Thursday, September 12, 2013
Today we made the drive from Galway to Kenmare. On the way,
we went through part of the Burren, a unique geological plateau of limestone in
northwest County Clare. Few trees grow now, though once it was richly forested.
What is interesting is that both arctic and tropical plants grow in the deep crevices
that formed between the slabs, seeds having been brought with glaciers. Both
flora and fauna abound, including several varieties of orchids. We didn’t see
any orchids, but we did see many varieties of wildflowers and plants . We stopped
to see the Poulnabrone Dolmen – a portal tomb dating back to the 3rd
century bce. While in the Burren, out in the middle of what seems like nowhere,
we visited a perfumery which creates its scents only from the flowers that grow
on the Burren. We had a cup of tea in the tea shop and continued our journey
through the strange landscape of this part of Ireland. We traveled on some very narrow roads on our way, and saw –
once again – spectacular scenery. In addition to the eerie landscape of the
Burren, we went high up on the hills overlooking glens and lakes. We arrived in
Kenmare in late afternoon, in time to walk to town for dinner and traditional music
in one of the local pubs.
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| Hills and lakes on the Burren |
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| Looking down the glen |
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| Typical back road |
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| On the sidewalk in Kenmare |
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| Getting ready for the Rebel cycle ride around the Ring of Beara |
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| Shops in Kenmare |
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| A Kenmare street |
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| the Poulnabrone Dolmen |
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| The Burren landscape |
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| Traditional music in a local pub |
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