Back from the island paradise

Well, not exactly a paradise. We had gale force winds the first night we were there, but I haven't gotten to that point in the story yet. On Friday, we went to the Cliffs of Moher; I've never seen such wonderful natural beauty. The view was breathtaking, as was the drop to the ocean below. I don't have my cord with me, so I can't upload my new pictures, but they are pretty fantastic. After that, we drove through the Burren, a national park with lots of rocks and protected plant species. We stayed there for a little over an hour to have a chance to sketch a bit; I'd forgotten how hard rocks are for me to draw! That night, we went to Galway City, where I met my Nana's cousin Anto and his wife Mary. They were both wonderful, and I also met their daughter Alva and her son, who were in town for the night. He's 4 1/2, and I have to say, it really made me miss Jack. It was so much fun to be able to meet them and spend time at their home.

On Saturday morning, we got up and caught a ferry over to the biggest of the Aran Islands, Inishmore. The ferry ride over was quite choppy and I've discovered that I get seasick. I didn't actually get sick, but Amanda Beasley is right, standing outside makes it more like an amusement park ride and much less terrifying. We spent the day exploring around the island and I bought my last present, plus something for me (that I then lost and found...it was a long story.). We ate dinner in, then journaled & worked on drawing/drank tea.

Yesterday, we climbed up to Dun Aengus, one of the ring forts on the island. It also has a large drop off the edge, about 300 feet. James wouldn't let any of us get TOO close, but I did get some good pictures. Most of us went back to the B&B afterwards, because we were very cold, but James, Susy, and Amanda did some more exploring. The power was out on the island last night and we were supposed to have a group dinner, so 20 minutes before it closed, we literally sprinted down to the one supermarket and all got to pick out dinner food. We had a ridiculously full cart, but we were trying to feed 15 people, so I suppose that's to be expected.

This morning, we got up and left really early; it was much calmer, so the ferry ride wasn't as bad, but I did stay outside just to be on the safe side. We met Liam, our driver, and spent the day exploring Boyle Abbey and climbing way up to Carrickkill (sp?) to view the passage tombs. I'm finding more and more that these hikes seem impossible as we're doing them, but end up being totally worth it because of the view from the top. We're in a hostel in Sligo tonight, then spending the day at Glenveagh and on to Derry, in Northern Ireland, in the evening. We're reaching the end of our adventure, but it doesn't seem like it. While I am very ready to see my family (and a little tired of traveling in a bus), this trip has helped me to grow in ways I never thought I could or would. I hope all of these changes are positive, and I think they are, but I suppose I'll have to wait to get home to really know.