Hopes & Prayers

A big day out - we rendezvoused in Bantry for a coffee and scone with our pals Robert and Finola then headed off to the wild and rugged Beara Peninsula. First stop Zetland Pier where everything was looking silvery and still. Then on to Castletownbere and a furtive mooch around a derelict convent on the look out for some stained glass windows - no luck, they had been removed. Then on to our main destination, -Dzogchen Beara, a Buddhist temple in the most scenic position, teetering over the cliffs. They provide retreats here, or you can just stay and unwind, and there is also a hospice where your final days can be met with dignity and compassion. It also has an excellent café with some incredible views. You are free to wander, enjoy the space or simply sit in the silent garden with its fragrant camomile lawn. They are in the middle of building an enormous stoupa/temple and this little building was the first signifier of greater things to come. It remined me so much of a rag tree with all the hopes and prayers fluttering.
And yes, there was a holy well - actually a double one, high up on the hills overlooking Castletownbere. I got there first - and in my pic the others are gasping and pointing as a hare had just emerged from the rushes and was bounding off, leaving a spray of water behind him, Magic.

Thanks so much to all those who've already had a listen to the dulcet tones from yesterday! Feedback has been encouraging :)