Thursday, September 20, 2012
The Cliffs of Moher
It was actually a few days ago that we visited the Cliffs. We had to cover a lot of ground from Dingle in the morning so it was late afternoon by the time we arrived. The sky was once again overcast and the lighting harsh so I was looking to try and get south of the Cliffs to get a better angle. I was sorely disappointed to find the path south was blocked for construction. How dare they interfere with my photographic plans! Ah well, I did what I could and the clouds cooperated briefly to give a few lovely rays. The cliffs themselves were quite impressive despite the lighting.
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Saturday, September 15, 2012
The Real Skelligs
In case you were worried, we did make it out to the Skelligs the day after our trip was cancelled. The Skellig Islands are just off the coast of Kerry and hundreds of years ago (from about the 6th to 13th century), they were home to early Christian monks. I have spent a lot of time on remote islands over the last 8 years so keep that in mind when I say, they must have been crazy. The Farallones have been called the Devil's teeth, if that's true, the Skelligs must be like Satan's fangs or something. The guidebook says Skellig Michael, where the monks lived, reaches something like 700 feet (217m) and the monastic settlement is about 500 ft (150m) up. And I mean straight up. The islands knife into the sky from frothing shorelines with absolutely no level ground. The monks constructed terraces and stone staircases to move around the island. At the very tippy top, there was a small structure that could only be reached via a stone ladder that was carved into the stone itself.
The weather on the day was actually worse than the day before, as Russ suspected, but after about an hour delay, the boats did head out to the island. We were given no guarantee we would be able to land on the island so we were still apprehensive about being turned away. The crossing was definitely rough, a few passengers got sick, but luckily the islands are only 8 miles from them harbor so we were there in about an hour. As we approached, I could see this teeny tiny ancient, totally unsafe, staircase winding up a near sheer cliff and I started to become anxious that we wouldn't be turned away and I would have to climb that thing. To my relief, it turned out there was a slightly more modern landing, and that tiny staircase had been closed. We were greeted on the island by a buff Irishman wearing a bright red polo, shorty denim shorts (it really wasn't warm) and worn combat boots. He informed us that the island was not to be taken lightly: a couple of tourists had fallen to their deaths on the stairs just a couple years ago. He tells us not to rush but we only have an hour and a half (seems somewhat contradictory). Then he turns us loose to climb to the monastery. On our own. Up 600 ancient steps.
The views where just stunning and the steps were wider than I first thought. Both Russ and I kept marveling that the even let people on them. The whole island is an amazingly intact historical site and they just turned a bunch of tourists loose to wander around on it with a few warnings about staying on the paths.
We were met at the monastery by a guide who gave a brief overview of the history of the rock. Then we were turned loose to wander around the beehive structures that are mind bogglingly old. Again, we were slightly incredulous. I kept wondering, is it alright that I'm here? Apparently is was.
In a way, it makes a lot of sense. Roping off the structures and closing the stairs would protect them but it also would prevent anyone experiencing that special thrill that comes from being around and inside something that old. Just by being near such an ancient structure you can feel the echoes of people that lived there eons ago. And that is one of the things that makes Ireland so great. Ancient ruins dot the landscape. Literally around every corner there is something that was built before the US became a country.
One of the beehives had a special resident. We were pretty stoked to see a Manx Shearwater chick getting ready to fledge! Apparently they also have Storm-petrels breeding in the stone walls, just like we have on the Farallones. They also have a lot of Fulmars on the cliffs and some Atlantc Puffins. Unfortunately the puffins were long gone when we were there.
After our all to brief visit to Skellig Michael, the boat took a brief pass by Little Skellig which is one of the largest Northern Gannet colonies in the world. Depending on who you believe, there are between 40,000 and 60,000 Gannets breeding there. It's pretty late for breeding seabirds but there were still plenty of birds packed on to the ledges and flying about. The whole rock bore a strong resemblance to a space port, little space ships coming and going, landing and taking off. I love it!
