cliffs and matchmaker...

Here are some more shots from the Cliffs.  I didn't really use my 26x zoom very often in these, as you can see we are REALLY close!   I'm also SHOCKED that some of my photos came out at all, as it was so windy we were afraid of being blown off the cliff at times...   

 In this shot we put my camera on a fence post and hoped it didn't blow off before the picture took! 

We spent two days in Doolin.  Both nights we visited the local pub and enjoyed some Irish stew, bangers and mash, and of course, the Guinness.   Steve, our host at the hostel, had told us that McDermott's Pub (where we had eaten) was going to have this awesome man playing the electric pipes with a few other musicians.   It was amazing, they are so talented, and you can see the passion they have for the tradition in the music when they play.   The second day we were there we decided to rent bicycles.  You can visit the hostel down the road and for E7.00 you can rent the bike until dark, with no deposit!  "They are so trusting" we though.   We biked over to Lisdoonvarna, the next town over.  Lisdoonvarna is the home of the annual Matchmaking Festival (as you can see from the shot above).   Now, The Matchmaker is one of mine and my friends FAVORITE movies, so I felt like I had to go!  Well, although the bike ride there was wonderful, there was absolutely nothing going on in Lisdoonvarna on a Tuesday.   I was able to reach a post office and send out my postcards, we also went to the smokehouse there and tasted some delicious smoked salmon.  The salmon was the freshest, most delicious salmon I've every tasted on Earth!  We bought some sandwich mixings at the Spar mart and sat by the flowers enjoying the sunshine!    The bike ride back was not so pleasant, not because it rained or we got lost, no... because my poor bum was hurting SO BAD!  I am definitely not a biker, and it was about a 40 minute ride to Lisdoonvarna, let alone back.    When we got back we made dinner at the hostel.  By this time I'm dying for a salad, vegetables, and something that isn't fried with chips.   So we made some pasta and salad.   A local lady grows butter lettuce in her garden and brought some over to the  hostel for hostel goers to eat and enjoy.    That night we went over to the other pub McGhann's to listen to some more traditional music - I couldn't get enough!!   In the morning we were headed for Cork city and the Blarney Castle!