The Burren is still Barren

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Limestone... ah, limestone...I'm going to keep this short, since we want some more pub food for dinner! (Fine dining is a casualty of the current exchange rate...)

We spent a relaxing morning in Doolin, then drove off to spend the afternoon in The Burren, a wide expanse of limestone that, millions of years ago, used to be under the ocean (back in the days when Ireland was around the equator... ah, continental drift). Of course, now it's NOT under the ocean, so it's nothing but miles and miles of moonlike rock in every direction. Some vegetation grows on it, but not much. But you feel at times like you're on another planet.

One of the more interesting things to see is Aailwee Cave, which goes deep underground for about a mile. Despite warnings from the tour guide, Kevin was the only member of the tour group to:
1. step in a deep puddle of cave water; and
2. hit his head on the cave ceiling.
(A word in my defence, as the Euros spell it: it was really, really dark -- you look at the path to see where you're going, you hit your head; you look at the ceiling make sure you don't walk into something, and then you literally walk into something.)

Anyway, we took a long hike up a limestone mountain and had a great view of Galway Bay -- photo below!

From then on, we saw lots of old Irish goodness (like a dolmen -- look it up) and... did lots of driving. Then it was back to Doolin to take a nap and go out for another wild night of live Irish music. Our friends Mitch and Mrs. Mitch were not found, sadly -- they were probably at the pub we went to the prior night.

That was it -- pretty simple (but full) day. Next stop: Killarney!

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Photos

The Burren is still Barren
Limestone... ah, limestone...

Caves are dark
View from inside Aailwee Cave.

A fine day for Galway Bay
I can rhyme!

This is a Dolmen.
This is a Dolmen (not) on drugs.