Trans Europe Express

Having an inflatable has opened the world up to me. I take my roller bag with my board and paddle on the train, plane or car, no hassle. Whether it be a short adventure or long expedition, I start with Google maps. I can spend almost as long as the trip itself looking at satellite maps of foreign places, planning my next mission. Then I research some background information about the place, the weather, culture, things to see, and once I’ve zeroed in on a start point, offwe go.

- BART DE ZWART

When we planned this short trip through Europe we weren’t required to do much research though. This trip fell into the category of a mini adventure. I was excited to see some new places from the water so Franz and I looked for a combination of some easily accessible cities and nature. What I like about the mini adventures is the simplicity. Just grab the SUP roller bag, some clothes, a paddle, and hit the road and see what you find. We normally have a general idea where we’re going, for the rest we see what comes our way. Normally I love to travel by train with my ISUP as you can get comfortably anywhere in a short time and luggage is never an issue but this time we decided to go with a small car.

Ireland I had been to Ireland many years ago and had fond memories so I was curious to see if the country still is this green, mystical place, full of culture and friendly people. I have to say Ireland fully lived up to my expectations. The cool thing about these mini adventures is that you can time them with the weather. Ireland looked sunny for a couple of days. “Let’s go there” we said. We picked up a rental car at the airport and drove straight to the west coast. First stop, the Cliffs of Moher. Towering more than 200 meters and rising straight up out of the sea, it is a raw and magnificent sight. We took a non-touristy back road and parked the car close to the cliff. Getting to the water from this point was a challenge; a tiny path on the very steep cliffled to the bottom of the cliffs where we could enter the water. The cold water and crushing waves gave us another challenge.

Once out on the water you realize what a beautiful place it really is. The raw energy of the waves crashing on the cliffs, the smell of seaweed, and fish beneath and thousands of seagulls flying around us or nested in cliffs.