Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

I'm not entirely sure this photograph truly captures the magical power of The Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs are 300 million years old and 700 feet tall. We arrived on a cold and windy day with a soft Irish drizzle, but the sun found an opening between the clouds and the horizon as it set along the Atlantic Ocean, adding to the mystique of the entire scene. Our journey to the cliffs also added to the experience as we drove through the unusual Burren landscape along the coast, talked to a local Irish family outside their house, and navigated narrow winding roads. Since we arrived late, only a few people were at the cliffs. I felt like I could have stayed all night to watch the cliffs fade into the darkness. Even though I could take some pictures and take the memory with me, there was a sense of beauty that doesn't exist elsewhere, a beauty unique to the cliffs, and I didn't want to leave it behind. The visit to the cliffs also resulted in another unique experience; since we were tired and hungry, we drove through the Irish countryside until we found the historic town of Ennis, with an old church, colorful buildings, and narrow streets. We found the last pub still serving food, along with a traditional pub session of amazing musicians playing unique instruments, and to our surprise, it was some of the best food we had during the entire trip to Ireland. Seafood chowder, fried brie with a raspberry sauce, and sticky toffee pudding strengthened me to continue the journey to Dingle Peninsula for the evening. The craic was good! I'll end on a behind the scenes story, as this was the second photograph taken of me at the edge of the cliffs. I had a slightly nervous look on my face the first time around, perhaps for good reason. After all, they are the Cliffs of Insanity from The Princess Bride! I promise I was safe!