The weather on the day was actually worse than the day before, as Russ suspected, but after about an hour delay, the boats did head out to the island. We were given no guarantee we would be able to land on the island so we were still apprehensive about being turned away. The crossing was definitely rough, a few passengers got sick, but luckily the islands are only 8 miles from them harbor so we were there in about an hour. As we approached, I could see this teeny tiny ancient, totally unsafe, staircase winding up a near sheer cliff and I started to become anxious that we wouldn't be turned away and I would have to climb that thing. To my relief, it turned out there was a slightly more modern landing, and that tiny staircase had been closed. We were greeted on the island by a buff Irishman wearing a bright red polo, shorty denim shorts (it really wasn't warm) and worn combat boots. He informed us that the island was not to be taken lightly: a couple of tourists had fallen to their deaths on the stairs just a couple years ago. He tells us not to rush but we only have an hour and a half (seems somewhat contradictory). Then he turns us loose to climb to the monastery. On our own. Up 600 ancient steps.
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| On the saddle, nearly to the top |
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| A terrace part way up looking toward Little Skellig |
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| Beehive structures built by the monks as living quarters |
In a way, it makes a lot of sense. Roping off the structures and closing the stairs would protect them but it also would prevent anyone experiencing that special thrill that comes from being around and inside something that old. Just by being near such an ancient structure you can feel the echoes of people that lived there eons ago. And that is one of the things that makes Ireland so great. Ancient ruins dot the landscape. Literally around every corner there is something that was built before the US became a country.
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| Manx Shearwater chick |
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| This is the ancient staircase I first saw from the water. We did not climb this! |
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| On the way back down |
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| Little Skellig with Skellig Michael in the background |
Friday, September 14, 2012
The Not Skellig Day
Our trip to the Skellig Islands did not begin well.
Russ has been telling me about the Skellig Islands for years. When we decided to come to Ireland, I knew it was high on my list of things to see while we were there. For the past 3 or four days, Russ has been checking the weather, trying to figure out what day in our 3 day window we should book the trip. Finally, he decided Tuesday, September 11 was our best shot. The day began well enough, with a half Irish breakfast (1 egg, 1 slice of bacon, 1 sausage, hash browns, half a potato waffle, half a tomato, toast, yogurt, orange juice, and tea, and that was the half breakfast!), but while we were eating, Mary, the proprietress of the Calafont B & B, got a call. We could tell it wasn't good news and sure enough, the boats were staying in port that day. Now in our line of work this is a common occurrence so we were prepared to deal with it. However, Russ knew that the forecast was slightly worse for the next day so he immediately began worrying that we wouldn't be able to go out the next day either. We decided to fill the day with a variety of sights nearby, including the "most spectacular cliffs in County Kerry" just down the road. They turned out to be a classic tourist trap, pay a certain sum per person to be granted access to the path to the cliffs. However, true to their billing, the cliffs were indeed spectacular, hundreds of Northern Fulmar circling and landing on ledges, a Kestrel hunting on the ridges, and a 200 ft sheer drop off.
Just as I began snapping photos, I heard my phone ringing. I didn't answer it in time, couldn't tell where the number was from, and couldn't dial it back. I checked voicemail, and no message was left so we shrugged and continued on. It nagged at us though, so Russ went back down the hill to use the wifi included in our admission to check email and see if there was something urgent. I was still snapping pictures when suddenly I noticed a boat on its way out to the Skelligs. Wait, weren't all the boats cancelled? Now I'm certain the phone call had something to do with it, so I ran down the hill, collected Russ and we rushed back to the B&B to see if Mary had tried to call us. Oh yes, she did try calling us but it was an American number that didn't belong to us so she didn't leave a message. Ah, I realize she got my voicemail greeting, which is actually Russ doing a bad Scottish accent, and she was clearly confused by it. Turns out the boat did decide to go (what!?) and she tried to let us know. By this time the phone call was about 20 minutes ago so I'm thinking, the boat might not have left yet, it would take a little while to round everyone up right? Mary calls the boat and they are already halfway to the island. What!?? That means they basically left as soon as they called. Now we are seriously miffed. Who cancels a boat and hour and a half before its supposed to leave and then decides to go and only gives 5 minute warning? I'm confused, I feel like we missed something. Mary says sometimes people will wait around after a boat has been cancelled and hope it might go later. What!??? Why on earth didn't you mention there was a possibility the boat might still go? We rushed down to the pier to see if any other boats were going and two of them were but they had no space. The frustration is building. There seems to be nothing more we can do so we proceed with our alternate plan. Our first activity was hiking up to the signal tower on nearby Valentia Island.
