The Burren and the Cliffs of Moher

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Another gray day. It looked like the whole island was wrapped in fog. Yesterday was exhausting, partly because we stayed up late. There was a live band playing in a pub, and we met some interesting people who were here for "canoeing." Something similar to water polo except in boats. We had our first pint of real Guinness which we're told is mainly a drink old men have. I don't know how true that is; I've seen a few other younger people drinking it as well. It was hard to drag ourselves out of bed in the morning, but we had an early start on a tour of the Burren and the famous Cliffs of Moher.

Our guide was hilarious. According to him, every town, no matter how small, has at least two pubs. That way if you get thrown out of one you can always go over the the other. Oh, and the reason cows lay down so much over here is to keep a dry spot of grass under them when it rains so that they won't have to lay down on wet grass later. Who said cows aren't smart? We walked around a fairy circle which is actually a fort dating back to 600 B.C that was overtaken by tree roots and grass. Fairy rings and other fairy signs are highly protected by superstition. Nobody will touch, mow, build on, or remove anything from them, etc. for fear of bad luck or worse. I don't consider myself especially superstitious, but I'm not willing to tempt my fairy fate.

The Burren is hill after hill of what looks like solid stone, but we were told they are soft shells, rocks, and other sediments compacted over time. After a look at them, we stopped for lunch in a small town that was holding the Matchmaking Festival this past weekend. There were hundreds of people from all over hoping to find true love. Unfortunately, we didn't stop to find ours. The next stop was the Cliffs of Moher. I think it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. It's a long fall into the ocean, and we were warned that the edges aren't very stable. I was able to get about a foot away in another area though. Scary scary!

We made it back to Galway around 6pm, and we were both ready to crash. Steph has major allergies and isn't feeling too good, but we have no idea what's causing them. Last but not least, due to financial difficulties and inefficient packing, any present we were considering bringing back may have to remain unpurchased. That's all for now... love to all

- A

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Comments

[Grandma Norma]

I looked up Galway on the Internet and it looks like a beautiful place. Also there was a picture of the Cliffs of Moher and you are right they are fantastic looking. Looks a little bit like the White Cliffs of Dover. One reason you two are tired you are probably still jag lagged and in a few days you should be caught up with the time difference. It looks as if you two are taking advantage of tours - that's the best way to see things. I'm sorry Steph is not feeling well - do they sell Benadryl over there? Where are you heading to next? I'm so glad you are keeping a blog. We send our love and prayers for a safe and fun trip.

[travelingtwins]

Hey Grammy, Steph is feeling better, and they don't sell Benadryl here. But we've got the next best thing which has helped my eyes more than they have Steph's cold. Right now, we're in Killarney and headed to Dublin early tomorrow morning. After that, we'll be on our way to Glasgow. I've seen a few painted sheep, but I had no idea what it meant. Thanks for the info! Love to you and G'pa from the both of us.