July 2nd and 3rd

Greetings

We are now in Galway Ireland. We sent two wonderful nights in Dingle. We drove around the ring of Dingle and saw some spectacular views. We visited the ruins of some Iron Age 500 BC to AD 500 'bee hive' farmsteads and the so called 'fairy rings' which could date back to 1000BC.

We also saw some Early Christian sites which were mainly monastic settlements from AD500-to about AD 1200. Then the British arrived with Norman Gothic style churches.

There are monolithic stones (stele-like) with ogham inscriptions. These appear as lines on the edges of the upright stones. This is the oldest form of writing in Ireland and seems to be based upon the Latin alphabet. (see http://www.crystalinks.com/ogam.html and http://mockingbird.creighton.edu/english/micsun/IrishResources/kilogham.htm for more information)

We visited a well preserved stone church which is 'ship shaped'. It is called the Gallarus Oratory which has an amazing corbeled roof and dates to ad 500. See
http://ireland.wlu.edu/springtravel/Dingle/Gallarus1.html for pictures.

We also saw the Blasket islands and visited the cultural center which preserves the memory of this way of living.

We had 2 great breakfasts at the Heatons Guest House, this was a great place to stay. This morning we actually had pancakes and yesterday great omelettes!!

Today we drove north to Galway. The main thing we saw along the way were the Cliffs of Mohr. These are amazing cliffs which drop to Atlantic Ocean (see http://www.jessajune.com/photos/2002/ireland/cliffs.html for pictures)

We drove on to Galway and along the way we stopped at a small castle. We spend one more night here then on to Dublin for 2 nights.

We are doing fine.

John Wineland
Galway, Ireland

June 30 and July 1

Greetings,

We left Kinsale and drove to Kenmare. We are seeing some beautiful seascapes and hills.

We spent the night in Kenmare and walked about the town. It is chilly here and it rains from time to time. We are having a great time and I am beginning to learn how to drive on the wrong side of the road with a stick shift.

We have had time for shopping! A dancing leprachaun, a bodhrum, a celtic cross made from peat and for me a wool cap!

We drove the Ring of Kerry today. We stopped at a celtic fort and the house of Daniel O Connell (the liberator of Ireland Catholics) We also saw one of the stones with early writing of Ireland. We moved on around the ring of Kerry to the ring of Skellig and saw beautiful cliffs. It was to rough of seas to sail to the Islands nearby with a monastery dating to 600 AD. We then drove on to Dingle the western most point of Europe. This internet cafe claims to be the western most internet cafe in Europe and it probably is!!!!

Tomorrow we driving around the ring of Dingle!!

John Wineland
Dingle Ireland