The Burren

Now, some of you may be wondering what the Burren is. Well, it is a region in Ireland that looks like it belongs in Lord of the Rings. I am serious. It is a stoney place with tons of vegetation but not really farmable. It is known for its flora and fauna but not habitability. It has an interesting beauty with the rocks every where.

Well, as I said in my last post I went to the Cliffs of Moher but first we stopped at a Newtown Castle. Its is another Tower House that is pretty much next door to our B&B. It was not very tall, only 4 floors and much smaller than the Ross Castle tower house. All of its floors were made of wood so it was probably a not so rich, rich family. Probably the most interesting feature was that it was being used by musicians! On two floors there were groups of musicians just in the rooms performing together. However, they were not playing for the random tourists passing through but for each other. There was also  a painter who was being inspired by its architecture. Then we headed through the Burren towards the Cliffs of Moher.

Daisy growing in a murder hole.

On the way there we stopped at an interesting spot that should give you a good idea of what the countryside looked like. It was where the edge of the Burren hit the water in a not as impressive set of cliffs. It was very beautiful and different from Moher. While the view was spectacular, climbing it was my favorite part! The rocks were pitted from the rain so they were not even remotely smooth. It was a fun balancing act. Then we preceeded to the widely known Cliffs of Moher. These Cliffs were spectacular even in the rain! (The cold was missing today, however, the wind had stayed but I was still happier). Although, because of the rain we did not find any Puffins that live on the cliffs. While the pictures of the cliffs will speak for themselves I will mention an atrocity! On the way to the cliffs was a row of shops. One of these shops was a music store and it had a harp sitting out in the rain! It irked me to no end and really just made me cringe! This harp wasn't for sale or even played but it is such a waste of a beautiful instrument.

The Burren

We climbed that!

The Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher

After the Cliffs of Moher we continued to explore, and get lost, in the Burren. We found these interesting tombs that consisted of two parallel stones that supported a single stone to create a roof. I am not sure if you were placed under the stone between the walls or in the ground with the structure used as a marker. They were interesting. We also found a perfumery. Some of you would have absolutely loved it. It was entirely organic and filled with lotions, perfumes and remedies for common ailments (bruises, bites, acne, eczema, ect.). It was kinda cool. It also showed us a video of the different flora that grew in the area. It has some beautiful flowers.

Then we went to our medieval dinner! It was nothing like what I expected. First, they gave us silverware. Second, it was in a tower house, not a large castle. Third, it was still really fun! Each course was preceded by a song and the atmosphere was perfect. The room had shields on the walls and was mostly lit by candlelit. We also had interesting company at our table. There was a man diagonal from me who is Irish with a British accent. His parents are 100% Irish but he was born and raised in England. He taught me a few things, such as the origin of the term honeymoon. Apparently when two people were married in the olden days they were given enough honey mead (alcoholic beverage) to last them an entire month. The purpose of the mead was to guarantee that at the end of the month a baby would be on the way! Hence the term, honeymoon. He was a very interesting fellow, and fun to talk to! Well that is all I have for tonight! Until tomorrow :)