Inishmaan

Now writing up my journal on the journey home, I've changed the title of yesterday's blip to celebrate finally meeting the Mermaid that TJ has always promised to be. The tropical weather has brought out her essential nature!

There is no point on Inishmaan which is more than a mile from the sea. Despite it being the quietest of the islands (see TJ's blip here) it still seems surprising to me that on our walk around the coastline we encountered so very few people. Not so few, though, that our skinny dipping went completely undisturbed. And, with only a handful of places to stay and eat on the island, it was inevitable that we met the same people at dinner in the evening!!

The locals were telling us that the Aran Islands are Ireland's best kept secret, that the weather is always like this in summer: thirty degrees and clear blue skies. It actually seemed possible they were telling the truth. There is a barrenness to parts of the island which suggests an aridity that belongs to a hot climate. There are large tracts of flat limestone pavement, almost perfectly smooth and unblemished, where no plants have managed to get a hold. There are small fields, enclosed by beautifully constructed walls, which are almost entirely covered in limestone pavement and devoid of vegetation. You could be in a desert. I've never seen anything quite like it before.

The beach shown here is in the north-east corner of Inishmaan. There were a few people around but they disappeared pretty much as we arrived and we soon had this stretch of sand all to ourselves. Perhaps it was that strong Mermaid energy at work? The water was actually warm for swimming. With the white sand and turquoise clear water it was easy to believe we were on a deserted tropical island. We pretended we were!

Sadly, though, we couldn't linger as long as we had the previous day because we were booked on a ferry back to Doolin on the mainland. We did still linger a bit too long, however, as we found ourselves struggling to get to the pier on time. It looked like we were going to have to run (no surprise there for people who know me!), not a welcome prospect in the intense heat and with rucksacks, but then we caught sight of the ferry on its way from the big island of Inishmore and calculated that a run wouldn't be necessary after all. We arrived in time to watch the boat approach ... and then sail straight past. It turned out that they'd lost record of having to pick anyone up from this less frequented of the islands. A few phone calls later and a fast rib was dispatched to pick us up. We enjoyed a bit of VIP treatment at the ferry company's expense. They actually looked after us very well.

The day concluded with a drive up the coast to Kinvara, stopping en route for some food at Linnane's, a fabulous sea food restaurant which completely lived up to its reputation. By the time we reached our accommodation for the night we were fit only to crash. It's strange how often we contrive to have these days which are totally full-on and very relaxed at one and the same time!

PS Thanks to everyone who has left hearts and stars and comments while we've been away on this little adventure. I'm in catch-up mode at the moment. Just wanted to acknowledge once again your kindness and generosity. It means the world to the both of us. You are the most lovely people.