Road to the Doolin Pier
22 September 2018
We landed at Shannon airport and hit the ground running, as we tend to do. We had a ferry booked in the early afternoon, and we had to get to the car rental then make a straight shot from the airport up to Doolin pier. It wasn't very far, a little over an hour… but we also had to deal with unpredictable Irish weather, the incredibly narrow Irish roads, and of course the driving on the opposite side from what we were used to. There was no time to stop and enjoy the scenery, we had to move!
We picked up our compact Ford Fiesta and hit the road. We’ve driven through quite a few countries now, and they all have their challenges just as driving at home does. But Ireland has that one-two punch of the tiny roads and driving on the left. Left side driving is no big deal if you get the opportunity to do it often, but it has been a full decade since my last time. It takes a bit to get a feel for the car as well as the road.
Highways are highways, and the only thing with them is remembering the fast lane is on the right and exits on the left. No biggie. Once you get off the highway however, things get interesting.
First, you deal with roundabouts. I actually like roundabouts, and once you really get the feel for them, I find they make for much better intersections than our traffic lights. You just don't want to be like Chevy Chase in European Vacation and get stuck going around and around… but with a little assertiveness they are great. When I get home, I often find that I miss their convenience.
The other thing are the Irish roads. We have only spent time in the far western counties of Galway, Mayo, and Clare. These are some rural counties, so maybe it isn't like this everywhere (or maybe it is), but the roads are narrow and bumpy with very sharp blind turns. The route between Shannon and Doolin had us on a few of these little roads, and it was a bit tense navigating them as we are also familiarizing ourselves with a new car and the left side driving. Some of these roads are not wide enough for two cars to pass through, so there are these little dirt pull-offs along the roadside. When you see a car coming towards you on one of these roads, one of the cars tucks in to the pull-off to let the other go by. So, in addition to the roads and the car and the left, I was also trying to figure out the etiquette with (to use some sailing lingo) who stands-on and who gives-way.
I started to get back into the swing of Irish driving… just in time to park the car at the pier and leave it for a day! The plan was to drop the car, ferry over to Inis Oirr in the Aran Islands and spend the night there, returning back to pick up the car tomorrow. The island was originally scheduled at the end of the trip, but we moved it to the beginning in case there were any weather or ferry delays, we wouldn't have issues with the flight.
We actually got to the pier with plenty of time to spare, so we wandered down by the waterside. In this part of Ireland it is the natural, rugged coastline and seascapes that really stole our hearts. Sorry folks, but you can keep the white sandy beaches. I like when Mother Nature lets her hair down and shows her wild side!
The rock formations along the water are just mesmerizing. It feels like an alien planet, with all the grooves and holes eroded into the rock from centuries of being pounded by the waves. I think my favorite part is when the tide goes out, but water still fills the spaces in the rocks, and each one becomes its own micro-environment. The patterns and textures and shapes are as varied and complex as anything an artist can imagine. There is no way to look at this and not be inspired!
As our departure time grew near, we had to pull ourselves away from the natural artwork and head to the pier. We jumped on board the high-speed ferry and got ready to visit Inis Oirr!
