June 6th - Clifden to Boyle




Early today, we left Clifden. The B & B where we stayed had a magnificent view. We made a stop at Letterfrack pier, where an old rusty boat lay there mired in mud at the dock. Nearby, Dave found and contemplated a religious grotto dedicated to the Virgin Mary nestled on a hill above the water.

The day is nice and warm although the wind can be chilly. We've been in the van most of the day. It is rather incredible that we've sometimes become immune to these beautiful landscapes and ruins. I've talked with several in the group and all have shared the same feeling: the most valued moments are when one can feel the personal relationship with nature and the beauty of the Irish landscape. Everyone needs their own pace and individual time for this to occur.

Kylemore Abbey was he next stop: a beautiful fairy tale-like castle that created a perfect mirror reflection on the lake before it. It was built as a castle to be presented by a man to his wife. Now it is a used as a boarding school for girls run by a religious order.

We then drove for a couple of hours into the mid-section of Ireland, stoppingwhen we arrived at our night's lodging at the Abbey House B & B, a most elegeant home situated right next door to the 700-year old Cistercian Abbey ruins. We had a personal guided tour, followed by our time to make photographs. Geneva enjoyed the Abbey's unique contrasts between its Gothic and the Romanesque archways.

After the abbey we headed to what will remain in my memory as one of the most impressive sights I've ever seen. The Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cemetery is a 5,000-year old mountaintop collection of grave mounds, some of which can be entered to explore the inner chambers. It was an incredible feeling to sit within these rock chambers that have survived the test of time. Howard shot a QTVR (virtual reality) movie of all of us inside one of the tombs.

Everything about Ireland still makes strong impressions for me. Ireland is a beautiful, romantic country filled with mystery and passion.

The Drumanane Portal Tomb was the last site for today. Although it was brief, I really enjoyed walking past the railroad tracks and photographing this dolmen knowing that it was erected by people in the late Stone Age. If we were all locals, we would probably never notice all these small details of the landscape. Still, the Irish know these wonders are part of their country and their pride for them remains intact and sacred with them.

Tomorrow we return to Dublin. I am going to miss this group. Although we are so different, we bonded while sharing some good times and rough times throughout this trip. If I had the chance, I would do it all again. I know many of us would.

Jorge Santiago


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