Our House Swap Day 2 :Clifden and pony trekking on the beach, Galway

We woke up to another bright and breezy day, packed up a picnic, and headed west, past Galway city and into Conemara. The countryside was rugged and beautiful.

We stopped at a beach near Ballyconneely for our picnic lunch, and explored the beach.

The sand is a beautiful colour, but not as soft and fine as you might expect – it is made up of coarse coral.

We drove on and on, then on some more, until we finally reached The Point – our pony trekking desitanation.

Fortunately both our family and the french family also in our group were all beginners. The 3 youngest kids were led, and the rest of us managed to hold on while our ponies walked us down along some beautiful beaches.

Pictures not great as all taken by me from atop a horse, using my daughter’s point and shoot camera while jiggling along on top of my pony! I did my best!!!

To the disappointment of some, there were no galloping through the crashing waves, just a gentle stroll.

I think we will all have discovered muscles and aches tomorrow in parts of our bodies we never knew we had!

Later in the afternoon, we returned to Clifden for coffee and a wander round the shops. Among the tacky souvenir shops there were a few lovely boutiques with some more unusual items, and there were lots of pubs and restaurants.

On the journey home we continued to listen to the audiobook “Shadow” by Michael Mopurgo which, along with more stunning scenery, passed the 2 hour drive back to the house swap home.

Not sure what our plans are for tomorrow, but they will definitely involve less driving!