250,000 years ago the sea receded 600 feet below where it is now, making a continuous strip of land from Africa to Ireland's far west. And what made it nice was that the climate was warm and dry. Eventually, a glacial period broke Europe into islands with high sea levels and cold weather.

Suellen Ocean is the author of The Celtic Prince and The Lies of the Lion available at Amazon, B&N and Ocean-Hose.