Into every life a little rain must fal…

The party’s over and the tour completed. Farewell posh hotels, 3 course meals, and someone holding our hand (and schleping our luggage). We’re now on our own for better or worse. We picked up a rental car and headed for the west side of the island to get to the Aran Islands. Driving in Ireland is quite the adventure. Roads are narrow with no shoulder but curbs or rock walls just dying to make your acquaintance. If that weren’t challenging enough, throw in driving on the left. Mike drives while Andi navigates, prays, and leans towards the right, willing us off the roadside obstacles. We may not have gotten many steps in, but it was definitely aerobic exercise. Fortunately Mike had been checking out our phone navigation apps while still on the tour bus, encountered issues with the ones we usually use, and got a new one that is working just fine over here. We made it as far as the little town of Barna, where we stopped for a light lunch and hit the grocery store to pick up a few items to tide us over for dinner and breakfast until we get the lay of the land. That grocery stop turned out to be quite fortuitous. We made it to the ferry terminal in Rossaveal in plenty of time. Our ferry leaves at 6 pm, so mostly locals returning home from the mainland. Not much to explore in Rossaveal, though we did manage to walk past the marina and check out the boats ( old habits die hard) before heading to a pub a mile down the road. Our ferry to Inis Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands was fairly uneventful. The challenge came when we arrived. The locals quickly got into cars and left. We ended up on a deserted pier, not a taxi in sight. The sole remaining crew member took pity on us and pointed out the pub up the hill where we might be able to get help, as he got on his bicycle and took off. We trudged up the hill and found someone to call a taxi. He knew just where to go with only Clare in Kilmurvey to go on. He sped down the narrow roads lickety split as he wanted to get back to his dinner before it got cold. We’re just glad we made it to our lodging before the rain set in. To say our lodging is remote is putting it mildly. The vending machine in the entryway was a clue. At least it was stocked with Guinness, so Mike had a brew in place of a hot dinner. We slept through the night, listening to the howling of the wind and rain. According to the forecast, it’s set in for the duration of our stay. Good sleeping weather, but not conducive to hiking and exploring. Fortunately the little apartment has a washer and dryer, so we’ll make the most of it.Læs mere