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Sunday was grand! We met downtown to take a bus to the ferries about an hour away, then we boarded this giant passenger ferry to the Aran Islands. Once on land again, we rented bicycles. I hadn't rode one since middle school, so I was stoked. We secured our "fast" helmets and took off, single file on the left side of a single lane road. We pedaled over stones and dirt, up hills and around bends, down the coast and through the quaint countryside, for four miles. Tough ride. My thighs and ass were feeling the burn. But it was so gorgeous and felt fantastic to be excercising with the wind on my cheeks that I didn't mind the slight pain. After riding to the other side of the island, we parked our bikes and headed into a bed/breakfast type place where we were served a glorious lunch of tea sandwiches (we had a choice of meat, tuna, cheese, or egg salad with cucumber and lettuce), biscuits and butter, hot soup, and then tea and dessert. Best damn lunch I've ever had! I took a picture of the sandwiches and biscuits, even! After refueling, we hiked up a mountainside to this fantastic old fort of stone walls. I'm forever amazed by the Irish handiwork in stone-laying. When I buy a home, I refuse to put up fences or brick walls. I want stone! The top or center of the fort was situated on these magnificent cliffs without any human-built barriers or railings to prevent falls off the edge. In order to get an optimal view of the crashing waves below, we laid on our bellies and army-crawled forward to the edge to look over. Three words to describe the sight: Buiochas le dia! Ay dios mio. Oh mon dieu. In any language, it's just as breathtaking! The hike down was spent in reflection and peace. The 4 mile bike ride back to the docks was tiring and hard, but every so often I would drift into a daydream of wonder and amazement at the beauty of this place. I can't imagine ever leaving.