Day 2-Doolin

It is amazing what a little sleep can do. I think we were all totally wiped out last night and I was too tired to post anything and let Stacy do a quick post and pictures. Sunset isn't until 9:30 or 10 and tonight as we were returning to B&B at 10:30 the cloudy horizon was still light. Todays forecast called for more rain but we lucked up and had only scattered showers and off and on temperatures, warm at times and really cold at others.
We are staying our first two nights at Ballinalacken Castle Country House & Restaurant. There is a castle ruins right next door to this B&B.
We were hoping to get to explore it but there has been so much rain lately it is much too mucky to walk around it without sinking up in the mud knee deep. Yesterday all day we saw a white horse standing out front. It looked like a life size statue and as we went outside off and on all afternoon to smoke it was always there posing like a statue. I went outside for a smoke while waiting for everyone to get ready for dinner and it was gone then it came around the corner and resumed its position out front once again being the guard horse of the castle. I think the horse must have went out back for a smoke! This morning before we went out and after we returned today we were not able to catch the horse standing guard. We forgot to get a picture yesterday and today when we had cameras ready he stayed hid all day!

After a lovely breakfast at the B&B we started our day by visiting the Burren Center in nearby Kilfenora. It gave us an overview of the Burren and it's history. We watched a movie and visited their “Walk through Time” exhibit which was very interesting. Did you know the ancient cure for whooping cough is to find a man on a white horse and ask him for the cure which he will give you? OR, if you have a burn someone can lick a lizard 9 times then lick your burn to heal it? Next door to center was the Kilfenora Cathedral from the 12th century. It's cemetery has lots of high crosses.

After we finished up there we went to the Burren Perfumery and saw a slide show of several Burren flowers. Because of many factors flowers and plants from around the world are found here. There are some species that are normally found only in the Alps co-existing with tropical ones. They also had a nice garden to visit.

It was now time to head to the Cliffs of Moher in Doolin for the scenic cruise. This was the highlight of our day. Sloane and Diann decided to shop in town while the other 4 of us did the boat trip because the water was fairly rough (8-10 ft swells). The hour long trip was wonderful as long as you held on tight. When we reached the area where the Puffin colony was, the Captain stopped the boat and let us take all kind of pictures. The boat ride back was a little smoother than going out. Although it was a cloudy day you could still see the magnificence of the 650 feet cliffs.

We traveled back through the Burren some more and visited the Poulnabrone Dolmen, a 4000 yr old grave chamber.

Tim has taken to driving here like a duck in water. Yesterday when he saw the speed limits he said no way, but today after becoming familiar with the roads he actually went to speed limit in some places. The roads are incredibly narrow with very high speed limits and you have to get in the grass sometime to pass cars. Our Garmin is working out nicely even sending us on roads that look like driveways which we would normally never take.

A remnant of the Ice Age, legend has it the Giants used the large stone of the area to play ball.

Another thing we noticed were how big the cattle is here.

Another ruin not open to public.

For dinner tonight we decided to check out O'Conners Pub in Doolin and stay for the nightly music session. Dinner was wonderful and so was the music that followed. I got to see and hear a squeeze box for the first time. Also playing was a flutist, fiddle and an Isish mandolin.

Finally got pictures uploaded. I was unable to yesterday morning so hopefully I will get caught up soon. Until then......Enjoy.