The Burren

Planning a trip to a new place is always a challenge. You do your research, make good guesses about what you will like to do and see versus what to skip, and plan your itinerary. Then you take the trip and realize what you will change if you come back again.

We will spend more time here, in this region known as the Burren. And, if possible, I will splurge for more nights and come back to Gregans Castle hotel again.

I chose to stay here for our "splurge night" instead of Ashford Castle, where we did the Hawk Walk. The castle was insanely expensive and seemed to be created to target Americans. This hotel is not cheap, but seemed like it might be a nice destination.

Ummm, yes. The food was incredible and the restaurant was closed the night we were there! We were forced (hah!) to eat smoked salmon and leak risotto with a poached egg in its bar, a perfectly comfortable place (prior to cocktails in the drawing room). The horror!

The Burren is so stark and such an interesting a location I could see coming back to walk and explore more. And I say that despite the high stone walls and its very narrow roads, which made driving a challenge.