Ireland > Nature reserve Connemara

Ireland - The Poulnabrone Dolmen in the moon-like landscape of The Burren

Once the suitcases are loaded back into the bus, we drive toward Galway. Along the way, we pass through The Burren — a landscape that looks almost lunar. Because of the rocky terrain, very little vegetation grows there, except for small plants that can take root in the cracks between the stones, such as ferns. In The Burren, we also visit the Poulnabrone Dolmen, a kind of megalithic tomb. Unfortunately, the massive capstone has broken off — according to Karen, because visitors used to climb on it. From the Poulnabrone Dolmen, we continue out of The Burren and head toward Galway, the largest city on Ireland’s west coast. We have time to explore the city and have lunch. We wander through Galway’s narrow streets and follow the walking path along the river. In the fast-flowing water, several fishermen are standing, trying to catch salmon. We visit Saint Nicholas Cathedral — a relatively new cathedral that opened in 1965 but was built in a traditional style. In the city center, we have lunch at a shopping mall before walking back to the bus. In the afternoon, we drive through the Connemara region, a natural area filled with lakes and mountains. The scenery somewhat resembles the landscape of Norway.

Ireland - The landscape of Connemara, where our driver demonstrated turf cutting

Along the way, the bus stops for a short break in the middle of nature. Our driver demonstrates how peat is cut using a turf spade, and he also shows us how to weave an Irish cross from the long grass growing there. After the demonstration, we continue our journey through Connemara. In the evening, we arrive in the town of Knock — a pilgrimage site for the Irish. The hotel is located quite a distance from the town center. On our way there in the evening, we make it only as far as the first pub, a few hundred meters from the hotel, and end up staying there for the rest of the night. Later, some fellow travelers who did walk all the way to Knock join us in the pub as well.