We may not be as dysfunctional as the characters in The Banshees of Inisherin, but if I keep driving around Ireland at the pace I have been, with four kids arguing in the car, we may just become that dysfunctional (including cutting off fingers)! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, watch the movie.
We had the chance to visit one of the three Aran Islands a few days ago, which include, from west to east: Inishmore, which is the largest, Inishmaan, the second-largest, and Inisheer the smallest.
It was a nice day trip with beautiful views and an interesting story about a remote island.
After yet another hearty Irish breakfast, this day served at the hotel in Galway, we were off for the hour-long drive to the Rossaveel Port, to catch the Aran Island Ferry to Inishmore.
We got stuck behind a very slow truck (it happens every time you're in a hurry on those one-lane European roads) and were almost late for the ferry. I managed to get one quick photo of the group before we ran down the gangplank to board the ferry.
The kids had a great time on the ferry. They said it felt like a roller coaster. I thought the same thing, as I fought off motion sickness. Despite the nausea, I was happy that someone else was "driving me around" and I didn't have to contend with another hours-long drive, on the windy, rain-soaked, Irish roads.
Gerald, our local tour guide, fetched us from the ferry, where we spent the day touring the island. His tour was a bit lackluster, but once again, I was happy that anyone was driving expect me! So he could have driven us around in complete silence and I would have been content. We made the obligatory stop at the Irish woolen store and also took a wonderfully scenic hike. Gerald informed us that there were no sheep on Inishmore (apparently they are too clever and constantly escape from their shepards), which was a bit of a disappointment, but the cows were plentiful and made up, somewhat, for the lack of our beloved Irish sheep.
We had a late lunch at a local pub on the island before departing on the ferry back to Galway. The pub was so crowded that they put us at the smallest table we have ever dined at. We were so hungry and tired that we were just grateful to have someplace warm to relax and get some sustenance.
Upon our return to Galway, we spent a little while relaxing in the hotel lobby before heading out to see a bit of the city and enjoy some gelato. We were impressed with how stylish the Krispy Kreme and McDonald's storefronts were, compared to the ones at home.