The Cavers and The Burren

             Hardhats waiting.

As we descended the wet metal stairs into the dark cave of Doolin and then walked bent over along narrow passage ways, our hard hats sometimes bumping the stony clay overhead, I felt queasy and couldn't fathom how two young students had the stamina and bravery to crawl on their bellies following an underground stream in hopes of discovering a cave those almost 65 years ago. They had just four hours for the round trip and I wonder if they were sure they'd get back out. They were students charting the caves of the Burren area with their university, had left their group, had gone exploring on their own when they noticed a small stream disappearing at the bottom of a huge limestone cliff. They pulled back some boulders and dug their way into a narrow passage and managed to wriggle their way along for a half kilometer until they reached the large chamber that contains the Great Stalactite.

 The Great Stalactite 7.3 metres long is the longest free hanging stalactite in the Northern Hemisphere.

A grade four class created fairy houses from the area clay and placed them in the dark forest near the spot where the cavers started to follow the stream underground more than a half century ago.

The Burren

In the cracks of the 350 million year old limestone of Burren, Arctic, Mediterranean and alpine plants and flowers grow side by side. The melting of glacial ice removed more vegetation after the last ice age leaving the awe inspiring rock that you see in these photos below of the Burren. Today we took the coastal route from Doolin to Galway, mesmerised by so much rock. No wonder houses are made of it here.

                 Nature's art.

  

    Peeking over the edge.

     Beautiful patterns in the fissures.

       Bob at the ocean's edge.

     Clinging to the rock.

 Off in the distance a mountain of rock the goes on forever.

See you in Dublin tomorrow.