Cliffs of Moher: "That's Inconceivable"

July 30 & 31, 2013

When traveling along the coast of the Republic of Ireland many things become routine like the rain, sheep, and pubs. In each place we visit we look for something that makes it unique. One thing that breaks up the repetition in my writing about Ireland is the dramatic beauty nature offers.

Dingle Harbor

                         

Ross & Fungi

Dingle is a small fishing town with more pubs than there are people we were told. There is even a pub inside the local hardware store and it opens at 9:00am. The towns main attraction lives in Dingle Bay; Fungi the dolphin, who has been the local mascot since 1984. They have boat tours with a money back guarantee if riders do not see him. There also is a statue in his honor in the middle of town. NatGeo Traveler named Dingle the worlds most beautiful place on earth a few years ago. That was no surprise to us after visiting Slea Head; which is the most westerly point in all of Ireland. It is also were we camped for the night over looking the Atlantic Ocean and the Blasket Islands.

Slea Head

The rain has been relentless but I find it to be rather cleansing. Once we arrived in Doolin we searched for a place to bath. After a few failed attempts we got lucky when we asked the receptionist at a B&B if we could pay to shower. It costs us 3 Euros each to bath even though there was no hot water; but cold showers don't bother us anymore.

We then drove to the Cliff of Moher, aka “The Cliffs of Insanity.”Avoiding the pay parking lot at the cliffs we drove past it searching for a free place to park. We winded along the narrow road that eventually brought us to Moher Hill, home to a farming community and a stone mine. This was defiantly the road less traveled but we were successful in avoiding the charge at the tourist parking lot. After about a 5 minute walk through a cow pasture we were standing at the edge of the cliffs in front of the remains of an old lighthouse.

Big cow on Moher Hill

Picking clovers in front of the lighthouse

I had been quiet all day for no apparent reason. I was staring at the iconic view of the Cliffs of Moher and there was no one else around. The wind was blowing and it was sprinkling. As soon as we sat on the bog grass with our legs dangling off the cliffs tears began to stream down my face.

 I guess I am home sick, or a little depressed. How could someone living the dream like I am be upset about anything? I know it sounds silly but I am struggling with how fleeting moments are in life. One second your high on life, living in the moment and then in a flash it is gone. It is not healthy that I only feel happy or content when life is one exciting or worrisome moment after another. Why can't I just be happy doing nothing?

 Ross's personality is so consistent, he does not express the highs and lows of his emotions. He says he has them but he can quickly rationalize the moment and instantly he is content. How have I become bored with our routine? The thought alone makes me even more upset because we are living life with very little to worry about and we have the freedom to do anything we want each day. As weird as it sounds, I think I miss being stressed. I am so use to worrying about everything that when life limits the things I should worry about I feel lost. Ross explains to me that he puts little value in worrying because the older you get the more you realize that when you look back on these moments you will wish you didn't waste it worrying. Enjoying each moment is really the only thing that matters.

After drying up my unnecessary tears we headed back to Doolin for a drink. We asked the bartender what her favorite whiskey was, she recommended Crested Tin, so we ordered two. Clinking our glasses together we drank to being together on this amazing journey and to the highs and lows we will experience throughout life as husband and wife. As we drank the pub became crowded. People were rushing in to hear the rhythmic Irish music created by two violins, a banjo, and a pair of spoons.

  

Waterford Ways & Corky Days

July 27-30, 2013

Viking Triangle in Waterford, IE

                                        

The Munster province in southern Ireland is poetically known as the kingdom of art and music; therefore it was no surprise that Waterford Crystal comes from here.  I had high hopes of bringing home a piece of Waterford crystal, that is until we visited the showroom.  The crystal display room was glowing and full of lots of things we will never be able to afford.

Checkout that price tag

I felt like a queen sitting at the vanity made completely of Waterford crystal with a royal price tag of 50,000 Euros.  Ross was enamored with the College Championship football.  The cheapest thing we saw was a 5x7 picture frame for 70 Euro, needless to say we did not purchase anything but it sure was pretty to look at. 

