Journey to Galway via the Cliffs of Moher
After another delicious breakfast we load the bus for our 5 hour drive today to Galway. As we leave Dingle we see the South Pole Inn once owned by Brian Tom Crean, the South Pole explorer. We see Scottish belted cows that almost look like an Oreo cookie with their black and white bands. On our drive we see many wind turbines which are all privately owned. We took the Tarbert-Killimer ferry across the Shannon River. We disembark and drive for an hour to the Cliffs of Moher.
Our next stop was The Burren. Literally it means "bare rock" or "rocky place". Mary Howard was our local expert on the flora and geology of the area. It is the largest area of exposed limestone in Europe and has a unique ecosystem with quite a diverse group of plants which have managed to adapt since the Ice Age 10,000 years ago. This area is not really bare as it is a vibrant landscape. We saw yellow ragwort, meadow thistle, the oxide daisy, a ring snail, and many woodland plants in the breaks of the stone. All of the vegetation is miniature in sizes.
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We drove on through Ballyvaughn, by Dunguaire Castle in Kinvarra, which is a 4 story tower built in 1520, and finally arrived at our B & B, Petra House in Gallway. After a 20 minute walk into the old town of Galway, and seeing where John F Kennedy gave his speech in 1963, we ate at the Quay Restaurant.
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Frank and Joan, owners of Petra House, were very warm and inviting hosts for our stay in Galway.
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