Clifden, Ireland
On our drive, we passed several abandoned buildings and homes. I am so thankful they are left standing because they are absolutely charming! Tried to get a photo of this “parked” bike as we sped by. Slightly blurry… but it caught my eye!
Once arriving in town, we parked and our first view… a beautiful church! The only thing stopping me from taking photos inside was a formal wedding taking place. This beautiful piece of architecture could be seen from any spot in town.
Lunch was awesome in a little pub style place called Mannion’s Bar. What a find… the menu included several Gluten Free options for me. They have a summer and winter menu. We visited during the summer menu so I had a Quinoa, beet and feta salad. It was amazing! I need to go back in the winter because the waiter told me they serve a gluten free Irish stew! Perfect! We had Irish coffee and dessert (because ALL items were gluten free)
The weather was fantastic for Ireland. This shot from the roundabout allows you to see the charm of Clifden. We walked the whole town, which took all of ten minutes. The grocery store had everything we needed. So many shops, bars and restaurants. Rarely do I shop anywhere but I ended up buying a handmade wool sweater from one of the local vendors.
One of my favorite aspects of travel, is people watching. Due to the lovely weather, many locals were strolling the streets. This gentleman caught my attention. He just fit… relaxed and content. I watched him as he watched others and enjoyed a cigarette.
This post began with a photo of the King of the Hill. One of the many sheep along every road. I learned something new about these sheep… rather than branding, the herds are marked with a color selected by the owner. Some red, some blue, some green. This particular one had purple and I was told (maybe I’m gullible? Maybe it’s true) that aside from using the color to know which ranch to return a lost sheep to, it also helps to know which ones mate. If blue rubs off on the back area, it is easy to determine whose sheep mated with the female. So…what happens when a female mates with a blue and a red? Blue + Red = …. Apparently, the little one is slightly promiscuous! I’ll leave you with that...
