while most of the online websites (including the ever wise Wikipedia) use Connemara. Our guide tells us it was the challenge of translating Gaelic to English (using a phonetic approach) that led to multiple spellings for many areas and landmarks.
The Burren was a barren sheet of limestone with occasional collections of soil and plants, but this area, north of Galway Bay, is boggy wet grasslands, small tarns, lakes.
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| The map shows the multiple tarns and lakes. |
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| This is what it looks like from the bike. |
Only inches below the surface, readily accessible to a shovel, is a thick layer of peat. Peat is partially decayed vegetable matter which has accumulated over thousands of years. It decomposes slowly in the acidic, oxygen free environment of the bog and. It is the precursor of coal and after being dried can be burned as fuel. It was the original local export to other areas of Ireland.
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| A peat "ditch" with harvested peat drying by the side. |
During our ride we stopped at the site of Marconi's original radio station. It was built on a peat bog - which provided an unobstructed view of the horizon to the west as well as plenty of peat to provide the power needed to generate a signal.
Within a mile of the station, is the landing site of the first nonstop transatlantic flight. Alck and Brown, two British flyers, 1919, Newfoundland to Ireland.
As to our riding, the weather remains cold (low 50s with that bitingly cold north wind). It is dressing for the cold, not rain, that has been the gear challenge of the trip. But things are looking sunnier and a bit warmer for the net few days of riding.
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| Our route from The Burren to Connamera |
More trip pictures are archived at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/i3Wq9Epv9sqDXb5w6
