Irish Touring Day 2 Conemarra

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Conemarra

Now I realise we are doing this Irish gig fast but we only have a week to get a feel for Ireland so we just did the small Conemarra loop.

From Galway city we got off the main road at Maam Cross, headed NorthWest through Maam and Leenane and did a gorgeous drive around the Lettergesh, Renvyle (great beaches) and Letterfreck where we had our first of many pub lunches...and we also got to try our first Guinness in Ireland and if you have ever heard that Guinness tastes better in Ireland, well, it's true! The froth on the top is pure cream and the taste is smoother and richer. No comparison with the Guinness in a can or even in a London pub.


We also got to give a local a ride to Lettergesh which was nice as the Irish are friendly, polite and love to give help and advice (they sound a little old fashioned with the terms they use but it's lovely to hear and you warm to them immediately) . The Irish I have met are all good for a laugh and don't take themselves too seriously and are pretty quick to realise when you do! But at the same time they are considerate (They all move o the side of the road if you want to pass and everybody waves at you...such a shock from London) and almost always get you smiling.

Our pub lunch was superb. Irish pubs are great, so dark and welcoming in rainy or chilly weather, and kids are welcome so Christine and Lauren were quite intrigued (as they are not allowed in pubs in Australia). We sat in a cosy corner and ordered things like seafood chowder, (The best!!) fish and chips,and pork roast. Excellent.

After lunch came the highlight of the day for everyone: we climbed a mountain (well, a really big Conemarra hill anyway) We'passed some lazy sheep down by the road (are they ever off the roads?) and climbed a rocky and steep mountain. Mum had to stop half way after having a difficult (and I admit nerve-racking) time trying to get back down one section: it's the getting down part that gets me, getting up is easy by comparison but I can't enjoy it imagining the return journey). We collected some quartz that we still keep in our pockets.

After this tour, we drove south to our next YHA in The Burren : Lisdoonvarna

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