Mastodawn

Bob Downie Jun 21

If you hadn't gathered, we are on the #IsleofMan for a few days. As well as cracking geology (check out the folds in the picture) birdlife (choughs!) and adventures with #kippers we had a brilliant day's cycling. For the evening's entertainment we managed to blag two of the last tickets to see the #Proclaimers in the magnificent Art Deco Villa Marina Royal Hall. A great day indeed!

Bob Downie Jun 22

We visited the #Laxey Wheel, just the biggest waterwheel in the world! I'm afraid my #bicycle wheelbuilder's brain kicked in & I couldn't help but notice the lateral truing was out a bit. Now that would be a big spoke key #cycling. #IsleofMan

Bob Downie Jun 22

The #Laxey Wheel in operation. It's impressive! #IsleofMan

Bob Downie Jun 22

A nice plant spot on the #IsleofMan is navelwort. It's not a plant I know from #Scotland but it's very common on rock faces & walls here. #botany

Bob Downie 6d ago

5:15am and bleary-eyed we are heading for the ferry from the #IsleofMan to #Dublin. I love the absolutely bonkers IOM ferry terminal. Classic mid 1960's concrete architecture.

Bob Downie 6d ago

Our next surprise was to see on my phone GPS that our ferry to #Dublin, the Mannanan was travelling at 61km/hr. So fast! How could this be? Stepping out to the stern revealed all; we are on a massive catarmaran with ginormous engines. Check out the wake!

Bob Downie 6d ago

Now getting the train #Dublin to #Tralee. I love that when you have a seat reservation, Irish Rail puts your name above the seat. There is no argument. "It's my seat!".

Bob Downie 5d ago

We are arrived in #Tralee #Ireland where we are going to stop for a few days. I am delighted to see that the tradition of smaller town Irish shops being more than one thing continues with vigour 🙂!

Jim Caball "himself" - selling bikes & garden machinery

Tralee Gas, Cycle & Nursery Supplies- selling bottled gas, bikes & prams.

This #Tralee pub looks promising. I could really do with using their drinking consultation services to improve my technique 😂.

Bob Downie 2d ago

We are now in County #Claire & have been walking in #TheBurren, an area of extensive #limestone pavement & karstification. I don't have enough superlatives! The scenery, the flora & geology are unique. I have been to many places but few tick even half as many boxes.

#Ireland #Geology #Karst

Bob Downie 2d ago

Walking in #TheBurren is like walking in a botanical sweety shop. Everywhere there are flowers, many common (& rarer) species but in their profusion and association with other types are a visual feast. #Orchids are particularly prominent & we saw many species, some I show in the pictures. #Ireland #Botany

Bob Downie 2d ago

We are actually staying in #Lisdoonvarna, a village famous for its Matchmaking Festival where traditionally people would come to find a marriage partner. The village/festival are celebrated by Christy Moore in his famous song. #Ireland
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4vA3Z2RDz20

Lisdoonvarna

YouTube

Bob Downie 2d ago

The matchmaking festival is also celebrated by one of the pubs which calls itself the Matchmaker Bar, with suitable painted decoration. Not at all over the top 😄. #Lisdoonvarna #Ireland

Bob Downie 2d ago

Passed by...?

@geomannie You don’t want to ask about flowing water….

@geomannie Nor the dying light…

Infoseepage 2d ago

@geomannie If you can, there is a really good dolmen called Poulnabrone and a number of ringforts in the area. There are also two interesting tower houses. Gleninagh is one of the best examples of an L plan tower in the country and Newtown castle is a pretty much 1-of-1 unique round tower house built around a very high pyramidal base.

Bob Downie 2d ago

@Infoseepage Thanks. We saw Poulnabrone yesterday. Absolutely fascinating. We are here one more day & will take in what we can.

Donald R Noble 2d ago

@geomannie wow, looks amazing, reminiscent of Harris, but in a completely different way

John Faithfull 🌍🇪🇺🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🧡✊🏻✊🏿2d ago

@drnoble @geomannie Burren is limestonetastic. It has no soil because the rocks 💯 dissolve. Harris does it the hard way - by having gnarly rocks. 🔥

Bob Downie 2d ago

@drnoble I see what you mean. Both are rock-dominated, largely soil-free areas but the underlying geologies are radically different giving rise to very different floras. Harris is dominated by acid loving & bog plants, in the Burren limestone lovers. Both are great.

It's closed now but the pub just across the street offers it's services as 'Spiritual Advisors' !