Near the Harbor in Waterford

                     

For the night we found a cozy cliff side caravan park.  This location seemed to be a popular one so it was good we arrived early to claim our spot.  After setting up camp we explored the cliffs, watched the fishermen anchored to the rocks, and enjoyed a ham and cheese sandwich for dinner. 

Over the next few days we lolly gagged through the countryside which was very relaxing.  The scenery is overwhelming causing us to travel slowly; stopping often to take in the views. The mountains look like earth covered in carpet.  When the wind blows we saw different hues of green over the land, like when you swipe velvet. 

Ross Castle

 In Killarney we toured Ross castle even though we felt a little castled out.  I told myself if we found a castle that shared my name I would want to see it too.  It was a small castle with beautiful views overlooking a lake.  Too bad it was a rainy cold day or we would have rented the paddle boats. 

Lake at Ross Castle

Amazing hand carved wood chair in Killarney

As we made our way through county Cork toward Ardigole Ross saw a low lying waterfall. He quickly pulled off the road and asked me if I wanted to take a dip.  I thought why not we needed to bath anyway and it would be nice to get out of the Kangoo and play.  We put on our bathing suits, packed our soap and towels, and headed toward the falls. 

The water was cold yet refreshing! Ross found the perfect bowl just at the edge of the falls for us to sit in while we washed up. The bowl was deep with soft squishy algae that lined the bottom making a comfortable surface to sit on.







As I washed my hair I laid back in the bathing bowl and let the rushing water rinse my hair. It felt just as relaxing as when they wash it in the salon.  

After washing up we decided to explore a bit. Ross took a few steps but his sandals got stuck to the suction cup like algae and before he could do anything about it, his sandal was gone.  Luckily it floats, which made him want to go find it.






 He climbed down three levels of falls into the rapids. I began to worry because he had been gone 30 minutes so I started screaming his name.  The rapids were too loud so he did not hear me but a few moments later he pops his head over a large boulder with the sandal in hand like a victory flag.

Healy Gap overlooking a beautiful finger lake in Glendaloug Valley

               

Marvelous Mountains to Medieval City

July 26-27

Wicklow Mountains

               

Our first taste of rural Irish beauty was in the Wicklow Mountains.  From the sound of sheep roaming all around the Kangoo to the breathtaking views we felt like we were enjoying a little slice of heaven.  We listened to Eric Clapton unplugged and Van Morrison with the Kangoo doors open for most of the evening.  At 10:15pm we could still see a tiny wedge of sunlight peeking out from the hillside, as if it were a child that did not want to go to bed.

                         

We got up with the sun the next morning because we wanted to see the sunrise and because we could not shut off the natural sheep sounding alarm clock. As the sun kissed the mountains the flora came alive with bright reds and purples popping out against the green velvet covered countryside.

Taking it slow this morning we spent almost two hours enjoying a traditional Irish breakfast…..free range eggs, rashers (bacon), sausage links, black & white Irish pudding (sausage patties), grilled mushrooms, potatoes, and toast.  We sat on the patio at The Wicklow Heather Restaurant as it rained off and on enjoying our ritualistic coffee talk as well as the scenery.

Kilkenny Castle

                   

           

After the rain cleared we headed to the Medieval City of Kilkenny. The city was full of tourist because Bruce Springsteen was coming in town for a weekend concert.  Everywhere we looked there were billboard size posters all welcoming “The Boss” to town. 

The River Nore

We toured Kilkenny castle as well as browsing a few souvenir shops. We found the River Nore to be charming as well as the patches of vibrant flowers found all over town.  

Wild-Camping: Q&A

July 27, 2013

Today marks our one month anniversary of living in the Kangoo.  Aside from the daily events of sightseeing you may wonder how things are going with us living in our car. We compiled some questions that relatives, friends and blog readers have asked us in hopes of  painting a better picture of what life is like wild-camping  through Europe.

How do you fill all that time in the car?

Good Morning 

Since we are driving, sleeping and eating in our Kangoo we try not to drive long distances.  Sightseeing or stopping to find wifi helps to break up the hours we spend in the car each day.  At first we just got frustrated jumping from one radio station to another.  In France and Spain this was especially difficult because we don’t speak the language.  In England the repetition of popular songs began to annoy us, so we would pull out my computer and listen to Itunes or Spotify. After a while my offline playlist got tired and played out as well.

