The Irish Countryside

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For the past 5 days, I've had the pleasure of exploring some of the most lush and magnificent scenery since I left on my trip. Ireland has to be the greenest place on Earth. Between the unpredictable rain showers/mist and the Atlantic Ocean, the west coast of the country will never go dry.

I stayed in a small town called Kilrush in County Clare with my boyfriend's family for a few days. It was a great location for walking and exploring. The city is right on the Shannon River which opens into the Atlantic. From several spots, you can see the county of Kerry. Absolutely breathtaking! The first day or two I wandered through the town and villages nearby. And, I took in the beauty of the Vandeleur Walled Garden. It's a small garden that's wonderfully preserved and looked-after.

But, I have to say that the coast of Co. Clare farther north was incredible! I ventured to see the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. The Cliffs of Moher are far more unbelievable when seen in person. The sheer magnitude of these monstrous cliffs instantly creates a sense of awe and wonder. And, they can induce a fear of heights

even in the most confident and stable of all people. My boyfriend's sister-in-law nearly frightened me to death when she walked out to the edge of one of the cliffs. The wind blowing up the side of this cliff could easily blow off one's hat ... not to mention throw you off balanced. I nearly died at the sight of her doing this next to the tourists laying belly down beside her. At least that way you won't get blown off the cliff. (It has been known to happen on a frequent basis.) My nerves were pretty much shot after that and the frighteningly narrow and windy roads that we drove on to get there.

From there, we ventured on to see the Burren. Another spectacular sight! I was amazed how the landscape could so drastically change by only traveling about 30km. We stopped at a waystop to take in the beauty of the Burren from above. The road below us at the waystop is called the Corkscrew. (You can just imagine how funny I thought it was when two substantially large buses attempted to pass each other on this road.) It was a lovely day full of some

of the most amazing scenery I've seen.

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