Nature is Calling to the Cliffs...

“To lay me down
In silence easy
To be born again
To be born again
From the far side of the ocean
If I put the wheels in motion”

~Van Morrison

Sunrise in Doolin, I see a rainbow, but no pot o'gold

I have been having the lyrics of Van Morrsion so deep in my head this time around. U2 hasn’t really popped in maybe a wee bit of Sinead O’Connor but it has been Van the Man that is speaking to me this time around. I guess you can say that what I’m going through right now is like what the album Astral Weeks is all about. When you’re on the quest of finding yourself and the call of embracing silence then you just know.

My journey from Galway has taken me to Doolin for a few days. I’ve quite enjoyed this quite village out in the Burren in Co Clare. I have been here before, but it was only for a lunch stop while on a tour of the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. I decided to spend some time here. I could stay longer soaking up the beauty of the unspoiled landscape and the remoteness of it all. I found a fab place to stay, the Doolin Hostel, they are amazing here. Your well looked after at this place. Highly recommend it. There are loads to do, but being winter, not everything is open. Yet again, I haven’t made it to the Aran Islands. I basically have been enjoying walking around and going hiking out in the Burren. I forgot how big things are and how long they actually take to get there in this part of the world. I have rewritten my original plan numerous times and chucked it out the window when I got here. It’s more about living in the moment.

Doolin is the music capital of Ireland. I just happened to be here when they start their music festival. However, I’m on my way to the Boghill Retreat Center  that I won’t get to see the liveliness of the village all weekend. That’s ok. Some inner me time is seriously calling me! Don’t get me wrong, I have found some music at Gus O'Connors Pub and it was excellent. Love the jam sessions and anyone and anyone can join in for a wee bit craic. The pub has amazing food there, with hearty portions that will leave you full. It’s the only pub that I have eaten at to be honest and they cater to special diet needs which is always good.

Cliffs of Moher

I have been busy wandering around Doolin. I’ve done a wee bit of the coastal walk along the Atlantic looking at the cliffs, been down to the pier and actually hitch hiked my way to the Cliffs of Moher’s Visitor Center since I missed the first bus out of the village due to it being “out of service”, but the roads here a long and windy with many hills. So it’s a good thing that I caught a ride up. Once back at the Visitor Center, I quickly bypassed that and headed straight to O’Briens Tower. Don’t get me wrong, there’s an amazing areal film there, but nature was calling me to go soak it up and not to mention that they actually have a “Free Wifi Hotspot” for you download and listen to the self guided walk or to check your social medial updates. Modern technological advancements didn’t really interest me one bit, sad to say that many people tend to forget about being still with nature and listen to the wisdom of it. I found the coastal walk trail and headed north looking for that icon photo of the Cliffs that you usual see. Leading lines and composition was what I was looking for not to find myself in a tourist trap. The hike was amazing, but very muddy indeed. Best to get their early before the coaches and large crowds come. Also, dress in layers cos you never know with the wind and how chilly it can be. It’s a good thing that I actually put on a pair of rain pants that I didn’t mind getting cruded up with mud all over them. There’s beauty around with the gorgeous greens, browns and blues that shape the landscape of the coast. On a clear day you can see out to the Aran Islands. Numerous birds’ call this land home and they are flying around, I bet there’s some seals as well. I would love to see the cliffs from the water, but I couldn’t find my way out this time of the year, since not much is open and the kayak tour I did find wasn’t going out due to swells. So much beauty there! It’s one of my favorite places to see in the West. I do enjoy the Ring of Kerry, but I didn’t get a chance to go back down there. I had to cut out a few stops, but there’s always time to explore more at a later date, just got to be open to when spirit is guiding me back. I did find my way back to Doolin with hiking along the coast and on the road. It took a while but was a wee bit easier than my attempt of going up. I did stop to speak to the cows that I saw besides soaking up the beauty. Oh, The Clare Jam Company was a charming shop to stop in on my decent; I did have a dog following me for a bit there. I didn’t mind but it was nice to know that animals can tell that I’m a welcoming human since dogs tend to jump all over me to say hello. It really doesn’t bother me one bit.

I wished that I had more time to soak up in Doolin, but I’m on my way to another part of my adventure. It’s nice to see another lovely village on my journey home again. Yes, Ireland is one of my many homes out there. But this one is rather special and it has to do with my bond with my Irish grandparents. Ireland will always be my motherland on a greater scale than the other side of my roots for a lot of reasons, but that really isn’t of importance the reason, the bond is more or less. It’s a beautiful place to explore indeed. Going to find some more craic…