Have you learned new ways to occupy your time in the car?

I had forgotten about some of the advantages of owning an Iphone because I suspended my cell service to avoid high roaming charges; until recently it simply operated as a clock.  That is until my laptop stopped working! After that happened we had to become more creative so we downloaded the podcast app from Itunes.  Now we listen to podcasts in the car ...i.e. This American Life, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, and TedTalks. Our time in the car is rather interesting and the always changing topics give Ross and I new things to talk about.  Also we have the always changing scenery to keep our eyes busy.  

Do you have a daily routine?

Each day offers new challenges which we like because it keeps us sharp. We are constantly thinking of new or better ways to get by.

How do you eat without electricity and no refrigeration?

Couscous & Pasta for Dinner

We are still shopping at grocery stores for pre cooked food and deli meat for the majority of our meals.  Southern Ireland has presented a new challenge considering it does not have many supermarkets. Locals here buy their meat from the local butcher, their vegetables from the weekend market, or they are farmers themselves.  Usually we splurge on breakfast because we are coffee drinkers and currently we cannot make that in the car; but we are trying to figure out a way.  The rest of our daily calories come from lunch meat, cheese, chips, rice cakes, and fruit.  Water is a staple in the Kangoo but we do keep a few sodas for the occasional cocktail once we have stopped for the night.

Vodka shots before a day walking & sightseeing

                         

Shopping is a part of vacationing for most people…i.e buying souvenirs and gifts for others. Do you two shop for anything other than food?

Your looking at Everything we own!
Two carry on suitcases & two backpacks. 

Before we left the states we sold everything we own and we packed very minimally for this journey.  Since being gone we have learned to fight our consumer urges.  We only buy what we NEED and we are extra thoughtful about purchases and souvenirs because of our limited space. When we do buy something for ourselves, like a new tee shirt or a raincoat they come from second hand stores.  For example we were in Waterford Ireland and there happened to be a number of thrift stores; so we splurged and got some new clothes.  I bought a coat, pants, and two shirts. Ross got one pair of pants and two shirts and we only spent 32 Euros for everything. 

What is wild camping like?

Trying to be inconspicuous when wild-camping in public places can be tricky. It takes time to find a safe, low profile place, especially when we are in more congested areas.  We don’t want to be the only car in the parking lot but we also do not want it to be busy with cars coming and going because of the noise.  Usually we park somewhere between 6pm and 9pm, set up the Kangoo for sleep, and stay inside the car till morning. Our evening in the car consist of eating dinner, journaling about the day, and then watching a DVD before bed. 

How do you deal with nature calling and hygiene?

You get funny looks when brushing your
teeth in public bathrooms

This is the 21^st century so restrooms are easily found but at night when we are trying to be inconspicuous or trying to avoid bad weather we bought a bucket only used for #1.  Each morning we brush our teeth with a water bottle and spit out the window.  Showers are much more challenging.  We bath on average every two – three days by either jumping in a river or waterfall. If we are lucky we get to shower at a gas station or pay a small fee to shower at a hostel. On a few occasions we just used bottled water, soap, and a field. 

How is spending this much time with one another in such a small space affecting your relationship?

Our love is still growing

One of the first questions we get asked when on the phone with family is… “Are you two still in love?” The answer is yes! As cheesy as it sounds we are more in love than ever; which is really remarkable considering we are basically the only human the other one communicates with, we are sharing a space roughly 10ft by 5ft, and on a daily basis we talk out minor frustrations and make plans together for our next move.  We don't agree on everything but we somehow come to a reasonable compromise. To be honest we have started to think alike so making decisions together is almost as natural as breathing.  Just like a newlywed couple learning to share their lives in a house; we divide responsibilities.

A tight squeeze on skinny European roads

Ross does all the driving and I am in charge of our budget and the blog.  We share the responsibility of researching destinations and making plans because we are constantly on the go.  We check our ego at the door because it is more important for us to learn to love and appreciate each other for who we are. This perspective also allows understanding and growth to occur naturally between us.  

Do you have any questions for us?  If so leave us a comment or email us at gettingtwothepoint@gmail.com