Aran Islands

What an experience. We took a plane ride over and then hired a van to drive us about the very small island to see the amazing perched fort. Even better was listening to the locals talk in both English and Irish. That big rain coming, "it's just a cloud." Yes it was windy and wet but really spectacular. Unfortunately weather canceled the flight back to the mainland but then we got a ferry ride (and a nap) and a shuttle back to the Connemara Regional Airport. I wanna go back!

What we don't know

What the experts don't know about these neolithic stone sites is a lot. They are impressive and leave you wondering. Carrowmore Neolithic Cemetery is a peaceful and evocative site with ring forts on the surrounding hills. that's Knocknarea with the little (it's huge) blip of Maeve's Tomb on top.

Vacation Running

Sometimes a vacation happens to coincide with a running event. Ragnar Relays or some marathons where i'm traveling to another state count as a vacation for me. I take time off from work and enjoy the time off and running is the focus. Sometimes we'll do some other travel in the area after the event. This vacation is purely a vacation and a break. Running is fit in when i can but I have a goal to run in every city/town/village we visit.

And it never fails, running a few miles (at most I'll run about 7 miles which is approximately an hour of running time for me with photo stops) gives me a chance to feel like a local and see things i wouldn't normally see. I love it.

K on the shores of Lough Eske

Tripping over history

Everywhere and it's spectacular. Grianan of Aileach Ring Fort just outside of Derry. This was redone in late 1880's but is quite the impressive site with fantastic views of the surrounding countryside. We were quite up high looking around.  A ring fort? It's huge and thought to be built about a 1,000 years ago. But wait there is some idea that the ring fort is not really a fort...

http://unknownswilly.wordpress.com/2012/07/05/defending-aileach/