Wild Atlantic Way Belfast to Donegal and Galway,
July 29-31, WTRD 54-56
Sunday, July 29. We said goodbye to our Belfast hosts on Sunday morning and headed to County Donegal, still in the north part of Ireland on the West side, but a part of the Republic of Ireland. Once out of the city, the country side in Northern Ireland is wide open and the rural areas look fairly prosperous. Residents in every town though fly their allegiance in the wind.
As we drive into the town of Pettigo, we cross a bridge in the center of town and without knowing it we have crossed from Northern Ireland (part of the UK) to the Republic of Ireland (Independent).
We are still carrying a few Scottish pound coins and think the Termon Complex would be a good place to get a cup of coffee and take a rest break. We are surprised that our Scottish money doesn't work here because we are no longer in the UK. Part of the town is in one country, and the other part of town in the other. Both sides of town still fly their allegiance flags, but it is the last town in which we see religi-political flags standardly flown everywhere.
The Termon Complex is a beautiful event center, recreation center, restaurant, etc. The ladies in the restaurant don't even want to think about what Brexit will do to this little town. They will have to put a check point at the bridge in the middle of town.
Russ and I stand on either side of the bridge that splits the town.
We read in the newspapers here that 10,000 trucks come into the UK EVERY DAY most on ferries, the rest through the tunnel carrying products and supplies to the British Isles. Once from one side to the other, the big lorries keep on rolling. Once Brexit is in place, all of these trucks on a daily basis must be inspected crossing a hard border, at 10 minutes per truck, it is estimated that the first day's queue will be 17 miles long, and grow each day as they can't possibly check in all the trucks with the current facilities. Stores and people will not get supplied. Not sure how this will work for Ireland. But it will be a hardship for everyone.
The Brits will have to build a mammoth security system to process the lorries swiftly and efficiently. Stores are being told to stock up now. Many of the scary details of Brexit are not being shared with the public because officials don't want to create a panic. Hmmm, they don't think there will be a panic when everything starts to stand still? Seems the public has a right to know and be a part of the decision or recision.
We walk around the cliff area and enjoy the spectacular views and wild beauty of sea, sky, mountains, 1800foot cliffs, and heather.
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| Cliff Walkers |
We eat a late lunch looking out over the Atlantic and walk a little more in Slieve League marveling at the alpine lakes, blue green sea, and seagulls lazily riding the thermals.
Then head back to the town of Donegal past lakes and fjords where we will be spending the night with our friendly and delightful hosts Patricia and Hugh.
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| Peat Piles fuel the hearth. |
Russ and I arrive late in the afternoon. Patricia and Hugh give us a warm welcome and we chat away over tea and cake at the kitchen table for several hours. We are sorry not to spend more time with them.
All too soon we are saying goodbye.
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| Hugh takes a photo of us in their lovely garden. |
Monday, July 30
We say goodbye to our kind hosts,
and leave for a long day of stop and see on the way to Galway where we will be spending the night with hosts who advertised their AirBnB as the HOUSE at the End of the Rainbow. Looking forward to this!
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| Flowery town of Westport |
Our first stop is at the National Famine Memorial. During the great "potato blight" famine 1845-49, there was wide spread poverty and starvation. All of Ireland at that time was a part of the UK and the UK's answer to the famine was to basically let the people die (over 1 million) or send them off in coffin ships...some might make it somewhere else or not. Ireland lost 25% of its population. The sculpture is as gruesome as the treatment of these poor folks.
Looming behind the sculpture is the Mountain that is Ireland's Holy Mountain.
St. Patrick is believed to have driven the snakes out of Ireland from the top of this mountain. Pilgrims come to this mountain in droves during the summer months.
We continue our drive to Galway along the Wild Atlantic Way and come across another memorial to the people who died during the potato famine.
We drive through a small glade that begs us to stop and look for leprechauns, but sadly we didn't find any.
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| No Leprechauns live here. |
We pass by waerfalls, lakes, fjords, an abbey, and fish farms, and eat dinner in a pub.
At the end of a day that was on-again, off-again rain showers, we reached our destination called the House at the End of the Rainbow, and we could not believe our eyes! There was a raintbow pouring down the chimney of the AirBnB.
Our Hosts, Rita and Mic welcomed us to the lucky little home at the End of The Rainbow. We are going to the Galway Horse Races tomorrow and Rita has given us some "tips".
