Burren

This morning we packed up and bade farewell to Park Lodge Hotel. Rory gave us one last ride into Galway where we boarded a tour bus. We spent the day on the south side of Galway Bay, winding along tiny roads in a full-size coach bus. I'm excited to have confirmation with my own eyes that Des is still alive and well. He was one of our main drivers 13 years ago, and he now works for the Galway Tour Company, which we used for the tour today. Eamon was our driver today, but it was still good to see the man who first introduced himself to a bunch of jetlagged students as Methusela Leprechaun. Those tour bus drivers are full of personality for sure.

We got off the bus several times in the first 3 hours for various sites and photo ops: a castle, ruined cathedral with engraved stone high crosses, an old ring fort now thought to be inhabited by fairies, etc.

The Burren is an ancient sea bed made of limestone rock, now well above sea level. The landscape is often described as lunar, though there's more grass growing between the rocks than I've ever been led to believe is on the moon.

The Poulnabrone Dolmen is something I've been wanting to see again for years. It's another of those really old, how'd-they-do-it things.  And it's a glimpse at how at least some of their dead were cared for. The un-cremated remains of over 30 people have been found inside. A photo below shows the covering of the tomb. The Bronze Age people who constructed it somehow hoisted the 1.5-ton capstone to the top and so perfectly balanced it that it has stayed in place for these 5,000 years or so.

The lunch stop at Gus O'Connor's pub was an important repeat for Steph. I remember eating there 13 years ago, fish and chips then too. Gus O'Connor's is the center of the center of traditional Irish music these days. On the next trip, Doolin just may serve as the home base.

From Doolin it's an easy 15-minute ride to the visitor center for the Cliffs of Moher. Oh, my, what a beautiful day. Sunny and in the 50s. A bit breezy up there, but a clear view of all 3 of the Aran Islands and across to the Galway side of the bay. We climbed the trail out to a high point, taking many photos along the way but also trying to just enjoy the experience.

The return trip to Galway was much more sedate. Ellen stayed awake so as not to get motion sick on the winding roads, but much of the bus riders had a nap after all the fresh air and trekking about. We then immediately boarded another bus bound for Dublin. We'll spend a short night near the airport and fly to Rome on an early flight.

Ellen has been practicing typing on my smart phone. Her chosen phrase: when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
We'll try.