Wonder Voyage 2009 Summer Blog

Everything went by so fast, the  last day today in the big green,  is over! “too bad, so sad”. Laughter took up most of the day for a lot of us, and what we did  was fun. Of course breakfast might have been my favorite; the eggs were SO good! (we didn’t have the cool scones though with the fruit in them partially because I had, like, five yesterday. Very good scones) Ending our delightful morning meal,  we piled into the puffing van and drove off to these abbey ruins. Short ride there and that was great, and going on the tour was shorter but certainly more enjoyable. Mostly we stayed for the tour but we walked around a bit too. Enthusiastically, our tour guide lady said, “okay” a lot but between those she explained the monks who lived there’s daily lives and the meaning of all the symbols on these thirteen century statures and sarcophaguses…There were representations of the deadly sins (which I actually understood!) and symbols clueing who the statue was. Fact I learned today: Did you know the monks shaved their heads to represent the crown of thorns? I had no idea why they did that! I almost got a picture of one on the street the other day but he got away, darn it. I did get a picture of some of the statues though.

After that we visited a castle and we all walked around and did a bit of shopping. We also got ice cream with a flake. Flakes are beautiful., there this chocolaty crumbly bar they stick in your ice cream and its like, good. And so we concluded our last day by piling back in the van and sharing our highlights of our trip with our lovely and friendly hosts and guides,

John, Sonia, Lisa, and Karin. I think we’re all going to miss seeing them and the rolling patches in the cool air, I know I’m going to miss the sheep. But I think to spend any more time here would be like eating a flake every day for the rest of your life, we might not appreciate it as much. This extreme opportunity to get a taste of Ireland has a magnitude beyond any of us expected. If ever there was a place of peace, at one point or another all of us found it here in these six days. That being said, we’re ready to come home. See you tomorrow!  

This day of pilgrimage was the best day so far. We headed out to Kilmore Quay to catch the fisherman’s boat to the Saltees Islands. We all got on the boat with happiness, especially Libby since this was her second time on a boat. We were also thankful for God giving us such a beautiful day to spend out. The boat ride was silent because all of us were left speechless by the site of the Irish Sea. We got off the boat and got onto another little boat that brought us to the Saltees Islands. When we first got there, I do not think we were amazed at the view of seaweed, sand, and a bunch of rocks. We had a short walk until we got to something that was worth seeing. Once we got to view the Saltee Islands, let me tell you, we were starstruck. It was as if we just got struck by a bolt of lightning. I felt like I was dreaming or I was looking at a photograph. Only this was not true; it was reality. You could look down and see green water with the waves, big rocks in the middle of the sea, seals popping their heads out of the water, and seagulls land. These words cannot even compare to the beauty we were all faced with. Some of us stayed in the little spot and just enjoyed scenery and relaxed, while the others went on walks or went down to the sea for a swim. I was one of the people that stayed in the little spot. Sitting on the cliff and looking down lets you think a lot about life and really calms you. I remember Jordan, Libby and I picked a handful of daisies and made a little peace sign. After a hour we left that spot, and went to another to go find Patricia and the others. There was Patricia, Jason, Lisa, and Karen down in the sea. And there was Justin, Tyler, Jordan, Hunter, Libby, and I wondering how they got down there. We took one look down and noticed they rock-climbed down there. Then we looked at each other, like no way are we going to do that! So we stayed in that little area. Lori was taking a nice walk around the islands. It was around half three, and we had to leave in order to catch the boat. The boat ride was not all that awesome on they way back, since we were getting splashed by water. But this did not ruin everything since some of us were sort of drenched. We looked behind us and saw seals. I heard whole bunch of “awws” and saw everyone running to the back of the boat with their cameras. This was a perfect way to end the boat ride.

After getting off the boat we headed to a little pub to get some dinner. When we were all finished eating, we were off to home (our Ireland home, that is). Back at home we all relaxed for a little bit. Then we finished the night with a game of charades.

For our fourth day in Ireland we were surprised with a nice “break” as we visited Waterford. After walking 5 miles the day before, it was a good time to relax and have fun. Everyone split up into groups of 3 or more and we all went our separate ways. Monica, Libby and I went in one group and checked out all the local shops.  

After having a fun day shopping, we were in for another surprise when Jason told us that the kids would be buying and making our dinner tonight for the leaders. So we devised a plan and ran through the store searching for what we needed. Our arms were all full to the top and a few minuets before leaving Libby dropped a glass bottle and it spilt everywhere. The manager said not to worry about it, so we got another bottle and checked out. It was a fun experiment and we all used our cooking knowledge to create a wonderful minestrone soup, bread, couscous and potato salad.

None of the kids were prepared to write today so I’m filling in. We have had a fabulous trip so far, and the weather has cooperated nicely. We have visited interesting local sights which seem to always have an ancient ruin like an abbey or a round tower. Yesterday we walked for five miles along the Barrow river from St. Mullins to Graiguenamanagh (Graig Na Manach).  There was a canal system running along the river and there were four active Locks on the stretch that we walked. Patricia got stung by a nettle plant which can really hurt. There is no poison ivy or snakes over here but watch out for the nettle. Luckily there is always a healing leaf nearby (forget the name) that helps alleviate the pain which lasts about 24 hours. Isn’t  God amazing?

In the evening, our hosts John and Sonia  prepared a pasta supper and led a  discussion in Irish history that was really interesting. The men retired later for a nice relaxing time and wrap session in the sauna (wow are we getting spoiled). Today, it’s off to Waterford for some much needed shopping, after days of hiking and walking. See you all on Sunday.

