Everyone always says that it is the charm of the people that is most Irish and most memorable. This is true in the countryside and really makes one feel at home. After traveling in lots of countries where English is a 2nd language or sometimes not even a language much spoken at all, it was a delightfully strange experience to land in Ireland.

Upon arrival at Galway by plane, in a driving rain storm, I saw outside the small little terminal that the last taxi had just been taken. Then, the taxi driver noticed and he asked me through the window where I was going, and since it was into Galway, he said “jump in lad”. And to myself, I said, ahh, this must be Ireland.

Upon arriving at the first guest house I was booked into in Galway someone was waiting at the door to let me in quickly and offer a hot drink. Though it came to be that my guest house in Galway was not ideal for our clients, it nevertheless served me well. Knowing that the guest house is really the best way to stay in Ireland, I was more careful about the next visits I made. The houses we have chosen for our tours are really the best, because of the hosts and the attention they give.

In the tiny town of Clifden, which by the way is a metropolis compared to some of the “villages” in Connemara, I stayed in the very charming Buttermilk House. This guest house is a 3 star guesthouse operated by a vibrant Irish couple who took care to offer us tea/coffee upon arrival and sit and chat with us for some time in the “parlor” or living room. (I recently read a note about the origin of parlor – it comes from the renaissance era and is from the French word ‘parler’ which is to speak!) We chatted by the fire, which was burning peat – or compacted bog cut right out of the ground. I then met my hostess again at breakfast for a traditional Irish breakfast of ham, sausages, “pudding” which is meat, and an egg, tomato, and toast. A good fill for a busy day ahead! I really felt an affinity with many of the Irish I met, and this was no exception. Between Americans and Irish there are clearly many cultural ties and in many ways I felt not much a foreigner while there, even though I have no Irish heritage myself. This again must be what other Americans must feel when the come to Ireland.

That night I spent a few hours in the pub with some locals and had a nice dinner at the new Station House pub/hotel. Its funny how a few Guiness go down much easier here in Ireland! A pint can set you back 2 to 3 euros typically; which is pretty reasonable. Clifden being the main attraction for some distance around, people stayed in the pubs listening to traditional Irish music and even many of them speaking the Irish language.

The coast, the countryside, and yes even the hills and small mountains of western Ireland are really spectacular. Green, of course, and with the off again on again rain showers, the valleys are flowing with streams. Sheep abound, and yes, there are more of them than people by quite some large amount. One of the many beautiful locations in Killary harbor, Ireland’s only fjord. Though it does look much like the rest of the coast, a fjord is defined by its depth and flowing river at the headland. This fjord is a narrow alley of water winding its way inland some ways offering boaters, kayakers, and other adventurers a variety of experiences. The town of Leenane is located on the banks and offers pub as well as a couple of very good restaurants and places to stay.

Before returning, I did visit Westport, the other thriving ‘city’ of the west in all my travels. This is a very charming town, well developed with many more shops, restaurants, pubs, and so forth than Clifden.
It is on the water and does have a port, but most of the town is built just inland as part of a planned redevelopment a long time ago by a wealthy local who didn’t like the view from his estate of the rag tag poor people that had built their shanties around the traditional port. So, they were moved. But that was a long time ago and now the port is a modern district with hotels and shopping, but it is not the center of commerce.

Cycling here offers some chateaux visits, some abbey visits, as well as impressive architectural sites. But foremost is the ambiance of the countryside as a green, natural, and undisturbed heritage with a quiet and relaxing lifestyle shared with you by welcoming people.