So far, I have found that the Irish tend to be huge under-exaggeraters. When they say that something is just a 10 minute walk away, they actually mean 30 minutes. When they say that class begins at 10:00, they actually mean 10:15. The list goes on, but you get the picture. So last Sunday when I went on what I was told would be a "nice hike around the Burren," I should not have been surprised that they actually meant we would be hiking 11 km (about 7 miles) and climbing up to 300 meters (about 1000 feet).
While the hike was definitely a challenge, it was well worth it. We saw some amazing views and the Burren itself is a geographical area unlike anything I have ever seen before. The hills that comprise the Burren do not consist of much earth or trees but are instead covered in many layers of broken limestone. Since many of the thin sheets of rock have come loose, you definitely have to focus very hard on exactly where you are stepping. The parts of the Burren that are not rocky are big grassy fields that for some reason or other, have big holes in the dirt covered by a thin layer of grass--something else you have to watch out for when walking. Because of the unstable footing, I spent most of my time staring at the ground in front of me as I walked. When I did look up, however, there were some amazing sights of the Bay and the Irish countryside. The pictures I took really don't do the scenery justice but you can kind of get an idea of what I was looking at.
