Farewell Emerald Isle

Well I'm officially leaving Ireland. I can't believe how fast it's gone. I feel like I've seen so much and yet I could spend so much more time exploring Ireland. I must come back and finish seeing Ireland. But as for now, the three musketeers sit on the ferry back to England for the night. 

After the cemetery this morning, we continued heading north. As I mentioned, our destination was The Giant's Causeway. However, before we went there we stopped in Derry, or Londonderry depending on who you ask. 

I didn't know a lot about the history about Northern Ireland. Honestly, I probably still don't. I'd read briefly about the struggle and riots between the Irish and the British. I need to study up on the history of Derry. I'd recommend for you to as well! However, the recent history is literally written on the walls in Derry. We didn't spend much time there. Just a quick walk down the street with the murals on the wall. In the square, where Bloody Sunday occurred, monuments are erected for the dead and wounded rioters. (Florian corrected my writing here saying, "They don't like the word 'riot' because the whole point was that it was peaceful. Again, I need to study up on this subject.) In the center stands a part of a house that use to be part of the city wall. There is a main writing that stays: "You are now entering free Derry." But at the bottom, artists are allowed to make political drawings. If you look closely, you can see the layers of paint. As I said, we didn't spend a lot of time there, but it was clear how fresh the history is. The uprising were as recent as the seventies. That's not that long ago. Bulletholes literally still line the walls. The wounded still walk the street. Saying the wrong phrases in the wrong parts can get you in a tough situation. I wish we had spent more time because I know I would have loved to learn more. Just added to my list of "To-Do" on my return to Ireland. 

As much as I would have loved to have stayed, I'm glad we kept going because our next stop was quite possibly my favorite stop in Ireland: the Giant's Causeway. I guess I need to preface by saying today was stormy and cold. I'm talking snow blowing horizontal across foggy dark skies. It was a good day to be in the car. When we got the the Causeway, luckily it wasn't snowing anymore. But the wind was still incredibly strong and the ocean spoke of a day of stormy skies. We parked the car and began the ten minute walk towards the Giant's Causeway. The Causeway is a natural rock formation that puzzled the ancients. It looks so perfectly put together they thought that giants had created it. Rocks snuggly aline so that they make a walk way towards the ocean. It is most miraculous to see. But what really topped off the scenery was how the ocean was acting. The stormy day meant that the waves were cresting at about 25 feet. They splashed to the top of the cliffs. White sea foam swirled in the sky outlined by dark clouds. It was incredible. 

As we walked back, we detoured to the top of a cliff that overlooked the stormy sea. Water splashed us in the face as the wind howled through our hair. The comfy grass invited us -or at least me- to run full speed down the hills. I sat on the edge of the hilltop watching the sun desperately peek through the dark clouds. I wish I could say it healed any pain in my heart. I wish I could say it gave me some life realization. But it didn't. It just gave me enough peace for a moment to regain my footing. It gave me enough peace for a moment to laugh running through the grass. It gave me enough serenity to breathe deeply the bitterly cold air and love the moment I was in. Nothing more, nothing less. Just enough clairity to love everything in that moment. It was stupendous. Well done Ireland, well done. 

Till next time, cheers Ireland! 

Wherever You Go, There You Are

When I got the idea to write a blog, some important advice I got was to be honest. Not everyday is going to be happy and amazing. Because, as Confucious said, no matter where you go, there you are. I think we all try to believe we can run away from love, heartbreak, or loss. But you can't. Especially in a world of easy communication, it will be with you. So without to much detail, my blog from yesterday is a bit delayed because I wasn't in a good enough mindset to write anything yesterday. I'll write again tonight about today. And despite it being a very neat day yesterday, it may be a hint tainted. There is my official disclaimer. 

Yesterday we woke in Dublin in our gorgeous hotel room. Stef commented wondering when our hotel stopped serving breakfast. I went and checked. We had ten minutes. You could say it was a bit of a lazy morning. But we had a splendid breakfast to begin our day. Then we walked Dublin's streets for a bit. 

Florian had recommended we go to the Leprechaun Museum. To be honest, I was not expecting much. But it completely destroyed my expectations. If you are ever in Dublin, you must go here. It is a spectacular experience. It is a guided tour. The lady began the tour telling us about Ireland's stories are an important part of their traditions. She gave us some background on leprechauns. She explained how they went from a nice friendly creature in normal clothes to a green little monster. 

After her introduction, the tour went into the Giant's Room. They had a room created as if we were leprechauns in a humans room. Highly entertaining to say the least. 

The next stop was a room with a quick video about the legend of leprechauns. It was projected downward onto a 3-D map of Ireland. It was only a couple minutes to catch us up on the "history." It started with, "Our story is true mixed with legend." And probably, so was the whole tour. 

