Journal 5

My new Irish Friend, Tom!

Journal 5 Dingle to Spiddle, Connemara

It was a long day today. Not so much in hours but lots of driving and lots of mileage covered. We headed out of Dingle about 9am for the Conner Pass, a beautiful drive over the Sleive Mish mountians with wonderful views Then on to Adare the “prettiest little town” in Ireland known for it's thatched roof houses.

After Adare it was on the road to the Cliffs of Moher. We had an incredibly sunny and warm day and the Cliffs were clear and impressive as they should be. There was no lack of climbing up steps and paths to get the best view. Exhausting, but well worth it.

On to the Burren with a quick stop at a round fort and the Polnabrone Dolmen. How did the ancients get those stones propped up in such a manner that they have staayed there for thousands of years?

Finally a drive through the center of the Burren where giant slabs of limestone rock make up the majority of the ground cover with flowers and grasses surviving in the harshest of situations. This contrast of harshness and beauty has always amazed me. It takes my breath away.

Our last leg of the trip for today was to get to Galway and to our B&B in Spiddle on the Connemara Coast. This area of Galway Bay has always been very special to me for many reasons. I could sit out on the rocky coast of Galway Bay here and just get lost in the sound of the waves rolling over the rocky coastline. Th e B&B where we are staying was recommended by a friend and Maura and Phillip are wonderful hosts. Mauar and I just finished chatting for a bit as to where we have been and what we are planning and sharing places they have visied in the US at my friends.

So I'm off to “blanket time” as Phillip called it, and will write more as we move on.