Cruising through the countryside on the bus to Doolin was a great way to appreciate the beauty of the greenery, quaint villages, stone walls, sheep, castles and clear babbling brooks with keen fisherman trying their luck for trout and salmon.

Buses are easy and hassle free here. Just two tips: travel light – so much easier with less luggage and carry spare change/ correct amounts if paying cash for a ticket.

Arrived in Doolin several hours before the hostel checkin so left my main bag there and headed off for a walk. Headed out towards the Cliffs of Moher and did a 9km walk along the coast. It was a beautiful walk with lovely green fields, cows, horses, stone walls, views of the Aran Islands and amazing rock formations and magnificent cliffs. There was even what appeared to be one of the ancient dolmens ( portal or wedge tombs) in a field that wasn’t marked. There was also a medieval castle up on the hill called Doonagore. It is a 16th century castle but it’s believed before that there was a fort there as early as 1300. In 1588 a ship from the Spanish Armada sank off the coast here. The 170 crew made it to shore and to the castle – where they were promptly hanged! Had my picnic lunch on the cliffs of locally made Irish crackets and goats milk cheese.

Back to the hostel which is a lovely stone cottage hostel on the banks of the River Aille where I sat and enjoyed the sound of running water under the stone bridge as I answered some work emails. Lovely fresh Atlantic fish for dinner from Russell’s Fish shop and an early night as some long days at conference catching up on me.