It’s time to hit the road with Explorer Beastie again!
Last time the pair of us were in Donegal (the most north-westerly county in Ireland) we chose to head to its northernmost point. This time around, we decided to see how far west we could go before we fell into the sea. Since we were starting out from the opposite side of the island, we did have to stop along the way to get out and stretch our legs…
… But this rest stop was actually quite pretty itself!
Still, we didn’t want to hang around here all day! It was nearly lunchtime… Quick, back in the car and FLOOR IT!
What’s the hurry? Well, we had plans to eat in Nancy’s in Ardara! We’d heard great things about this place, and when we arrived, we were not disappointed. We took our seats at a table by the window in the front room, which is stuffed with the kind of curios that can even take a hungry Beastie’s mind off his rumbling tummy!
Star of the show (at least until the food came) was the dresser by the door. Look at all this cool vintage crockery! And bonus points if you can spot a certain woolly monster lurking in each of the photos…
Speaking of food – WOW. This was delicious… I have honestly never enjoyed a piece of fish as much as this in my life.
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However, trouble was brewing outside… The rain was moving in!
Although I was sorely tempted to hide away in Nancy’s for the rest of the day, and sample some more of their delicious house cider, Explorer Beastie reminded me that we had planned to see more than just the inside of a pub. We also had others to consider – we were tagging along with my brother and Alfie the wonder dog, and at least one of them was due for walkies! So we headed off in the direction of Glencolmcille, to enjoy the cliff walk just outside the village and see some spectacular views.
But first, we spotted some distant Beastie relatives! This one’s for you, Melissa!
Hmmm… Even they didn’t seem too sure about the weather out there.
But we thought we’d at least give it a shot… And we did. For ten whole minutes! The gale force winds, stinging horizontal rain and slippery underfoot terrain meant that this walk was never really going places. But here’s a picture of our attempted destination (that little speck at the top of the cliff), taken from a safe distance as we embarked on our plan B!
It was still pretty blustery here though – as you can see! Poor Explorer Beastie was literally bent over backwards by the stiff sea breeze, and nearly lost his backpack to a particularly strong gust!
Rescuing it slowed us down a bit, so that’s probably why we got stuck in the rush hour traffic.
But we made it in the end! From a car park on the cliff top, 107 steps take you down to Silver Strand beach – a lovely sheltered bay with a huge expanse of sand to play on!
The hills that protect the bay from the elements are pretty interesting too!
Explorer Beastie found some rocks to clamber over…
… And this pastime seems to be something he shares with his woolly cousins. How did they get up there?
After a while, the daylight started to fade…
… So Alfie bid a fond farewell to the really interesting stick he found…
… And with one last look back…
… We headed for home!
Have your paws taken you anywhere interesting lately? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
Aaaaand Paddy and Plunkett will be back to entertain us all again next Tuesday, so be sure to join us then! Have a super week, everybody!
Yes, I think we’re definitely in the right place!
So, what will we have? Well, it probably has to be…
… A pint of the black stuff, of course!
