Vote Me Off This Island

Well, yesterday, the sun was shining again! I had breakfast and watched for the morning ferry to arrive and then bounced down to the road to join a tour. Managed to get in with three others with a good guide. We saw a couple of old churches, the coast, and the main attraction, Dun Aengus, a big multi-wall ring fort. I think I read it’s roughly 4k years old but don’t hold me to numbers. There are a variety of beliefs about why it was there. Some suggest a defensive fort for some group of Celts pushed literally to the edge of Ireland. There’s also a school of thought that it was a religious site. The fort is really about half a ring as it meets the cliffs. In the inner most ring, there’s a platform or maybe dias right where the cliff ends. The belief was this point where there was a boundary of land and sea was very special to the builders. There are definitely defensive elements, though. There’s a whole field of jagged stones surrounding the fort, the stones purposefully arranged to discourage trespass. So maybe it’s really some of column A and some of column B. Either way, well worth the visit. Also had a nice concersation with a lady on the tour and this littlle old grandmother who ran a shop at the visitors center where she sells knitted items, most her own, all from the island. She was a real character!

Afterwards, everyone said farewell at the Aran Sweater market. Prices were a bit much for my blood! But it was fun to look.

Following this, yet two more meals of… Pizza… The little grocery here only has one option for frozen dinners. Mind you, an array of them, but if I don’t see another frozen pizza for some time, I will be happy with that! I can’t be bothered to actually cook after all.

To bed fairly early so that I could make the 8am ferry off this morning. I awoke to howling wind. I had that sinking feeling, but took a stab at it. Walking down to the pier, the wind could practically push you over. I got my exercise pushing me and my pack down there at least. And yes, no ferry off the island this morning. I was told to try again for the 5pm one… Le sigh! It’s a lovely island and in the summer when everything is open, I’m sure quite cool, but three nights is beyond enough in winter! I just want the mainland again! Think good thoughts for me!