The weather was nice, but the fact that we could now see two boats headed out to the Skelligs without us only made Russ more irritated. At the signal tower, we started following a trail that was labeled as a loop trail. The "trail" soon became a bog, and the frequent groaning I could hear behind me lead me to believe this was not improving Russ' mood. But the scenery was fantastic so I was realtivly happy, snapping away with my camera.
After we had been slogging for a while, the trail started to veer away and we became doubtful the loop was taking us back to our car. We decide to cut our losses, backtrack a little and cut across a field. But by this time we are in the middle of a pasture with plenty of cows and our backtracking took us right through the middle of a group. I have to say it was a little unnerving looking up at a very large black bull that did not seem the least bit (pardon me) cowed by our presence.
As we were leaving the trail to cut across country, we saw another couple coming down the trail towards us. Russ tried to warn them that the trail didn't lead back to the cars but either they didn't hear, or didn't understand. Finally, we make it back to the road leading to the parking lot. As we approach, we see the couple from the trail also approaching from another direction. Apparently the loop was a loop afterall.
After we changed our shoes and socks, we headed out again to check it the rest of Valentia Island and some ancient ruins. Just down the road, a farmer flagged us down. He ran up to the widow and said "wsien sskdn edmf sndjf semi wait here awhile" (????) Russ apparently understood that he wanted us to block the road as he moved his cows. So we wait. Meanwhile, a van drove up behind us, and barely slowing, swerved around us and continued. After about 5 minutes, no cows appeared and I begin to wonder if Russ really understood. So I get out and peer down the lane where the farmer disappeared. Finally, I see him driving some cows toward the road. When he sees me, he starts gesticulating wildly and yelling unintelligibly. I think he's trying to tell me to get out of the way so I back up towards the car. I can resist snapping a few pictures as the cows start to come out on the road. Predictably, the cows turn away from the car, and start strolling down the road, rather than just crossing the road as they were meant to.
The farmer follows, a disappointed look on his face. "Why didn't you go on the other side like I told you?" Right, of course that is what the gesticulating meant. I apologize for not understanding, clearly this is my fault. More unintelligible instructions to Russ follow and we set off down the road to round up the cows. Apparently we are not doing the job right, because suddenly the farmer zooms up behind us, swerves around us, and drives the cows into an empty field. He asks Russ to wait again, and since we feel responsible for screwing up the first time, we stay, blocking the road. But that means cars can't get by, so Russ is forced to move up to clear the way. I get out of the car again, determined to get it right. As the cows approach to road again, the farmer is gesticulating again but this time I can hear him yelling, "get back, get back!" Oh, right, my bright blue jacket is scaring the cows. So I take a step back, the cows appear, turn away from me, and trot down to road towards home. A gruff thank you, and we're relived from duty. Our brief stint as cow hearders is sadly over.
The rest of the day was filled with relatively normal sightseeing. The usual stuff, 1000 year old forts, 500 year old castles. Just another day in Ireland.
