Waterville, Ireland

Good thing that I didn’t write what our plans were for today. We didn’t follow through but decided to follow the path of history. After a hearty breakfast with fresh smoked Irish Salmon, fried eggs, toast and bacon, we observed the weather. The sun was shining one moment, the next moment rain burst out of the clouds and the wind was howling. Who cares, we have rain gear and the glimpses of the sun gave us hope. We headed for Ceann Bhólais (Bolus Head). On the way there we stopped at the Augustinian Priory. People always wonder why I always say that Harsefeld is not my final living place, sometimes I even mention that I definitely will not be buried there. Today I know why. The priory and the graveyard are beautifully located overlooking Ballinskelligs Bay. Looking at the names I assume to be buried there I’ll have to marry an Irishman. Don’t know how I’ll get that accomplished but at the moment I plan to be here for more than a couple years, so maybe I’ll come up with abetted solution. We did some studying of the map and headed for Bolus Head. In the meantime we had another windy rain shower cascading over the car. We continued along until we were on the road to Cill Rialaig (Kildreelig). This used to be a little village which was deserted during the famine. Now it is an artists getaway. Peace and quiet and the chance to escape everyday life with all its interruptions. Maybe something to come back to in a few years. The signs on the door „Artist at work“ does make you want to tiptoe past the houses. We parked our car there and set off. On the map we read „Aireagal angus Leach chroise“. It looked like a burial ground but of Christian background. Since the heavens opened the floodgates at that moment, we found shelter in front of a stone slab. Tonight checking the translation, I found that we were quite right in our assumption. The translation is: oratory and cross slab. Along the way we were accompanied by several sheep. Correctly, they kept running away from us. At times it was quite funny to see them crushed against the road side as if we were a car passing by, only to turn and run off in the opposite direction once we passed. We continued on till we saw the signs for the Bolus Head Loop walk, we were on the wrong side as it later turned out, but according to the map there should be a standing stone row. We kept walking until we reached a few houses and decided to take a break and eat our sandwiches. Checking the map we were guessing which way to walk. We decided to climb over a fence and continue on uphill. On the way we saw the typical ladders that help walkers climb fences. To reach this we had to climb over another fence. We met some Americans and asked if they had seen any standing stones, duh, they had no idea what standing stones are so I gave them a quick lesson in Irish history. We continued up to the ruins of the barracks. We had to fight against the wind as there was a extremely gusty wind blowing into our faces. But we made it. In front of us another official ladder. We climbed up and sidestepped over to the ruins to find some shelter from the wind. We ate a small snack and enjoyed the view over to the Skelligs. All the time trying to figure out where the stone row might be. When. We climbed back over to walk over to the lookout point. When we decided to walk back to our car, we saw that we had trespassed by accessing the barracks. Oops. We headed back the way we came from and we freed of the extreme winds once we reached the east side of the mountain again. It started raining again, but just a bit from the back, so it wasn’t much of a problem. We enjoyed the scenery when the sun came out again and were surprised to find out that we had walked approximately 10 km. We were a bit disappointed that we didn’t find the standing stones. Sitting in the car we studied the map and tried to figure out which path we missed. We headed back home to change and freshen up as we wanted to eat dinner at Dooleys. Getting out of the car I felt every bone and muscle in my feet. Bodily total exhaustion. But a quick change of clothes and off we went, even though the bed was certainly beckoning me. I think I will have a very fitful sleep tonight. What an excellent choice of dinner. Karsten had a steak with a delicious sauce of onions and mushrooms, Eric had spaghetti and I had scallops. For dessert Eric had ice cream and Karsten and I shared some Eton Mess. At the moment we have both: the sun is shining over Eightercua and the rain is battering against the window. Lough Currane is covered by clouds, so that once again Church Island is hidden from view. Coming back from the restaurant I heard the song Thousand Years from Christina Perri. The refrain is quite fitting for what I feel when in Ireland. This island has been here and inhabited for several thousand years, the history is still alive and accessible. We just need to take the time to feel it come alive again. „I have died every day waiting for you Darling, don’t be afraid I have loved you For a thousand years I’ll love you for a thousand more“