Marble Arch Caves, Bundoran, Northern Ireland

Day 6

We managed to get up at a reasonable hour as the four of us were planning a visit to the Marble Arch Caves just outside of Enniskillen about 2 hours drive from Eamon's house. The caves fantastic. They were well lit with many interesting and otherworldly formations. There's something strange and compelling about actually being deep within the earth.

It was late afternoon by the time we emerged form the caves. Eamon thought our next destination should be the seaside town of Bundoran, where we could watch the sunset from the mighty cliffs that over look the Atlantic ocean. Stepping out of the car we first caught glimpse of this immense panorama of wind, water, beach and surf. A really remarkable view. Eamon took us down a path that led across the “Fairy Bridges,” and over to the famous Wishing Seat. From this magnificent perch we contemplated and vagueries of life and hoped for universal enlightenment for all.

We finished the evening off with a wonderful dinner at Patricia's restaurant, a neat little establishment situated on the main street overlooking the ocean. The only drawback was the long drive back to Eamon's which we didn't achieve until well after midnight. Fortunately, as the sun doesn't truly set here until after 11 pm, the ride was not completely unproductive as we were able to see cottages in some of the smaller villages with thatched roofs as well as the numerous stone walls that make the Irish countryside so appealing.