Russ has been telling me about the Skellig Islands for years. When we decided to come to Ireland, I knew it was high on my list of things to see while we were there. For the past 3 or four days, Russ has been checking the weather, trying to figure out what day in our 3 day window we should book the trip. Finally, he decided Tuesday, September 11 was our best shot. The day began well enough, with a half Irish breakfast (1 egg, 1 slice of bacon, 1 sausage, hash browns, half a potato waffle, half a tomato, toast, yogurt, orange juice, and tea, and that was the half breakfast!), but while we were eating, Mary, the proprietress of the Calafont B & B, got a call. We could tell it wasn't good news and sure enough, the boats were staying in port that day. Now in our line of work this is a common occurrence so we were prepared to deal with it. However, Russ knew that the forecast was slightly worse for the next day so he immediately began worrying that we wouldn't be able to go out the next day either. We decided to fill the day with a variety of sights nearby, including the "most spectacular cliffs in County Kerry" just down the road. They turned out to be a classic tourist trap, pay a certain sum per person to be granted access to the path to the cliffs. However, true to their billing, the cliffs were indeed spectacular, hundreds of Northern Fulmar circling and landing on ledges, a Kestrel hunting on the ridges, and a 200 ft sheer drop off.
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| The most spectacular cliffs in Kerry |
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| Signal tower on Valentia Island |
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| View from the "loop" trail |
After we changed our shoes and socks, we headed out again to check it the rest of Valentia Island and some ancient ruins. Just down the road, a farmer flagged us down. He ran up to the widow and said "wsien sskdn edmf sndjf semi wait here awhile" (????) Russ apparently understood that he wanted us to block the road as he moved his cows. So we wait. Meanwhile, a van drove up behind us, and barely slowing, swerved around us and continued. After about 5 minutes, no cows appeared and I begin to wonder if Russ really understood. So I get out and peer down the lane where the farmer disappeared. Finally, I see him driving some cows toward the road. When he sees me, he starts gesticulating wildly and yelling unintelligibly. I think he's trying to tell me to get out of the way so I back up towards the car. I can resist snapping a few pictures as the cows start to come out on the road. Predictably, the cows turn away from the car, and start strolling down the road, rather than just crossing the road as they were meant to.
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| No cows, no! Wrong way! |
The rest of the day was filled with relatively normal sightseeing. The usual stuff, 1000 year old forts, 500 year old castles. Just another day in Ireland.
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| 1000 year old, partially reconstructed, stone fort (and a leprechaun) |
Monday, September 10, 2012
What the heck is hurling?
A sport they only play in Ireland apparently. It's been all over the news because today was the all Ireland final. What I've gathered so far is that it's a like a mix between lacrosse, rugby, and soccer but the sticks don't have pockets so you hit the ball. A score of 212 does not beat 18 points and if the game ends in a draw, they play the game again in a few weeks time. I'm totally intrigued.
Here are a few shots of Kinsale where we stayed the first night. Super cute little town that was the site of a major battle in the English conquest of Gaelic Ireland
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| Supposedly has the best fish in Ireland. Unfortunately it was closed when we got there |
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| First Guinness in Ireland. Isn't it pretty? Tasted pretty good too |
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| Charles Fort, one of two forts built in the 17th century to protect Kinsale. |
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| One of the points of the star that is Charles Fort |
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| Looking back at the harbor of Kinsale |
Friday, September 7, 2012
Kelly takes Bronze! Twice!
