Day 8

0730 GMT - Our first morning Ireland. Eamon wakes us up and we decide to let him have some cartoons to buy us some recovery time. I get up eventually and make us a traditional Irish breakfast. I make thick slabs of back bacon, pork sausages, scrambled eggs and toast with Irish butter. The sausages are OK, the eggs are as well, but the bacon and the butter are great. Amy tries to get a peat fire going, but it pretty pitiful and generates almost no heat. After checking out the amazing scenery, we decide to take advantage of the great weather and head out to Clifden. The drive is stunning...and we spend the morning dodging renegade sheep in the road.



1130 GMT - Clifden is quite cute. We shop a bit, buying a few presents. We are feeling somewhat hungry and hop into a little pub on the corner in the center of the town. The pub is nice, and the bartender comes up with something that Eamon can eat. Eamon decides he wants something to drink partway through his meal and yells across the room..."Excuse me...do you have any lemonade?" I notice the bartender smiling and he nods while I shake my head. No one will ever accuse Eamon of being shy.





Everyone seems to have a great time.




1330 GMT - After searching through town for the quaint little internet cafe "Two Dog Cafe" that we have read about, and shopping along the way, we finally ask someone where it is. They tell us that we walked right by it, and we work our way back, continuing to pick up gifts along the way. Unfortunately, when we do locate it...(across the street from the pub where we ate lunch), we discover it closed both Sundays and Mondays. Eamon is done. We pack back into the car for the hour and a half ride back to the cottage. Both boys are asleep before we are 15 minutes on the road. Our sheepdog friend once again herds us up the home stretch.
1630 GMT - Amy continues her new tradition of holding tea time. We light a peat fire, but despite our most valiant efforts, we are still unable to get more than burning embers. Eamon watches a cartoon, we read some books and are off to bed by 2300.