Finally we get some true Irish weather

It rained all day, all the way from Clifden to Swinford, via the Wild Atlantic Way. Nevertheless we saw some pretty spectacular scenery. After the rain from yesterday and last night the hills were streaming water, a somewhat different sight from what we normally see in Australia.

The most unusual sight of the day was a group of girls we passed on a narrow, unsealed track that led to a rocky beach. As we drove past them we noticed that they had wetsuits on! Sure enough, a few hundred metres along, at the rocky beach, we saw a heap of surfboards waiting for them. Why one would want to surf in such conditions is beyond us.

We are staying for the next two days in a little cottage in Swinford. It was impossible to find, given the directions we had, but Jimmy the owner met us and led us to what turned out to be a tidy, well renovated little place just around the corner from the Main Street. It is lovely and warm and well-appointed.

The wifi was on but we had no internet. A text to Jimmy and he was around in about 10 minutes, not that he could help. It turned out to be a provider problem so we just had to wait. It is becoming increasingly important to have internet these days, as we now rely completely on it for bookings.Read more