The crowd roars, athletes strain, sweat dripping, lungs heaving. In this event where just getting here is a dream come true, all the athletes want more. They want the glory, the hardware, the anthem. The competition is fierce. These people aren't here for the participation ribbon, they are here to win. Sound like something you would like to watch? Me too. NBC had an estimated 40.7 million viewers for the Olympics but this isn't the Olympics I'm talking about, it's an even better show: the Paralympics. And if you are in the US, you are SOL if you wanted to watch. NBC, which owns the right to broadcast the games, doesn't. A few highlight shows on their cable channel don't count as coverage. As the cousin of a Paralympian, this is frustrating, as an American, it's embarrassing. As the richest nation in the world, the fact that we don't support our Paralympic athletes as we should is a disgrace. On the night that Russ and I went to see track and field finals, the great USA didn't win a single medal. Overall they are currently in 6th place in the medal tally. China leads. By a lot. China. Yes they have a bigger team, but they are are not particularly known for embracing people with disabilities. You would never know that from their performance at the Paralympics, collecting medal after medal. In the Olympics, the US beat china in the medal count so do these current standings really reflect the level of talent in the US? I'm not someone who thinks the US should be first in the medal tally, just so we can say we are beating the world. But the medal tally does reflects the level of investment in athletics and the fact that the Paralympic program lags the Olympics bothers me. It signifies a general lack of support and awareness for US Paralympic athletes. And that is what I'm embarrassed for.
The London games have been incredible. The Brits have opened my eyes to what the Paralympics can be. If you thought the Olympics were inspiring, try these games. The althete stories that NBC loves to hype, overcoming adversity, fighting through pain, dedication -every single athlete here has that story. It would be easy to focus on what athletes with disabilities have lost - what a tragedy it is that they can't do some things. But these games are a celebration of achievement. It's not about what they can't do, it's about their what they can do. When we are focused on their incredible abilities we forget about their differences and realize they are just like any other athlete, able to accomplish amazing feats. Team GB has had a fantastic games and incredible support from the home country. Nearly every venue has been sold out. I've never heard a crowd like the one we experienced at the track and field finals; 80,000 people roaring their hearts out, for their team especially, but for all the athletes. The TV coverage has been great, 3 to 4 channels showing Paralympics nonstop throughout the day. The athletes are celebrated like the superhumans they are, they are on the morning shows, on the evening shows, people are cheering them on in the pubs, and you can see attitudes changing before your eyes. The US is behind the curve here, way behind. We are missing out on so much.
And then there is Kelly, the reason we are here. Kelly has been through a lot to get here, a lot. And I probably don't even know half of it. I do know she has overcome a major concussion or two, a broken rib, and a punctured lung. Oh and a broken collarbone just 6 weeks ago. She's not even fully healed! And those are just some of the physical challenges. Kelly pushed through an incomprehensible Paralympic selection procedures to force the international committee to extend an invitation to the competition. The ups and downs of this process made for great drama but were particularly conducive to getting ready to compete at the world stage. That couldn't stop Kelly though. I've been avidly following Kelly progress from afar. But Russ and I had faith. We bought our plane tickets in January, months before Kelly knew if she was on the team.
When Kelly took off for her race yesterday, I was so choked up I could barely cheer. I did manage to squeak out a "Go Kelly!" We had a place staked out at the start/finish and could see one if the hills on course in the distance. I had my camera and was snapping pictures like mad. One of my ongoing frustrations with following Kelly's cycling career has been the lack of photos. So I tried to make up for that over the last couple days:-)
It was a fantastic race. Since Kelly took bronze at the time trial the day before, we were all very hopeful she would be on the podium in the road race. Sarah Storey, the British favorite to win, took the race out strong at the start and after an 8k lap had about a 40 second lead on the pack. Kelly was right there at the front of the pack. Sarah proved too strong very early, she caught the C1-3 Men that started 3 minutes ahead on the second lap. Kelly led the chase but it quickly became a race for silver. Justin (Kelly's husband) was giving us the inside scoop on the riders. At one point, Kelly, Anna Harkowska (Poland), and Kerstin Brachtendorf (Germany) started to pull away. Justin told us he thought they would leave Kerstin behind on the next lap. Sure enough, next time we saw them, Kelly and Anna had pulled away and were having their own race for silver, trading the lead every few minutes.
