Water, Water Everywhere and Not a Drop to Drink

Please note that the title of this post comes from "The Rime of fhe Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Today was a long and rainy travel day full of plenty of adventures. We traveled from Limerick to Galway by way of the Cliffs of Moher, and just getting to all of the places on our itinerary was a challenge. First and foremost, we couldn't find a bus that would take us straight from Limerick to the Cliffs, so we had to stop for what was supposed to be an hour in a small town called Enniss. Unfortunately, our bus to Enniss broke down at the Shannon Airport, so we had to wait at the airport for thirty minutes until our new bus arrived. Luke, always one to keep things on the positive side, reminded us that at least our one hour layover in Enniss was now only thirty minutes. And when we got to the train station, we were glad it was! The train station was barely big enough for our group of eleven plus all of our luggage and provided a vending machine in the way of breakfast food. Still, I think the candy bars from the vending machine put everyone in a better mood because of our lack of sleep. Chocolate really does fix all problems. After our layover, we boarded a bus for the cliffs.

To Jordan and mine's pleasant surprise, we did not have to hike up to the cliffs in the rain and the cold. In fact, the bus brought us right to the door of the visitor's center. It was still cold and rainy, but at least we didn't have to walk far to get to warmth and food. The most notable meteorological element at the cliffs, however, was not the rain or the low temperatures but the gale force winds that whipped through with the ocean tide. Let me explain. The Cliffs of Moher are a geological and geographical wonder of the world situated on the western coast of Ireland. Basically, all you can see for miles in any direction are rolling green hills, sheep, and small country houses. Then all of a sudden you get to the cliffs and it's an incredible drop into the Atlantic Ocean below.

Pete, Kristin, Chelsea, and Cali walking up the cliffs.

Though it was cold, wet, and windy, the cliffs were a virtual playground to those daredevils who chose to get as close to the edge as possible for the perfect picture or selfie. Personally, I braved the wind long enough to get a few pictures, walk to the top of one of the cliffs, turn around, and walk back to the cafe in the visitor's center for a cup of hot chocolate and an apple. Regardless of the length of time I actually spent on the cliffs, I can't help but appreciate their splendor. Until you are there, you don't know what it's like to really be on the edge of the world. I've seen plenty of cliffs and plenty of ocean views in my lifetime, but I have never really felt like I was at the edge of the world until today. And I finally understood why our ancestors thought that if you sailed to the "end of the ocean," you would drop off into oblivion. It makes perfect sense now.

And despite the awe inspiring terror of the cliffs that mark the definitive end of the visible world, there is also something innately beautiful about these rock formations stretching up out of the ocean. It's a beauty that transcends description because it requires an intuitive presence. More than that, it is a beauty that elicits within the soul a natural response of joy and astonishment. How good and perfect is God to create this wonder! It reminded me of Isaiah 55:12, which says, "For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." I think the Cliffs of Moher are a physical representation of this.

We arrived in the town of Galway around 5:45. Its a really cool, very modern town. Most of the people who live in the town are young adults, which makes for a interesting dynamic compared to the other towns we visited that are steeped in tradition. There were two wonderful things about our arrival in Galway: it stopped raining and our hotel got upgraded. The hotel that we are staying in is currently under renovation, so they had to move us into three penthouse suites. We can see all of Galway in any direction from either our front or back porch. As I write this, I'm ensconced in a plush red leather armchair in the living room looking at the Galway "skyline" out the patio window. To make it even better our hotel is right off of Eyre Square, which shares it's name with one of my favorite books, Jane Eyre. So if I don't come back from Ireland, it's because I've found Mr. Rochester. In the morning, we will take a ferry to the Aran Islands where we will spend the night at a B&B. Hopefully there will be less rain, but it's Ireland during the rainy season so...