Cliffs and Cheese!

Sunday, Day Eight:

OMG.  . . And believe me, I do not say that lightly . . . actually, never. What a feckin'  marvelous day!! I have been waiting  for just the right moment to use the west Ireland version of what we consider foul language and they consider an adjective to be used at least once a sentence! I am happy to have found it in describing our best ever day that consisted of a road rally to the incomparable Cliffs of Moher AND a perfectly wonderful evening spent at the Sheridan's Cheesemongers Shop and Wine Bar.
This day, in particular, I found myself aching for my kids - wanting to share the magic.  . . Except for Jon: we all decided he is NEVER to walk the path along the the Cliffs of Moher. As we watched in fascinated horror, one foolish person after another tempted the Gods, and each time we reconnected on the path one of us said something to the effect of, "Thank God Jon is not here!"
I simply do not have the words to describe the experience of Moher. The drive to the Cliffs is an adventure of its own, and once again we owe our thanks and our well-being to Wes and Dave. Everyone talks about the stone walls and narrow roadways of Ireland, but I never imagined anything close to what we have driven on - twisting 16 ft wide roads with solid stone walls on the yellow lines - posted for 100 km/hr!! I may have learned to swear on the Zipper at age twelve, but I perfected it today on Corkscrew Hill (no exaggeration in the name!).
We may have wished for a sunny day, worried that we would not be able to appreciate the views through cloud, but honestly, the wind and the clouds that moved in and out only added to the rugged beauty. Hopefully the images below will speak for themselves.
As for the Cheesemongers, we absolutely could not have ordered a better experience. The bar was empty, and our new best friend, bar-keep Colin O'Loan, explained that Seamus Sheridan does not advertise, so Sunday night is quiet. Our great luck that Seamus apparentlyshares something of an attitude of "Screw you" with some of his Canadian cousins.  .  . No names. But if you think that shoe fits you, it probably does!! Enjoy the walk, but mind the blisters!
Colin was a wealth of conversation and information. He started us with a wine-tasting which included four whites (Italian, French, and Austrian), and three reds (all Italian). Sheridans is the exclusive seller for a Venetian dealer, and when asked about local tastes, Colin surprised us with his answer - Prosecco.
He also shared that Seamus is world-famous for the family cheeses. He recently served as a judge in NY at the world show, hosted Obama here, and has sent the store's signature crackers and other goodies to the White House. Dave was relieved to hear this. He can add a tick to the pro side of his running "Do you like my friend Barak" list.
The whites settled on a Reisling - much to their surprise. Nancy, on an educational quest yesterday that included classifying every living species at Moher (seriously, if we had lost anyone over the edge it would have been her, reaching for another wort or timothy or dandelion!), was pleased to include the Reisling to her research. For the reds, a soft, full red from the heel of Italy's boot.  . . Yum.
As for the cheese and meat board, I am (almost) embarrassed to say it fought the Cliffs as my favorite thing today.  . . just fantastic!
Colin had one final treat for us. He opened the store downstairs. Pam quietly had a moment of connection and rightness among the shelves and wares of a Sheridan run shop, and no wonder. Who knew an old space filled with sights and smells of meats and cheeses could feel like magic!
We capped off our day with a last walk through the busy pubs, stopping at McDonough's for fish and Chips. Wes got his mackerel and he and Sandy will be sneaking through customs with their contraband beer glasses!
Seriously, could a day be better? I guess we will find out.  . . Ciao.