Kelly just murders the hills and that's her edge, the longer the hill the better. Justin thought Kelly would make her move on the big hill on the second to last lap. When they came into view after the hill, for a brief moment we thought she had left the other rider in the dust. Then we spotted the Anna Harkowska ahead of Kelly and she had opened up a bit of a gap. Still, both of them were well ahead of the next closest rider so we were feeling pretty confident of Kelly's medal chances. When she crossed the line, arms raised, and the bronze metal secured, the joy and relief on her face were palpable. I got choked up again and hid behind my camera.
Kelly exemplifies why I love the Games. These athletes work so hard, for years on end for a goal that is far from guaranteed. Once every 4 years they have a chance at glory, one shot to show the world their greatness. Every event is packed with drama and the pressure of that moment must be almost unbearable. The heros find a way. They persevere and are rewarded with triumph. That's Kelly. That's my cousin. Thanks to her, team USA has two more medals. And thanks to Kelly, Russ and I got to experience the London Paralympic games. We've both been deeply affected by this almost magical experience. It's been such a hope filled, positive few days. So thank you Kelly, and CONGRATULATIONS! We couldn't be prouder.
The London games have been incredible. The Brits have opened my eyes to what the Paralympics can be. If you thought the Olympics were inspiring, try these games. The althete stories that NBC loves to hype, overcoming adversity, fighting through pain, dedication -every single athlete here has that story. It would be easy to focus on what athletes with disabilities have lost - what a tragedy it is that they can't do some things. But these games are a celebration of achievement. It's not about what they can't do, it's about their what they can do. When we are focused on their incredible abilities we forget about their differences and realize they are just like any other athlete, able to accomplish amazing feats. Team GB has had a fantastic games and incredible support from the home country. Nearly every venue has been sold out. I've never heard a crowd like the one we experienced at the track and field finals; 80,000 people roaring their hearts out, for their team especially, but for all the athletes. The TV coverage has been great, 3 to 4 channels showing Paralympics nonstop throughout the day. The athletes are celebrated like the superhumans they are, they are on the morning shows, on the evening shows, people are cheering them on in the pubs, and you can see attitudes changing before your eyes. The US is behind the curve here, way behind. We are missing out on so much.
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| Visually impaired athletes and their guide runners crossing the finish |
When Kelly took off for her race yesterday, I was so choked up I could barely cheer. I did manage to squeak out a "Go Kelly!" We had a place staked out at the start/finish and could see one if the hills on course in the distance. I had my camera and was snapping pictures like mad. One of my ongoing frustrations with following Kelly's cycling career has been the lack of photos. So I tried to make up for that over the last couple days:-)
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| Lined up for the start of the C4 and C5 road race |
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| Kelly Crowley and Anna Harkowska breaking away from the pack |
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| Crossing the finish, winning Bronze! |
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| Kelly Crowley, Paralympic medal winner, ass kicker |
Kelly exemplifies why I love the Games. These athletes work so hard, for years on end for a goal that is far from guaranteed. Once every 4 years they have a chance at glory, one shot to show the world their greatness. Every event is packed with drama and the pressure of that moment must be almost unbearable. The heros find a way. They persevere and are rewarded with triumph. That's Kelly. That's my cousin. Thanks to her, team USA has two more medals. And thanks to Kelly, Russ and I got to experience the London Paralympic games. We've both been deeply affected by this almost magical experience. It's been such a hope filled, positive few days. So thank you Kelly, and CONGRATULATIONS! We couldn't be prouder.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
New Blog Project
I've been wanting to start another blog project, mostly as a place to share photos. So here it is: announcing Suitcases and Pie! This is basically going to be a blog about whatever inspires me. Right now those things seem to be travel, food and photography so that is what I'm starting with and we'll see where the wind blows us.
Russ and I are off to London in a few days to watch my cousin, Kelly Crowley (http://teamkelly.org/wordpress1/) race in the Paralympics. We're so excited! Kelly has been working so hard and we can't wait to cheer her on as she chases her dream. As we speak, I have the opening ceremonies streaming in the background, just waiting for the USA to appear and hopefully catch a glimpse of Kelly. Go Kelly Go!
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