We walked through the next door into a darkened room. It sounded as though rain was heavily falling on the roof. Our tour leader explained that the room was set up to look like an old cottage. The reason it was is because in the past stories were told by a storyteller who would travel around Ireland. People from certain areas would gather in one house to hear the stories. It was most likely dark because no one would waste precious winter daylight hours. The rain was most likely a given. The storyteller would not have a book or props. He would have his words. Sparking the imagination of his listeners was his greatest trick. She explained Irish stories are fun, but often dark. That's what made leprechauns so loved. They brought a lighter mood to the story. But these stories would mean his listeners then would walk, in the dark, back home with their imaginations flaring. Coming from a girl who lives in the woods, imagination can make a dark walk through the trees seem terrible. 

As everyone knows, leprechauns keep their gold at the end of rainbows. The tour leader explained how wise that was in Ireland. There is never a shortage of rainbows. To get to the museum's pot of gold, we had to go through the "rainbow." They had hung strings from the ceiling in the appropriate ROYGBIF order. You walked through the rainbow that engulfed you. I did my best to take pictures, but you can imagine how difficult that was to complete. At the end, sure enough, was a pot of gold! 

The last room was set up as a well in the evening, with the moon shining on it. There were stumps around the well. We all sat and enjoyed the woman tell us stories of ancient fairies, magic, and legends. She asked if anyone was born in Ireland. One young lady raised her hand. After a brief exchange about where the young lady was from, the leader excitedly said, "There are a lot of Fairy Forests there! Do you ever go in?" The young lady immediately responded, "Of course not. They are to scary." I was expecting some sarcasm but found none. I later asked Florian if they really believe in this stuff. He said they take Folklore very seriously. 

We had to enter back into the "human world." Through a tunnel, we went back outside where they had spots to take pictures, a gift shop, and a spot to leave remarks on the museum. 

We hopped into the car for a quick drive out of the city. We were headed to a cemetery that dates back to the 6th century. It was unbelievable. Some tomb stones just had names and dates, while some had entire stories. But what really got me was how entire families were buried together. One plot had 8 people there. I watched the sunset on the hills behind the tombs. I thought about how life can be. You put names on a tomb stone to make it forever remembered who you are and where you are. Yet in the end you are just another stone in a graveyard. I made this comment to Florian. He said, "Yeah, but that's how life can be viewed now. Or you can think of how, as you when you're alive, the people who love you know where you are, who you are, and that you are much more than just another face or stone." So I walked through the cemetery again. This time I looked at the flowers, the loving poems, the old woman standing in the bitter cold to visit someone, and saw a different story. And for some reason one of my favorite verses of poetry ran through my mind:

 

"Oh stand, stand at the window

As the tears scald and start.

You shall love your crooked neighbor

With your crooked heart." 

It may appear we are crooked and disparing. It may appear we are just another face. But loving our crooked neighbor, with our crooked heart, can open a door to many things including moments turning to memories.

The evening ended with Thai food for dinner and banana splits from a cafe. I'd like to officially say God bless my cousins for letting me be an emotional mess yesterday and quickly getting me ice cream. They were beyond patient and loving. Amazing. 

As I write, we are driving to Giant's Causeway. We stopped at a cemetery this morning from the 5th century. The snow glistened in the sun. It made for some good pictures and even better end for this post today. 

Breaking Waves

I'm writing in wet jeans and four jackets. I think I fully experienced an Irish winter today. As we drive towards Dublin, I'm excitedly looking forward to some warm PJ's and snuggly blankets! 

We awoke to a rainy overcast day. We had to be out of our parking spot by 9:30 or pay for parking. None of our normal lazy mornings today! Probably honestly good for us to have some days like that. After breakfast, we headed out. 

Our plan was to go to the Cliffs of Moher. Provided it wasn't to foggy, hopefully the sights would be wonderful. We worked our way towards the cliffs. With some stops at little gift shops on the way, we arrived. The sun hadn't come out, which meant the normal winds off the Cliffs were bitterly cold. We climbed the steps to the viewing platform. Black rock cliffs cut sharply into the sparkling blue water. The crashing waves shot up the walls, turning white on impact. Florian and I noted how the waves don't look that big until they hit the wall. Then BOOM! They shoot up the wall. Seagulls circled overhead and investigated the tourists sightseeing. A stone castle sits on a platform. You can pay to go inside for a better view. I stayed below and still got some great pictures- even a panorama! 

Trails line the cliff edges. There are dirt trails that are close to the edge and pavement that are far enough away to feel comfortable. Of course Florian and I had to get as close as we could. He went a bit farther than me, even going off the trail. I thought of my mom and how she would be freaked out if she saw where I was, let alone going farther down. At least that is my excuse. So I took pictures of Florian venturing downwards. See his little red hat? Yeah, vertical drop beneath him as he stands on wet grass. No big deal... 

