After the cliffs of Moher we headed north and stayed in a small town called Sligo. We woke up early and started driving north toward the Slieve League. We were told these cliffs were higher and more magnificent than Moher. We drove on two way roads that were barely enough room for our compact car, dodging sheep up toward the base of the hike. About 45 minutes into the hike we talked to people who came from the top and said it was too foggy to see anything. We proceeded up then it started to rain, we made eye contact, then immediately turned around. Though the views were a bit muddled it was still one of my favorite hikes.
From Slieve League we started out in the fog toward Glenveagh National Park. I'm not sure how Asa found out about it, but he was adamant we go, and I'm happy we did! Three hours later we arrived, tired, still damp and in need of coffee. The Nationol Park was gorgeous and I wish we had stayed there longer. We walked to the castle which we both admitted was the perfect place to live. It was on the edge of a big lake surrounded with mountains and fog. It reminded me a lot of British Columbia.
"Aren't you going to smile?"
"Oh yeah sure"
Our mom is obsessed with a British gardener called Monte Don. Seriously, we hear about him all. the. time. So to keep the Castro-Miller tradition alive of razzing the hell out of our mom, here's Asa acting like Monte. The gardens at the castle were exquisite to say the least. I wouldn't mind getting married here.
From there we headed to Northern Ireland, Londonderry Derry to be exact for an Indian dinner. I'm really starting to learn a lot about Ireland and Northern Ireland's history that totally passed over my brain before this trip. Londonderry Derry has lots of history, fresh, history with catholic and protestant fighting, resistance toward England and more. It was interesting to be in a place where you could still feel the unrest and anger. I was told to watch Derry Girls on Netflix which is set in Londonderry in the 80s.
Let me know if you have watched a helpful documentary, or read a book or something for me to learn more about the history. I'm finding it so complex!
As some of you know I'm a big fan of couch surfing, an app connecting travelers to hosts that will let them stay on their couch, cot, extra bed, or anything they have for free. It's an amazing way to meet locals who are like minded, generous, and hospitable. I knew the best time to do this again (first did it in Scotland) would be with Asa, not only for the extra protection but to introduce him to the world of travelers looking for more human connection.
Here's were we showed up to an empty house, the owner was out of town but still willing to tell us where the hidden key was. Asa was, let's just say, very precautious. Find out next time what happened!
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