Clifden
27 September 2018
We cruised the road between Roundstone and Clifden, taking it a bit slow as we stopped for pics along the way. No rally car run this time! We arrived into town and did a lap around the main loop through the downtown before finding a spot to park. We stepped back out to the familiar shop-lined main street of Clifden!
We spent a lot of time in Clifden on our last voyage through Ireland. Big enough to have a variety of places to stop and things to do yet small enough to still keep the small-town feel, Clifden was our choice for dinner and hang out spots when we didn’t want to venture into Galway city. We wanted to explore a bit more on this trip through, but we still needed to come back here once. As today is our tenth anniversary, what better day than this to visit the place we spent so much time at on our honeymoon?
We tucked into Cullen’s Café for a coffee and a little snack. Cullen’s was a spot we stopped over ten years ago, and we knew it was a quality place. Funny the way some things in the country have changed drastically, yet some things are just as they were back then, like the quaint interior of the café. I was unaware prior to doing research for this trip that it seems western Ireland is a big place for carrot cake. It seemed every review, every menu, every culinary tip that mentioned dessert all talked about carrot cake. I had no idea. So when we saw the hearty looking cake behind the glass counter, we had to have that to go with our coffee. And you know what? It was pretty darn good.
Ireland: the land of castles, shamrocks, Guinness, and.... carrot cake.
We dropped into a handful of shops along the main street, found a few small things to bring back for people, and Beth landed a really nice woolen hat. The Irish wool hats are great; they’re warm, stylish, and amazing the way they keep you dry! I bought a couple last time, and when you’re here you have to get one as the prices are about half of what you’d pay at an Irish shop in the States!
One place we had not been on our last trip was Lowry’s Music and Whiskey Bar, right on Clifden’s main street. We stopped in for an early afternoon tipple and to see what they had available on their extensive whiskey list, as they apparently have over 100 choices! There was no music at the time we went in, sure it was still pretty early. There was a large selection of whiskey as promised, and we sampled a few Irish specialties. I especially like the peat-smoked varieties; usually these are Islay scotches, but there is a nice one made here in Connemara called, well.... Connemara. Smooth and smoky, and while Irish whiskey has a bit more of the burn than scotch or bourbon, I kinda like that. We sipped the whiskey slow, enjoying the nice atmosphere inside the old pub. This would be a great hangout spot if we were local for sure…
Just to the west of Clifden is the famous Sky Road. Now labeled as part of the Wild Atlantic Way, Sky Road takes an elevated route as it loops along a peninsula out to the ocean, giving spectacular views of the rugged Atlantic coastline. As you take the road out toward the sea, you first pass by the ruins of Clifden Castle in a field down below. The overhead perspective of the castle is an amazing view, the ivy-covered stone walls proudly standing with the herds of sheep on the green pasture. We made our way up to the Sky Road viewpoint and took the scenery in. This is the furthest along the road we’ve been, though it’s getting too late to explore more now... but we plan on coming back tomorrow for the whole thing!
After a quick trip back to Letterfrack for another amazing seafood meal at Veldon’s for our anniversary dinner, we decided to return on a small road through the boglands rather than the quicker and busier N59. It was a clear night (a bit of a rarity in these parts) and the sky was just unbelievable! The other day in Ballycroy we learned that the Mayo coast was a certified dark sky area, and now we wonder if that extends down to this part of Co. Galway as well. Living in the city along the busy NE coast of the US, you tend to forget just how dark and magnificent the night is. The starry sky overhead was truly an amazing sight to see, and with the moon shining bright and clear, it was a fitting end to a very special day!
