"Into the West: Galway and the Aran Islands" by Cari Wieland

I have had the absolutely soggiest day of my life.  So basically, this week (on Wednesday) we left Dublin for Galway which is on the west coast of Ireland.  Galway is still pretty much a city, though small and touristy, it's very cute and has all the creature comforts within walking distance.

The West of Ireland- fields, green and sheep.

Dublin to Galway: Kunze makes the wait in the bus queue a bit more musical.

Cards- always a good idea.  

Gwen Kingston and Theresa Nguyen stay friends despite being bitter card rivals.  :) 

Betty Lin and Genea Whitman warm Charlotte's heart by using their wait to do their homework!

Maryam Bordbari, Rosa Navarette, and Hamilton Guillen remain all smiles even in a bus queue!

Today we left Galway for Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands off the west coast.  We took an hour-ish bus ride from Galway and then an hour-ish ferry ride across the choppy but gorgeously grey Atlantic.  The ferry was phenomenal since I don't get seasick!  I thought it was great but some people were looking a little green.  The ferry had lots of seats below deck, but I spent most of the ride on the back deck, huddled in my hoodie, working on getting my sea legs and staring at nothing but water all around us.  I heart the sea!!!

We disembarked the ferry into absolutely pouring rain and driving winds like you can only get on an island (or in Suisun).  We were looking at a mile-ish walk uphill to our hostel with all of our luggage in tow.  Half of us (not me, alas) ended up on a very nice tourist-y van that offered to take the passengers up the hill.  Our teacher approached another van to see if he would take the other half of us and he refused because we weren't taking his tour of the island.  (To be fair, these were specifically tour vans that make laps around the island and give info to the tourists, but it would have been, a) very nice and, b) approximately five minutes out of his life, for which we would gladly have paid him.)  As he declined this proposition, we soldiered up and set out on already soggy feet for our hostel.

The walk felt like it took forever, though time does have a funny way of stretching out when one is growing wetter by the minute, trying to juggle an umbrella, a backpack, a purse, and a reusable grocery bag full of toiletries uphill, on a narrow road, in a torrential downpour.

We did eventually make it to the hostel and were greeted by a round of applause from the bus riders.  (Not fair! They were warm and dry, though had I been quicker on the draw, you bet your sweet bippy I would've been on that bus too.)

After we got settled and dried off, we promptly set off again for our next adventure, a bus tour around the island (hopefully not driven by the punk who refused us down at the bottom of the hill!).  The first stop was the Seven Churches (Na Seacht dTeampaill) and then up to a super old ring fort, Dun Aonghasa, at the top of some of the most breathtaking cliffs in the world.  There was a significant walk involved in getting up to the fort, but the view was AMAZING, and that doesn't even begin to cover it, really.  The ring fort is made all out of stones, like most everything else in Ireland.  It's incredible how long it lasts considering how low tech it is.  And you could go right up to the cliffs' edge and it was nothing but a sheer granite drop into the sea, soooo far down. This fort is called the "last parish before New York."  

Seven Churches

Near some of the older graves.

Samanta Cubias, Theresa Nguyen, Genea Whitman, Maryam Bordbari,
Betty Lin, Megan Sweeney and Devon Roe. 

Our first stop was when we tramped around a graveyard at a spot called Seven Churches which were put up in the 8th century by some Romans who came over and set up camp.  Their graves, plus that of Thomas the Abbot were all in one corner of the graveyard, gravestones and all.  They had crosses and Celtic knots carved into them, though they're barely discernible after so much time in the harsh weather.  But graves from the EIGHTH CENTURY and people actually still know who they belong to!!!  The history here is incredible, it just make you speechless.  

So we were all wet to begin with, but after frolicking around at the top of Dun Aonghasa, we were soaked to the bone.  The wind up there was so strong the rain stung like hail, and people were literally being pushed around by it.  You could truly lean into it and be held up for a moment.  It was bizarre and terrifying because there were no guard rails or anything at the top of the cliff, and the granite we were standing on was slick with the ever-present rain.  

Gwen Kingston and Michael Kunze reenact Titanic. 

Charlotte and Lura survived, and relax for a minute in their quest
to insure they don't lose any students over the edge of the cliff. 

Damon Schoeffler takes on the wind.

The gang keeps each other literally grounded!!!

Almost blown away!

My feet were thoroughly soaked but I had my eyes on a pair of handmade woolen socks down at the gift shop.  I bought them when we made it back down and imagined the moment when I could get out of my sopping boots and into those amazing socks.

I've just put them on, and let me tell you, they're life-changing and I feel good about supporting the local economy.  Now quite tucked in at the hostel, and looking forward to our buffet dinner tonight!

Charlotte and Lura with her husband Daryl Brock at our fabulous buffet dinner.

Bernadette Bascom, Maryam Bordbari, Joaquin Ticonderoga, and Jade Laity.

Samanta, Cari (the author), Ashley McLaughlin, Megan, Michael and Lura's daughter, Phoebe.

 Our three course meal started with a gloriously warm soup and bread and then an array of main courses with plentiful vegetarian options before a fabulous ice cream desert with tea and coffee, naturally.

A perfect end to a wet and life changing day!