Day 14 - Excursion to Inis Mor
Another morning full of the sounds of seagulls and street sweepers! Off today to Inis Mor, and after a night of good Craic many of the students are looking a little under the weather but all are present and accounted for so we are off! First we make our way to the Ferry which takes about an hour because we are not on a charter bus and this means that we make several stops along the way. At least this driver is quiet and a good pilot! No swiped mirrors on this trip.
Having been on ferries before, I know that I want to spend the trip outside and on the top deck so I head upstairs with about 1/2 of my fellow students. The only room left is standing near the rails...darn...such shame! (She says as she jumps up and down with happy joy joy!)
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| Obviously Distraught...poor thing. She hates it so! |
Cold would be the temperature description. But so incredibly beautiful and the air is so fresh it is like breathing the very first air ever created. Just so cool! Once we get to the Island I make the decision to hang out with Christine, Erica and our intrepid leader Barry. Barry has a plan that will lead us to the most interesting points of the island so we tag along. Could not have made a better choice as we saw more of the island than almost anyone else. It involved hiring a van to take us where we wanted to go rather than where the van usually goes on a pre-determined route.
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| View from the Van as we travel inland. |
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| Can you see the momma swan and her cygnets? |
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| Erica and Christine standing at the edge of a cliff...Christine is standing on a rock! | | |
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We stop first at Dun Aengus a fort situated at the edge of the island that is dated back to middle/late bronze age. It has good defensive characteristics as well as probable ceremonial/religious functions. There is a natural alter at the edge of the cliff and the walls are all triples in a 1/2 moon shape. Take a moment to google this place so you can see the aerial views. As we were going up to the fort we had to pause because the island search and rescue teams were performing an exercise.
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| Search and Rescue teams carrying down their exercise "victim"..watch those steps they are a doozy! |
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| The walls of the fort |
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| View from the interior fort and the edge of the cliffs |
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| Just ocean..cause I can |
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| Looking straight down from the edge of the cliff..maybe 200 feet? |
I could keep posting pictures but our time here is done. Time to move to our next destination and find the 7 churches. This means I leave the fort a tad earlier cause it is the only way to keep up with the Marathon Man as he runs down the hill. So far I am keeping up for the most part..again I am blessing the many trips up "A" mountain and my trainer Greg. Also helps that I have found a great blister band-aid and for the first time in 2 weeks my feet feel good!
We meet our van at the bottom of the hill and we are off to the 7 churches. This little plot of land that holds the ruins of 7 christian churches. Each church dedicated to a different saint surrounded by a grave yard that holds graves very old and some that are more recent. Including the remains of several Roman clerics from the 8th century.
After the 7 churches where Barry goes through batteries and available memory as he documents the architecture, icons and interesting grave markers including a great example of an early Celtic Cross we are off to the next site the Light House.
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| View from the top of the light house |
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| Example of a Portal Tomb |
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| Inside another fort and on an a platform or maybe an altar |
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After another hike up and down a steep hill we get back to the van and head back to the area where we will catch the ferry. We grab lunch, soup and great soda bread is the best kind of lunch! Catch the ferry/bus back to Galway. Everyone loved Inis Mor and is probably going to be the highlight for many on the trip! Even those who are not big on the out doors enjoyed the beautiful day on the island. I had the option of renting a bike and biking around the island. I say this for my biking friends, Sally, Peter and Mark. Decided that my first excursion on a bike in alot of years should not be on a hilly island on a bike with questionable brakes and crazy van drivers, and horse traps to boot! But definitely would consider bringing my own bike on the ferry and riding about...definitely one of the places I will be visiting again.
Next: Back to Athlone and I don't feel so good...
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