We had another early departure this morning.  Our first stop was at a marble workshop.  The marble in Ireland comes in shades of green (how stereotypical) and black.  There was this beautiful red marble as well, but the supply of it is running out.  It was really interesting to hear about the different types of marble, particularly the black marble.  The black marble had fossils in it from shells, fish bones, and such things.  It really made it unique.  Ireland marble is also unique in how hard it is.  It can be sliced really thin and no two slabs of marble are alike.   Marble in the past had been used to decorate castles, government buildings, and other stately structures, but now it is mostly used for jewelry because supply is running low.

            I’m watching my pennies and didn’t buy any jewelry, and clambered back on the bus.  Our next point of interest was the cliffs of Moher.  These cliffs are really beyond words.  There is something so thrilling about walking along the edge of them and seeing the drop of over six hundred feet.  The cliffs of Ireland are definitely the most beautiful things I’ve seen here.  I absolutely love them.  Iowa really doesn’t have anything that compares with that!

            After the amazing cliffs we made our way to Bunratty, where we checked into the nicest hotel ever!  I wish we were staying there more than one night.  It has a spectacular gym, pool, spa, and rooms.  I could spend days in the hotel and not be bored.  However, we have more exciting things to do this evening then lounge about in the hotel!  We got to go to a medieval dinner show later that evening.  Unlike Medieval Times, this was held in an actual castle.  We were greeted by the butler and he showed us inside.  Once inside, the ladies of the castles served us mead- a honey wine.  Mead was a popular drink for newly wed couples because it was thought to increase fertility and virility.  While we enjoyed our mead, we listened to the musical talents of the castle.  After all the guests had arrived, we were shown into the dinning hall where we were served a delicious medieval dinner.  Each dish had to be approved by the lord of the house before it was served, as custom for the times.  After the dinner we enjoyed entertainment typical for that era, including singing and the harp.  It was all very delightful.