I think there are four movies that define my cinema education as a child: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Cool Runnings, Dunstin Checks In, and The Princess Bride. Oh, how I loved the Princess Bride. As a teenager, I once found two friends as passionate as I and we quoted the entire movie from beginning to end. Pathetic? Maybe. But really satisfying. And it was fun. So when I found out that the actual "Cliffs of Insanity" were in Ireland, I did a little giggly dance of excited. "Really??? Are you sure? I get to see them?" :) And for those of you who have never seen the movie, that is your homework for this weekend.
They are taking a boat across the ocean after kidnapping the princess and discover someone following them. Worried they'll be discovered, this is the conversation that follows:
INIGO
Look! He's right on top of us. I
wonder if he is using the same
wind we are using.
VIZZINI
Whoever he is, he's too late --
(pointing ahead of them)
-- see?
The Cliffs of Insanity.
VIZZINI
Hurry up. Move the thing! Um ...
that other thing. Move it!
We're safe -- only FEZZIK is
strong enough to go up our way --
he'll have to sail around for
hours 'til he finds a harbor.
And this is what they were talking about! I'm told it looks much more dramatic if you take a boat out on the water, but we didn't have time for that this time. Next time, definitely.
It was VERY windy. A little nerve-racking to be honest, the wind threw off my balance a couple times, and that's not exactly the best idea when walking next to a cliff...
Ok, this is funny! This sign was at the end of the pathway, well, the end of the first pathway. I got to the end, and there was this sign, a small rock wall, and something else about Danger or Do Not Enter, didn't seem important at the time. It seemed that 75% of the people who walked there just hopped the wall and continued on the next path. The next path had the best views anyway. So, mob mentality got to me and I joined the masses. But I lived to tell about it, so in the end, that's the important thing.
At one point, I'm walking along the edge of the cliff and I turn to my right and see a cool rock formation. Then I turn to my left... and see a field with cows. I have no idea why someone had a field of cows at the top of the cliff, but I found it very entertaining.
Laurie trying to get as far over the edge as possible without taking the strap off his neck... pretty sure red flashing lights and warning sirens would go off if you did that and held the camera over the side...
And my view down from that same spot:
Well, what an experience! That's Ireland, folks. In all its glory and beauty. Hope to be back soon.