Today can be summed up with a single word. Wow. 

We went on a tour of the Aran Islands, as well as a ferry tour of the Cliffs of Moher, finishing up with a walk along the tops of the Cliffs. Instead of writing about each thing I will post my review of the tour that I left on trip advisor:

"Some tours are awesome because of the places you visit. Some are due to the talent of the tour guide. It's rare that you find a match between both, but this tour definitely delivered.  

First off, the locations are gorgeous. Taking the ferry to the Aran Islands is a unique/fun experience in itself (especially when the seas are a bit rough). The island is very cute and will leave you wanting to come back and see more of it. You then take a ferry to the base of the Cliffs of Moher where you get to experience them up close. The rough seas just made it feel more adventurous to us and added the tour. Then you take the bus up to the top where you get to see them in a whole different perspective. Absolutely magnificent.

I alluded to how good our guide was, and it feels like a crime that I've decided to mention the locations first. Pete from the start was incredibly inviting and fun to listen to. Rather then spew out facts, he excitedly described the things we were seeing while on the road and encouraged active participation (all while driving on the tiny Irish roads mind you!). His enthusiasm is infectious and you can tell that he truly enjoys what he is doing. In particular it was amazing to watch as he recalled nearly everyone's name on the bus and pulled them into conversation.  

* Side note, you don't want to let this tour guide escape. Whatever you are paying him, give this man a raise ;)

The mix of an awesome tour with a fantastic tour guide left us feeling much more satisfied than either myself or my wife had expected. Thank you very much for a great day! Highly recommended :)"

Let's see, what wasn't included in that review... We got to drive through a bunch of small towns along winding tiny Irish roads. We saw a bunch of thatch-roofed houses as well some that were under repair (it costs 7k every 10 years to repair). The ferry we took from doolin to the Aran Islands was a bit of an adventure. The seas were pretty rough, causing some to get seasick and everyone to grasp for the closest railing to hang on. The journey there we sat inside to keep warm. 

The islands themselves we didn't see much of. My knee really started hurting today, which started causing us some problems. We got a really affordable air bnb, but it's about 1.5 miles from Galway's city center which means we've been walking 3 miles every day at a minimum just to get there and back again. Ahhhhh well, our next stops should give me a few days rest before London. As a result, we just went for a short walk on the island and didn't really do much other then enjoy the scenery.

The ferry back was even more exciting. It goes to the base of the Cliffs, and with the ship rocking pretty violently and us on the top deck with just a small railing, someone going overboard was a real possibility. It wasn't just us tourists having terrible either as the deck hands were crawling along holding onto anything they could get their hands on to stay up as well.

Still, it was great to sail up to the Cliffs watching them slowly grow in size as the ship rocked back and forth. Almost like we were in a different era. As we got close one of the deck hands pointed out where Harry Potter and the half blood Prince was filmed as well as a scene from the princess Bride.  

Seeing the Cliffs from this perspective was a great introduction. However, to see them from the top is breathtaking. The mix of green from the fields, to the sea crashing at the base, with the ocean and Aran Islands as a backdrop... Awesome. Sometimes you see something in person and think... A photograph would do.... Not here though. The smell of the sea, the feeling of the breeze blowing on your skin, the sounds you hear all around you really add to the experience.

On the way back the bus driver made some unscheduled stops for us. He showed us the only field that is left over from the potato famine (you can tell because it's on the side of a hill and it's the only field that is hand tilled). He was also nice enough to stop at Dunguaire Castle to give us a quick chance to walk inside the Castle walls.

After the tour was over Amanda and I went back to the same pub we went to the night before. I decided to give Irish wings a try, and we both agreed that they were the best wings we've ever had.

Tomorrow we leave Galway and head to Cork for 2 nights so we can see the blarney Stone and Cobh.