one plan that day 

A soccer game 

or since we are talking about England here I should correct myself 

a football match 

Everton vs. Arsenal 

It may not have been the Manchester United (or city?) vs Chelsea game that hubby wanted to see

but nevertheless Nathan was still ecstatic 

SO the game didn't start till dinner time and we got to Liverpool around lunchtime 

so we had nothing plan

which was nice after our crazy long "field trip" day of London

So instead of checking out some of The Beatles childhood homes 

or looking for more historical sites 

we went shopping 

Husband bought some soccer shorts and I bought some colored jeans 

and we ate at the highly recommended Waggamamas

We took our first taxi to the game 

and bought some Everton gear to support the home team 

Nathan would say the soccer game was the highlight of his trip

It was the one thing he wanted to do in England 

so i am glad we were able to make it happen 

I would say that soccer fans are crazy 

We sat on the Everton/Arsenal side that was separated by a nice row of security guards 

luckily there weren't any fights 

but the Arsenal side would not stop cheering/ chanting 

it's probably a good thing that I couldn't understand what was being sung 

it was probably very crude 

but seriously 

The Arsenal side was standing and singing the entire game while the Everton was sitting and enjoying the game 

It was fun to people watch other fans 

they would get so mad at the players and coaches it was funny to watch 

I would say our last night in England was a fun night