Day two is behind us, and what a day it was! We all got at least 9 hours of sleep, Jordan got about 12. After a good cold breakfast of cereal and milk, Sonia came with a plate of sausage and potatoes, which we promptly ate. After “breakfast 2” we walked into New Ross. The town has at least 4 cafes, and a pet store which sells chipmunks! While the group explored New Ross, I fell in love with Irish tea at one of the cafes. Boy did I drink tea (at least 11 cups!).

After New Ross, we returned to The Ferry and enjoyed a hearty lunch. I served tea (Jason, our guide, helped me get it right), and we just hung out. After lunch, we went to the Woodstock estate near the town of Inistioge. The estate and garden were quite beautiful, even if the house was in ruins (the mansion was burned in the Irish Revolution). We then walked into Inistioge, were we stopped at a pub and grabbed some drinks (soda and tea). The town was beautiful, situated right in the valley right along the River Nore. We also got some good pictures of the local farm animals (sheep and cows). On the way back to The Ferry, we stopped at a beautiful little church that, while is very small, blew us away in just how quaint it was. I was a little afraid to take pictures at first! Once that was over, we made it back just in time for chicken, peas, and 2 different types of potato dishes (all of which were very good). We all broke the ice with some sharing about ourselves, and ate a delicious dessert of cheesecake with whipped cream. The night dragged on a little until Hunter had the idea of Charades. It soon turned into a frenzy of shout-outs that made no sense at all, but were quite hilarious to listen to. It finally got dark around half past ten (or half-ten as our hosts say), and we went off to sleep.

Well it started out interesting, we got to the airport and could see our plane from the window; wasn’t that hard to miss; big and green with a clover on the tail. We took off in good weather and there were movies and games and a lot of funny looking food (chicken and rice and cheese cake and water in those little applesauce cases). We were supposed to sleep but of course none of us really did so we stayed up a total of 24 hours.

We landed and immediatly got coffee and hot chocolate.  We loved hearing the Irish accent! We drove to get breakfast where I had a really cool looking black hunk of something (which I found out later was blood sausage). Breakfast was really really good and then we went to the mountain “stroll” for about an hour and a half. We all got good pictures and a good walk. Then we had a long ride back, but most people dozed off in the car. Monica and I had seats in the front (yes there are two seats next to the driver who is on the right side) so we got the best view I think of all the farms and sheep.

We came to our retreat center and saw how nice it was. It used to be stables but the man who owns it, John, fixed it up really nice. It has a cool staircase and a hourglass shaped ceiling where the beds are.

The night was fun, apparently I woke up screaming and Monica pounced from her bed for some reason. Why? None of us are really sure but it was the nightly entertainment in Ireland.  

Today we traveled back to Galway to have another go at shopping. A lot of people were selecting gifts for friends and family, as well as getting beautiful henna tattoos. At the end of our time in Galway we met up with an Irish story teller. She told us legends about heroes and folk tales about smart, powerhouse women, which we loved of course! We were surprised by our feelings as we returned to the monastery.

We realized how welcomed and at home we feel here. It will be sad to leave the beautiful nature and cool weather, but we’re excited to see our family and friends. This trip has brought us together as a family and we’re already planning to reunite before too long.

Tonight we had a candle light closing circle. We each voiced a moment of wonder and passed the candle to our person of wonder, someone who we felt more connected to during this trip. Hearing everyone discuss their moments made the epiphanies of the trip seem even more amazing. Our adult leaders brought some of us to tears with their sweet words of praise and encouragement. Thanks for making this happen, we know we couldn’t have come here and had this experience without you!

We spent our Sunday morning going to a Gaelic service at a small church in Inis Oirr. We also selected rocks to symbolize personal burdens that we wanted to cast over to God. The instructions were to carry it throughout the day so we could really feel the weight of the burdens that we carry on the inside. After lunch we had a choice of going on an exploration of the island or enjoying the beauty of the weather at the beach. Those of us who stayed on the beach went for a cold swim or played at the extensive playground. It was a day for calm reflection for some and for those of us who went on the hike it was a day of exhilarating adventure.

A group that had won a competition as well as a few others went on a carriage ride around the island. The views were even prettier at dusk because of the sunset. In the cold breezy evening we traveled quietly to a graveyard church that was built in the 10th century. We had a Taize service underground since the church annually gets buried by sand and is uncovered almost every year. As we left the temple we walked quietly to the pier to cast our burdens into the ocean and give them to God.-

Today we caught the ferry to the smallest Aran Island of Inisheer. Our hostel is right on the coast with an amazing view. After settling in and a quick orientation, we headed off for a little exploration time. First stop was the Plassey, a shipwreck from 1960 that now sits on the shore of the island. Some of us then went and visited O’Briens castle while the others either got tired and headed back to the hostel.

After a bit of rest, we headed up to the only restaurant on the island for a great dinner. After dinner, some went back to the hostel, and others went to watch Galway play in the playoffs in a sport called Hurling, which I won’t try to explain but you should Google it. It was a lot of fun to sit in with the locals and cheer on Galway to victory (even though I wasn’t real sure what I was cheering at). Tomorrow we get to sleep in a bit, which we are all looking forward to.

This day was amazing because we went Castle Raiding! We went to the west but first we visited Aughnanure Castle. It  was really interesting to learn about how many ways defending knights could  kill their enemies before they could invade the castle.

After lunch we went to go see Kylemore Abby. We drove through  loads of hills with lots of sheep and rams that were everywhere. When we finally got there everyone went their own way. Some saw the neo-gothic church and it’s amazing architecture. Others saw these huge trees extending over the lake which some of us climbed. Still others climbed up the hill following the waterfall which was beautiful and wet. The way back seemed to be shorter and everyone slept except but a few of us. We talked about life all the way home.

Home sweet home and our last night here (for a couple days anyway), it was really nice to have dinner and after our nightly prayers go to sleep. We love it all here its so green! Love everyone back home!!!