At long last, I am finally writing my last post from this summer's trip! Here goes . . .Our 36th bus ride of the trip (slightly kidding) was from Dublin across the middle of Ireland to Galway, which is on the western coast. Galway is in a region of Ireland that speaks Gaelic on a regular basis - and in general, I found throughout our stay in Ireland that Gaelic is much more prevalent than I had expected, whether it be in conversations we overheard, road signs, etc. This first picture was one I took from the bus, and it captures so perfectly the many villages we passed through: a quaint local pub complete with flower boxes, cars in the lot, and kegs outside ;)
The Aran Islands are located in Galway Bay (a 45 minute bus ride + a half hour ferry ride from Galway). A number of people have asked why we included these islands on our trip, and the answer is easy: several friends who had traveled to Ireland had highly recommended it! Their comments about the beauty of the islands were convincing to me - and certainly proved to be more than true.
Three islands actually make up the Aran Islands; we visited the largest and most populated/developed, which is called Inis Mor. There are several options for getting around the island: bicycles, horse-drawn carriage, electric bikes, or tour vans. We opted for bikes (the non-electric kind!) . . . which would have been a great choice since the day was gorgeous IF the gears on the bikes had actually been functional :| So we walked up the hills & rode down them . . . and stopped many times along the way in attempts to capture with our cameras the stark beauty of the water, sky, stones, and land around us.
The most well-known part of Inis Mor is Dun Aonghasa, a prehistoric stone fort thought to have been built in the second century BC. Yes, you read that right: BC. As in Before Christ. A long time ago. When I think about how old much of what we saw was, I almost can't get my mind around it! The fort is built in concentric circles on the edge of rock cliffs, a sheer drop down into the ocean only steps away. (Slightly scary for someone who doesn't love heights!) It was beautiful, majestic, and serene all at the same time. I can't help but think: What must God be like to create something so breathtaking?!
I highly recommend visiting the Aran Islands when in Ireland - and think it would be worthwhile to stay on the island for a night. If I go again, I would love to do just that!
The view from the fort (Dun Aonghasa) looking east . . . if it had been clearer in the distance, you supposedly can see the Cliffs of Moher
A home on the island with the Connemara Mountains in the background across the bay
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