Shoes, Views, and Seashores by Alicia and Emily (pilgrims)
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.-