Day Two: Aran Islands

"If you ever go across the sea to Ireland,

Then maybe at the closing of your day,

You can sit and watch the moonrise over Claddagh,

And see the sun go down on Galway Bay"

September 13, Ennis, Ireland

Another fantastic day, but I’m exhausted. I can barely write! Oh, my wee legs hurt. So today we started with looking at some lovely countryside. Everything is so beautiful, it seriously make me want to cry. Even the cows are beautiful.

We first stopped for a quick look at Saint Bridget’s Well. It was lovely. Our coach driver told us the story of Saint Bridget’s cloak. Saint Bridget, who travelled all of Ireland in her missionary work, asked the local county official for a bit of land, but the greedy man refused it to her. She begged him for any amount of land, but he was stubborn and unfeeling. Humbly, she asked him for merely a piece of land large enough to spread her cloak over. The man shrewdly agreed to give it to her, and told her to lay down her cloak. This she did, and before the man could say another word, her meager cloak spread to cover the entire county. The man kept his bargain to Saint Bridget, and so the county was under her watch and care, which it may still be today.

The next place we stopped at: the Aran Islands, which, in my opinion, are the most beautiful places on earth. So gorgeous. We went on a ferry to Inis-mor, the largest of the Islands. The ferry ride was so beautiful. The weather was cloudy at first, so the sea was black, black, black. Then the sun hit it, and I couldn’t believe how blue and clear the water was! We saw tons of jellyfish. It was just beautiful, with the wind in my face and everything so gorgeous. We spent the day on the island, which is the perfect place (except maybe Scotland). We biked all ‘round the isle, which KILLED, I hurt so badly! But it was worth it. Wonderful discoveries to be made everywhere, things to look at, seals, and, of course, the sacred donkeys (we almost had a biking accident at that one). Being silly American tourists, we kept cycling on the wrong side of the road, making it terrifying when cars or horse carriages came through. The roads are tiny, and they weren’t going to stop for us! We stopped in the little sweater markets, and the sweaters were beautiful, some of them hand-knitted. I got lost for a little while after the shops, but I found Brother Merrill, who told me the others had all gone up to the fort without me. “It’s just a little hike up there, you’ll catch up with them in no time.” Hah! Did Brother Merrill realize I had been biking around an entire island? When I saw the fort way up at the top of a hill overlooking the ocean, I almost cried. But I made it, and got to look down the enormous cliffs. It was stunning! We were so tired, but we had to bike all the way back. The scenery was spectacular, I can’t even describe it. When we got back to the bike rental place, the kind gent who ran it gave us some water bottle refills from his hose around back—“Don’t worry, ‘t won’t kill you.”

We rode the ferry back and then saw the cliffs of Moher (a.k.a cliffs of Insanity). Oh! It was breathtaking. Most beautiful place on earth. We saw a wedding going on at the cliffs, which just added to the magic of everything.

Tonight I got a microwave steak and kidney pie, which was… interesting.

The best part of the day was when we sang “Nearer, My God, To Thee” on the coach. The spirit on the coach was so strong, we all were in tears. There was no way you could mistake it. It’s amazing the peace that music and the gospel can bring.

Goodnight from Ennis!

P.S.: From my window right now I can hear Irish voices singing pub songs across the way.

Ireland, Day One: Ennis

 Excerpts from the travel journal:

September 12, Somewhere over Newfoundland
I'm finally on the plane to Dublin City! The flight to Chicago was super bumpy and kind of terrifying. I'm on a different line now, and it is fantastic. As an American, I'm in heaven because of the accents. I have this crazy hope that when we get to heaven, this is how we will all speak. We're flying over Newfoundland, and the view is gorgeous. It's amazing; here we are soaring through the clouds. I am so blessed. I love this!

 September 12, Ennis, Ireland
We made it! That was the longest, most rigorous 32 hours of my life. It has been amazing, though! I only wish I had been awake enough to enjoy it. We've done so much already! We were the first group to leave for Dublin, and we were so excited to be the first to set first there. Oh! It's so beautiful. The people are amazing. The air is fresher than I've ever felt. It hits you, the moment you step on Irish ground, and you feel healthy! My group landed in Dublin 5 hours before everyone else, so we had to wait in the baggage claim area until the next plane arrived. We were so tired and punchy! Our lifesaver: An Irish vending machine (Note: Hazelnut "Buenos" are AMAZING!). When everyone finally made it to Dublin, we left with our amazing coach driver for Ennis. We were so tired. I this is the longest I've ever stayed awake- 32 hours. 

Ireland is magical. I can't even explain how beautiful it is. Pictures can never, ever do it justice.

We all fell asleep on the bus, unfortunately, right as our driver was trying to relay important information to us. He looked back, and was grinning about it. We all woke up to him saying, "And your ALL sleeping!"

One of our first glimpses of Ireland-- a hurling field. How appropriate! 

 Our first stop was Malahide Castle, just outside of Dublin. It was beautiful! My favorite was the Oak Room. When you walked in, you just felt how OLD it really is. I loved the carvings everywhere; Adam and Eve, and the Annunciation (famous for disappearing and then reappearing during various time periods), in particular, were amazing. The tour guide told us that the Oak Room was used during Saxon times, and would have had mats on the floor made of different vegetation. Insects and small animals made nests in the mats, hence the term "moving floor" when describing floors from the era.

 Malahide castle is, of course, famous for its ghosts, and we heard plenty of frightening tales. But you can't help loving the atmosphere and the sense of importance the castle brings. I loved the dining room, featuring the huge "Battle of the Boyne" painting.

 We hear so many wonderful stories. What I love most about the Irish people is their love for their country. Each story about Ireland's history is told as if it was the individual's personal history, because it is. They are Ireland. I've never seen a people so unified and grateful. Their love for their own land is inspiring.

 We're staying the night in Ennis, County Clare. I LOVE COUNTY CLARE!!! Ennis is so pretty.

I won't even say how long it took us to figure out what this meant. "Maybe it means the toilets are this way..."

 We were exploring tonight, when we came across this church. We were peeking inside, when the priest kindly let us in and began answering questions for us. He told us some of the history of the church, as well as County Clare's history. He was so kind to us-- he even gave us a wonderful book explaining the importance of the church building in County Clare's history. What an adventure we've had already! I've been learning to work by the spirit.

 Goodnight from Ireland!