We never toured Ballinalacken Castle. We were never on the property for the daily 6:30 tour, but it was always a presence. Castles throughout Ireland are a reminder of its historical grandeur and proximity to breathtaking geological wonder. We ate breakfast each morning, looking out at all that. I was awestruck most mornings on the West Coast. Overcome by beautiful mornings. Maybe my mornings on the West Coast of Ireland are a gentle reminder to look for awe in everyday life.

Cliffs of Moher

We took the Doolin Ferry out to the Cliffs of Moher. As we drove from the castle to the cliffs, we took a few serendipitous wrong turns that allowed us to experience the Cliffs from the land before seeing them from the sea. Googling the Cliffs of Moher did not prepare me for their beauty. In fact, the word beauty is not big enough. That is probably why some Irish writers become poets because they refuse to use to use prose to tell the story of the natural world. I understand that more deeply now. I could feel the struggle to find words to describe what I saw forming in my mind’s eye and the pit of my stomach. As our ferry embarked, the choppy water was evidence of how the cliffs formed ages ago as water and stone collided and collapsed. If I thought I recognized green before this day, that faded as moss and stone and water, plants, and sunlight danced in front of me. The gift of awe overcame me. This was one of the many times I found myself awestruckon the trip. That may be the essence of travel. Being given the gift of awe.

Our guide explained that the Cliffs of Moher are Ireland’s second most popular tourist attraction, behind the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. He also let us know the Cliffs served as the Cliffs of Insanity in The Princess Bride and were a filming location in Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince. Our tour lasted about an hour — long enough to see cultural and historical reference points, geological features, and wildlife.

Doolin

Five or so pubs line Doolin’s main road. The first Doolin pub we visited was Mc Dermott’s, a wonderful spot with amazing seafood chowder and the cheese and onion Tayto Chips we had grown to love. The bartender who greeted us was a dual citizen of Ireland and The United States — his father is Irish, and his mother is from Boston. He had been raisedvisiting his family in Boston during the summertime.

Our second stop was McGann’s, where we scooted in barely before two tour buses. We immediately met two locals. Both were from Doolin; one was visiting home, having lived in Sedona, Arizona, for many years. They helped me learn more about the phrase “Taking the piss.” I had heard the words thrown around several times while in Ireland and was curious. So, loosely understood, “Taking the piss” means joking around. (In Galway a few days prior, a young guy who looked like he could be part of a rock band of skateboarding surfers tried to convince me his sister was a jockey. It was apparent the women was neither his sister nor a jockey. I just knew it.) One of the men at McGann’s tried to tell me the woman behind the bar was a gardener. I asked him if he was taking the piss, and everyone started to laugh. She said she was not a gardener and just worked behind the bar. Taking the piss is all about the banter, the back-and-forth, the humor, the connection.

Our third stop was Fitz’s, where we grabbed a pint and headed to dinner.

We ate dinner at Russells at the Fiddle + Bow. We arrived and stepped immediately into the middle of a wedding reception with people knee-deep in festivities, awaiting the bride and groom’s arrival. I stopped a bridesmaid and asked her about the couple. She told me they were from Warrenton, Virginia (right by where Greg’s mother lives), had visited Ireland several times, and decided to be married there. Seventy people had ventured to Ireland for the wedding. What a small world and how beautiful family and love are. In congratulating the couple and the bride’s mother, I was struck again by Ireland’s West Coast. People travel oceans (frequently, according to Russells’ owner) to share special moments and make memories there.

Amid wedding excitement, we shared steamed mussels in tomato, chili & lime leaves on toasted sourdough, Russell’s signature fish and chips — craft beer batter, Atlantic white fish, mushy peas, tartare sauce, curry sauce, homemade fresh chips, and grilled Irish sea bass — caper, anchovy & dill butter, samphire, seasonal vegetables & potatoes.

Traditional Irish Music at McDermott’s

Doolin boasts an excellent traditional — “trad” — Irish music scene. Pubs in Doolin have live music every night. (We grew to love finding live music wherever we were, whenever we could throughout Ireland.) As we walked into the crowded pub we heard the circle of 6 or 7 female musicians playing flute, fiddle, tin whistle, uilleann pipe, accordion, concertina, bodhrán, guitar, mandolin, piano, and more. The music felt like laughter and wind and secrets. It felt strangely familiar, like the water that carried us earlier in the day — choppy, buoyant, and powerful.

We ended the night back at the Ballinalacken hotel bar talking sports, politics, and history with the bartender, the hotel owners’ bright, twenty-something son.