Rain rain go away!

Well we got up bright and early to drive up to the Cliffs of Moher, it was grey and drizzly when we left, and by the time we got there the wind was insane and the rain was so harsh that it felt like hail - being the oh-so-smart people we are we decided to head up to the cliffs anyway and see if we could get some photos through the rain. We layered up with winter hats, scarves and coats under our rain jackets and went out.... by the time we got to the walkway our jeans were already soaked through, but we decided to climb the steps up to the top of the cliff anyway! We got a couple of somewhat viewable photos of the castle, (and some not so good ones of the cliff) and then ran back to the visitors center at the bottom of the hill. By the time we got back to the car my face was pretty obviously wind-burned, an we were both drenched, but it was fun, and worth the view!

We headed out for the long drive up to the tip of Northern Ireland. The drive was long and bumpy, but the moment we crossed over the border it improved drastically. The only problem we encountered was that the road signs looked exactly the same, but they had switched to miles per hour instead of kilometers per hour with no warning! We didn't figure this out until the way back into the Republic of Ireland - when it was sign posted.... DOH!

Northern Ireland was beautiful, we took a coastal tour route that stretched for miles and miles around the top of the country, we stopped at Giants Causeway first, got out and took a few miles walk along the mountain side. It was a really gorgeous place, and a great setting for an early evening hike. After returning to the car, we continued along the coastal highway through the Glens of Antrim - it was breath-taking, and the setting sun only added to the dramatic views. We passed a huge waterfall cascading down the side of a mountain and several mountain goats on the side of the road, but the most impressive part had to be the shoreline, with its steep cliffs, green fields, and powerful waves.

It was a perfect end to our Ireland tour this week. (Aside from our Dublin day coming up on May 6th!) Our drive back to the hotel in Dublin was a long one, but once we figured out the speed limit and realized we could go 120kph then it was smooth sailing! We got sandwitches and soda for dinner in a Spar stop, and kept going. We passed Belfast at night and it was quite a sight to see with all the lights and bridges lit up. We didn't hit the hotel until 1 am, because we got quite lost in Dublin, but we slept in this morning so all is well!

It is now Tuesday and we have returned the rental car and hopped our first flight to London, the flight was nearly empty so that was quite nice! Our next flight is in just over an hour and then we will be in Edinburgh! Thats all for now folks - we will update you again in Scotland!!!