It is our first trip into County Donegal. I am not sure what to expect after hearing songs and reading travel advice. For me the reality is both lovely and underwhelming. Donegal is beautiful without question. But it is not substantially different than other areas of Ireland. It has unrelentingly beautiful scenery and yet perhaps for me not the “most” of anything. Let me explain with a few examples.

We visited Gleann Cholm Cille village. It was in a lovely location near a beautiful beach. The restored cottages were interesting. Maybe it was the dozens of unrestrained children on summer camp outings running in and out. Maybe it was the dirty and dusty interiors that looked as if no one had been in the space in a very long time. Perhaps it was the jumble and piles of artifacts lying without order in each space. I found it interesting but I have certainly been in better cared for living history locations.

We took a bus to slieve league summit. Walking up a one lane road was not appealing and parking cost the same as the round trip bus ticket. I was looking forward to this trip. Guide books compare to the cliffs of Moher. Hiking guides tell you that it is an iconic hike.

The hike follows a narrow ridge line across a peninsula sloping to the sea over sharp slate stone. Lots of people try the hike. Lots of people are injured as they are unprepared for the terrain. I hike. Occasionally I need to cross a ridge. But I am not a ridge walker or thrill seeker. I didn’t have the right equipment with me and it looked more intense than an afternoon walk. There weren’t other trail options.

So we walked along the road and the cliff edges and waited for the bus to return. The views were wonderful, but no better than countless roadside stops we had made over the last few weeks. It is beautiful, but with all the hype my expectations were higher.

Fortunately, the bus drivers were charming and full of craic. The first driver asked if I had been to giants causeway. I said yes. He said ours isn’t that good. Finn McCool got tired before he got here. When a car got in a state down match with the bus on the one lane road, the driver cracked jokes as he waited for the car to back up to a place where we could pass. It was fun to allow someone else to navigate the narrow mountain pass.

We got some WWII history as we noticed rocks that spelled Eire on the hillside. It helped pilots navigate back to Britain apparently. I enjoyed Donegal. It was lovely. But I left with the same feeling I get when I finally get around to seeing that movie everyone can’t stop talking about….