The area around Clifden is extremely scenic. We started our day with a drive around the Sky Road, which went out onto a long peninsula. A little further north was another peninsula, with a ring drive around the town of Claddaghduff. There were views to Omey Island and Inishbofin.

We drove down to the fishing village of Roundstone. The traditional boats, which are still in use, are called currachs (curraghs). The ones with sails are hookers. Tom didn't find any old fishing tackle.

Tom continued his quest for an Irish musical instrument to add to his collection of exotic noise makers. He liked what he saw at a music shop in Roundstone. There were lots of signs saying not to take any pictures, but Sue apparently didn't see them. She got scolded by the proprietor.

The Roundstone bog is famous for the amount of peat it produces. We saw a few peat-harvesting operations in the distance, and lots of peat piles next to houses. A couple of the B&Bs where we stayed were burning peat in their fireplaces. So were some of the pubs

Tom found a bodrhán (Irish

drum) that suited his needs.

Outside of a few big cities, Ireland remains a fairly rural country. This was evident by the numerous farm animals wandering along the highways and byways. The sheep were marked with their owners' colors with what we assumed was some type of indelible dye. The cows just looked at us balefully. Surprisingly, for the amount of pork that was offered on Irish menus, we didn't see a single pig.

We were amused to see that, instead of Greyhound buses, the Irish buses had Irish setters.

A planned trip to Connemara National Park was thwarted when we found that the visitor center was closed. We walked around the park a little, hoping for a glimpse of the famous ponies.

Sue's childhood love of horses dictated that we would embark on a quest to see the fabled steeds. We finally found one in front of a ruined castle.

Every day brought a little sunshine and a little rain. After a soggy afternoon, we were happy to snuggle up in the sumptuous coverlets at the guesthouse.