We left the Ardagh, and Clifden, early enough to catch breakfast while light still rose over Clifden Bay. We drove about an hour and a half to Galway, determined to round out our Galway experience from a few days before.

Our first stop was M.Fitzgeralds. We walked in and immediately started talking with the bartender, who had just finished his final university exams. He had studied sociology. He had thought about moving to the United States over the years but was not sure exactly where to live. The owner of a nearby pub sitting next to us, who had lived in the States and returned to Ireland, suggested that he not move to Boston, New York, or Chicago, saying, “You might as well live next to the Irish right here.” I sensed he felt like the Irish communities in those cities were so large and tight-knit that you might as well live in Ireland.

From there, we ventured up the street to Tig Choili. We shared a pint there and learned about Gaelic Football, that local lotteries occur across many towns in Ireland, and Beamish and Murphys Stouts appear to be chosen more frequently outside of Dublin.

As the weather began to turn toward sweaters, we made our last stop before dinner, Tigh Neactain. I noticed a late summer tan woman wearing a soft, warm-toned, fantastic wool wrap. We talked briefly about the month or so she and her husband had spent all over Europe. We decided her wrap was perfect for whatever climate she faced.

Our final evening in Galway, before we headed to stay two nights in Doolin, ended with dinner at Éan — in the morning, a bakery and coffee shop; at night, when we were there, a wine bar and restaurant. We shared squid toast with miso mayo & katsuobushi, smoked cod row brioche, and turbot with whey beurre blanc and daikon. Well deserving of their Bib Gourmand.

While it was still light enough to manage narrow, curvy roads while driving on the left, we drove the hour and a half to Doolin, where we would stay the next two nights at Ballinalacken Castle Country House Hotel.

Just before sunset, we arrived to see the castle immediately adjacent to the country house, with the Cliffs of Moher situated nearby in the distance. We were greeted by third-generation owners Declan and Cecelia O’Callaghan when we arrived. They pointed us through the lovely sitting room filled with local art and antiques in the direction of our room, which winded through curated hallways with picturesque windows and several small flights of stairs. (At this point, we continued to learn the lesson that we had already become painfully relevant — we did not pack effectively.) We then got situated in our room, and once Declan brought us a new TV, we started watching CNN International, our nightly habit.