Day 10 The Burren National Park

Today we went back to Limerick. It's so incredibly beautiful here though there is no need for rushing! we enjoyed our home cooked breakfast at Riverside cottage with a lovely couple traveling from Switzerland who don't like mountains!! True the world over -  we seldom appreciate what's on our own doorstep, and seek the new and different. In their case they must really like it here. It's their seventh visit!

Following breakfast we decided to head back by way of The Burren. The Burren is a region of County Clare that was once described in 1651 "a country where there is not enough water to drown a man, wood enough to hang one, nor earth enough to bury them"!! While it is a barren landscape, dominated by ancient limestone surfaces in many places, it is also very lush in places and contains meadows of wildflowers and tufts of grass that grow between the limstone rocks, enough to support fat, healthy cows! 70% of Ireland's species of flowers are found here, and Arctic, Alpine and Mediterranean plants are found side-by-side in this unusual environment. Lime-hating and lime-loving plants grow alongside one another. Plants that normally are shade plants thrive here in full sun. It was an interestingly diverse landscape, sometimes stark, sometimes lush, but always beautiful.

Barely enough room for one car on this "two laned" road!
The Burren National Park.
Our first hike was along the farm loop.
I am still fascinated by the hand-built stone walls.
Some of these rocks are huge!
Looking across to Mullaghmore
Beautiful hiking on our second route.
Shamrocks growing wild everywhere on the Burren.
One rock with more than 12 different plants growing on the rock surface.
This one is for you Mom! Fragrant honeysuckle growing even among the rocks.
The stiles to cross fields.
Mullaghmore off in the distance.
Incredible fossil path in one direction...
From the same spot, wildflowers for as far as the eye can see in the other direction!

Ivy and wildflowers growing in the rock wall.
A stone path over an old stone bridge as part of our next hiking trail.
Passing castles as we hike.

Ivy covers everything.

Walking directly through an old castle along the hiking trail!!

Following our exploration of The Burren and several great hikes, we set the GPS (that occassionally works!) for Limerick. We went to The Locke Bar for dinner, a pint and live music. Margaret's niece Sinead works there. Her parents Jim and Grainne hosted the gathering last week. She is a sweetheart so you'll not get better service! Margaret's brother Tom joined us. He was the brother who cooked for us on Sunday, so we were thankful of the chance to buy him a pint! It was another lovely end to a marvelous day!

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