Route: we had breakfast at Ard Einne, then tried to find the Black Fort, another ruined fort, on our way back to South Kilronan for the ferry. We think we eventually found the fort, but we definitely found lots of characteristic Inishmore/Burren rocky terrain. We had lunch at the Port House Restaurant, where i had seafood chowder and an open-faced smoked salmon sandwich, before catching the ferry back to the mainland.
Ground made of cracked rocks near the Black Fort in Inishmore |
More terrain near the Black Fort |
A stone fence |
Cliff and ocean view |
The Black Fort (we think)! Also an impressive stone outcropping |
The (probable) Black Fort |
Splashing waves at the base of the outcropping |
More Black Fort |
Close-up of Black Fort |
Breaking waves |
Underside of stone bridge |
A big rock with some kind of shiny lichen on it |
Inishmore landscape |
Inishmore from the ferry |
Inishmore from the ferry |
Ferry wake |
Approaching Rossaveel from the ferry |
Route: After getting off the ferry, we did a 60km ride north, then west, to Clifden. Highlights included the views of the Twelve Bens (mountains in the center of the Connemara regions), peat, the Bog Road to Clifden, lots of sheep, and one donkey in the road. On the downside, we were tired and hungry by the time we got into Clifden, especially after a bad guess about which pub might be open left us with no tea. In Clifden, we had dinner at an Italian place, where i got a rather strange squid and sausage salad, and a very nice roast lamb in cous cous. At our B&B in Clifden, we met the couple who are a day ahead of us on the same route. We also finally met Wilma, the Iron Donkey rep with whom i had exchanged a lot of e-mail while we were planning the trip.
On the road from Rossaveel to Clifden |
On the road from Rossaveel to Clifden |
We took a break to tour the home of Patrick Pearse, one of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. |
One of the Twelve Bens |
On the road from Rossaveel to Clifden |
Things are still very green |
View of the Twelve Bens |
View of the Twelve Bens |
The road ahead |
View of the Twelve Bens |
Peat by the roadside |
A truck carrying peat |
Attempted panorama of the Twelve Bens |
Greens growing by the roadside |
The Bog Road to Clifden |
The Bog Road to Clifden |
Mountain view from the Bog Road |
Mountain view from the Bog Road |
Hillside in the bog |
Rocks in the bog |
Sheep in the bog |