Today we started our travels off by driving through Connemara National Park from Westport. After about an hour of driving we were at the port town of Rossaveel to catch our ferry to Inishmore (the largest of the Aran Islands). We took the ferry for about 50 minutes to reach the island. After hiring a driver, we started on our way. There were several interesting facts that we found out as we toured the island, first it has a primary layer of limestone which covers the majority of the island. After centuries of the locals placing seaweed and sand on "patches" of land, there are now spots that have soil and can grow grass. The majority of the island has rock walls that, on average, date back to 1000 years. With that being said, the island is estimated to contain 4000 miles of rock walls. Within the last 30 or so years, the average drop out rate for school was about 80% and many of the males would "go fishing" after dropping out (tourism and fishing are the primary industry). Population of the island is 800 people. OH one fast fact to know....if a fence were to "fall" since the fences often times serve as property lines, the way of determining who should fix the fence....if the rock falls on your side...you fix it. The major crime of the island, drunk and disorderly. Number of police for the island....ONE for the week.....two to three for the weekend.
Major sites of the days...
SEAL -there is a seal colony on Inishmore. We were able to see three or four and then one greeted the ferry as we pulled into the mainland.
SWAN - Other nice folklore, you are not able to kill swans in Ireland. The King of Lir loved his children so much that his wife became jealous. She took the children to the waters of Ireland and turned them to swans. Due to her guilt she bestowed on them the gift of song and the king decreed that no swan in Ireland should be killed.
Cottages with thatch roofing - located on the Aran Island. One was 300 years old and had remained in the family.
Leprechaun houses - they dot the Aran island....you are driving along and you spot a small house in which a leprechaun lives.
Steven continues to want to just eat things on the side of the road. He is obsessed with raspberries and has for some reason got it in his head every red berry that is on the side of the road is a raspberry. I have taken to slapping his hands, as I am sure his mother had to do when he was doing something he should not have....my biggest fear....he will eat a wild berry that is poisonous. After many lectures and agreeing to paying him with hugs...he has decided he will not eat the wild berries....OH one more fact about this...they are actually unripe blackberries, but he insist they are raspberries.
Driving to the hotel, another castle located in Connemara....we have discovered something new....not only on this side of Ireland are the roads bumpy....the roads have been turned over to not only the sheep, but also HUGE cows. I mean you are driving along and...SMACK right there in the road is a cow....the cow simply chews his grass and looks up at you and declares "where did you come from." Then simply moves at its own pace. Your role in this whole thing....sit, sit, sit, sit, wait, wait, wait, cow off road....hit gas.
We had the most excellent dinner at the castle tonight....rule of thumb for dinning here....if they do not have it on the menu and your order it...they make it. The is the castle to be at.
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