We woke up yesterday morning to dew on the mini-car we rented and cows mooing in the barn. A wonderful breakfast of potato waffles and MoMa was out the door, headed to downtown Ennis to discover a world of history in three bookstores.
The first bookstore was called Ennis Bookshop in downtown Ennis. A nice selection of Irish literature, Irish history, symbols of Ireland, and such. Then, on to a charity bookshop that sold all second-hand books. Ma found a Liam O’Flaherty book called Skerritt that she’s been looking for for quite some time. Mo found a Colm Tóibín book called Brooklyn and a collection of Irish authors and their biographies. The bookstore had some real funky music playing that I recognized and inspired me to purchase more. Telling you, it’s all about the ambience of a place. If it has the right “feel” to it, it makes it all that much more attractive. Finally, an Irish bookstore called Scéal Eile Books where the owner was just as attractive as he was funny. Jerry must have spoken to us for at least a half an hour…meanwhile his 83-year-old friend James sauntered in to “waste an hour” with Jerry. Ma and Mo each bought quite a few books, including one of Jerry’s daughter’s books on poetry. Then, it was off to Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher.
A nice sight to see, but honestly, the cliffs have become incredibly touristy and not quite as fun as five years ago when we were here.
Then, it was off to Gus O’Connor’s Pub in downtown Doolin. A super tasty Murphy’s Red and chips were all that was needed. Nothing says Ireland like an Irish beer after a long drive (or hike). We had the best of intentions on hearing music in Gus O’Connor’s Pub that night, but we could hardly keep our eyes open, so unfortunately we called it a night early and went to bed by 8PM.
This morning we’re headed to Galway, a little over an hour away. There is a big storm coming this afternoon, so we’re undecided if we’ll head inland or to try to beat the storm by arriving early. If you want to know a little about Galway, check out Ed Sheeran’s Galway Girl.
Looking forward to exploring Galway!