He came back up and I asked for a picture. He ran back and forth on the trails looking for the best angle as I stood there grinning. How wonderful it is to have my personal photographer! Sure enough, he got awesome pictures. Another "Find Becca" adventure for you! 

We walked through the visitor center at the cliffs. They had a virtual tour of the cliffs, gift shops, and history on the cliffs. But we finally loaded up the car to head off. More or less, we were headed to Dublin. As we drove, Florian took us to a "Mini Stonehedge" as he described it. Sure enough, when we arrived, a rock formation greeted us. The sign said in ancient times it was a burial sight. Archeologists estimate 33 people were buried there. But the amazing part is the top stone is about 1.5 tons. To think that was moved back then is astounding! For me however, the rocks beneath were the cool part. No man had done that. The rocks were laid in a unique beautiful chaotic pattern. Deep crevasses broke the rocks apart. It was really a neat experience to see. 

As we continued our drive, the rain grew more intense and the fog settled in. As we drove we would continually see castle ruins. The fog denied me most pictures. But I finally accepted the fog as a "picturesque" aspect. 

Our next stop was some more cliffs. These were not a tourist stop. This was a Florian Tours stop. We stepped out of the car and were greeted by horizontal rain, wind that made standing upright hard for me, and the sound of the ocean. We walked across wet grass and muddy patches to the edge of these cliffs. The waves roared against the walls. I accepted I was going to be soaked by the time I left no matter what so I might as well enjoy it and spend some time watching the water. I scampered to the edge and watched the waves. It was worth every second of my freezing. Besides, cold just builds character right?

Afterwards, we decided we were a bit hungry and cold. Okay, we were a lot hungry and cold. We began to look for a restaurant. As we drove past little town after little town, we discovered apparently restaurants don't like being open on Tuesday's. We gave up looking and just headed for Galway. We had a warm delicious dinner to end a cold, yet majestic views, of a day. 

As aforementioned, we are now driving to Dublin. Tomorrow we will explore Dublin and then... Who knows! The adventure continues! 

The Rings of Ireland

Sometimes I struggle writing these because I don't know how to make a semi uneventful day seem exciting. Sometimes I struggle because I don't know how to put amazing thing into words when pictures don't do it justice. Today, the unexpected intersection of these struggles have met. 

The morning began quietly. Stef wanted to work on some writings and Florian wasn't hungry. So I enjoyed a quiet breakfast looking at the sunrise awaken the green hills. It was pretty much the ultimate peaceful morning. 

When the boys rallied, we headed to the car. Our plan for the day was to drive the Ring of Kerry. This is a coastal road along the southwest edge of Ireland. While beautiful and amazing, hard to write stories about. 

Florian predicted it would take us a while considering how Stef and I view scenery. Sure enough the squeals of excitement constantly urged Florian to pull over. One side of the car had water lapping at cliffs and beaches. The other side showed sheep and stone walls decorating the hillsides. The stone walls were the fencing for the farms. They weren't quite effective any more. But back in the day, farmers would take rocks from their land and use it to make a fence. Time has eroded them and it is now a useless defense against sheep. Which means we got some visitors on our drive. 

(That's not blood. It's paint for finding your sheep.)

We also saw wild horses. Or so we thought. Tonight while reading the news, we discovered the drastic increase of horses being released into the wild because the can't be financially supported anymore. Or instead of paying for a vet bill, owners will just release the sick horse to the wild to let nature take its course. We watched the horses for a bit. I saw one horse had a lame foot and was barely moving. Being a bit of an emotional horse person right now, I made Florian continue on. A sad situation to say the least. 

As we drove along, Stef and I would ask Florian to stop often. Florian would oblige- even if it meant stopping for seconds in the middle of the road so we could get the shot. We would find beaches, run around for a bit, then keep driving till we found another cool spot. We even found a castle ruin named McCarthy Castle! 

As the road continued, we passed a small sign that said "Holy Well." I excited exclaimed "Holy Well!" Florian sternly told me to watch my mouth. Once I explained, Stef told Florian to turn around. We parked and walked down the narrow path. We had no idea what we would find! What could it be? Little signs led us down the muddy path, through the green dense forest. I enjoyed the forest most of all because as we arrived at the "Holy Well" I was a bit disappointed. It was a little tiny spring of water. Around it people had hung pictures of deceased loved ones. People had also hung any personal items from hairbands to masks to necklaces. I'm not sure what the idea was behind it. I searched online for information on it but found none. If anyone knows anything about this concept, I'd love to know! But as for then, I enjoyed the picturesque walk through the forest. 

We continued our drive. The sunset was nonexistent as the clouds had set in over the ocean. The three musketeers settled into the hotel room in Tralee. I went downstairs to the pub to enjoy a Guiness as the boys worked upstairs. I talked with the bartender for a while. He is a born and raised Irish. He advised on jet lag, storms in Ireland, and best times to visit what. A great conversation to end a great  day!