KILARNEY
,
Ireland, Oct 18, 2011 - After a good night's sleep in Kilarney,
we hit the road pretty early. We had no particular plan
except to head south to Cork (see above map). We made up the
rest as we went. It turned out to be the longest and
probably the most exciting day of our Tour of Ireland.
After
several days of rain, our touring day started with a sparkling,
sunny morning. We made an impromptu stop at the lovely
Macroom, evidently on a market day in the center of town.
Elizabeth even got a crocheting lesson from a wool and yarn
merchant there (last photo in the album below).
Macroom Photo Album
We continued our road trip heading southeast toward Cork.
Once we got to Cork, we had no map and no idea where to go.
So we just followed our instincts. We parked on a side
street near a big church and started walking. We walked
right to the English Market, one of the places our Irish friends
said we should visit. We also saw quite a few interesting
sights. Overall, we have found Cork, the first real city
we have seen since Dublin, to be quite lovely. It looked
and felt like an Irish version of Venice, if you wish, with all
of its canals and bridges. Check it out...
Cork Photo Album
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Church near which we parked
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
English Market (only place where English was spoken in old days)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The logo of this store reminded us of my new Constantine deletion ring
|
|
|
|
Close-up of my Constantine deletion pilrgrimage ring
|
|
|
|
An interesting Huguenot cemetery
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Even though all of the above pictures show sunshine, we had to
endure a few rain showers while walking around Cork. But
they passed quickly and were replaced by sunshine. Which
also reminded us of home where the weather also changes every 15
mins.
Rainbows Before and After Cashel
We were also reminded of the Rainbow Shower shortly after
leaving Cork, heading up northward toward the Rock of Cashel, a
famous historical site in Ireland. Our visit there was
bracketed by "before and "after" rainbows, the first and the
only time we have seen them during our European Pilgrimage 2011.
The significance of that experience was to be revealed to me two
months later (see "A
Personal St. Patrick Story" below).
The left rainbow showed up on our way to Cashel, the other three
after we had left it, and were passing through Tipperary enroute
to Limerick (see above map).
I have been to Cashel once before - in 1998 with my
Irish-American friend Peter from Chicago. But it was only
this time around that I noticed that St. Patrick, the patron
saint of Ireland and of yours truly, too, had also been there
and left his mark in a big way. In 450 AD, he baptized the
king of Munster there. And the enormous cathedral, built
in the early 12th century at this magnificent site, also bears
his name. Only ruins of it remain today. In fact,
the Rock of Cashel is also known as the Rock of St. Patrick, as
you can see from the inscription in one of the photos in the
album below...
But first, I want to share with you this view of a Celtic cross
towering over the fields below the Rock of Cashel/St Patrick.
This is my favorite shot from our visit. Maybe it's
just me, but I find something truly awe-inspiring in that scene.
Notice also how the top of the cross is perfectly aligned with
the top of the distant mountains. I did not realize that
until just now. So credit for such perfection goes to the Divine
presence at this holy site.
Cashel - Photo Album
|
|
|
|
Rock of Cashel - Rock of St Patrick history
|
|
|
|
File photo - sans the scaffolding which we saw
|
|
|
|
Rock of St Patrick
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By the way, what you don't see in the pictures is the blast of
wind which made Cashel a very cold place during our visit.
On our way out of town, we stopped at a local gift shop. A
young lady who worked there said they had snow on the ground
that morning. Indeed, there were a few white flakes
fluttering about even as we were leaving, sunshine and all.
We continued driving from Cashel to Tipperary, Limerick,
ultimately aiming for the Cliffs of Moher. But as I kept
reminding Elizabeth who was very excited to see them, there was
no guarantee we would be able to get there before sunset.
It is a long way. And the roads after Shannon are rather
sketchy. That much I did remember from my last visit there
in 1998.
Along the way, we snapped a couple of pictures... of a house
with a thatched roof (left) and of Bunrarry Castle, a place we
intended to visit on our last day in Ireland, before flying out
of Shannon.
A
Personal St. Patrick Story
Okay, and now here's my personal St. Patrick story. First,
those of you who know me well also know that I arrived in North
America
on St. Patrick's Day in 1970. Before then, I had never
even heard of St. Patrick. Ever since, however, I have
been celebrating it as my North American birthday (see
Bob's
"Irish Roots", 1970-present).
I have always felt an amazing affinity to and great
relationships with the Irish people in my life. I even spoke
some Gaelic words in 2002 out of the blue without knowing where
they came from.
So when I had my last channeling session with Ahtun Re on Dec
16, an ancient Egyptian spirits who ascended 3,500 years ago, I
asked him what my linkage to St Patrick is all about.
Ahtun Re has access to Akashic Records where history of the
universe and of all the souls is kept. He told me that in the
5th century AD, which is when St. Patrick lived, I was also
incarnated as a Celt (Irishman) by the name of Lough (Luc in
English) Tuluum. Lough met and befriended St. Patrick when
he was kept as a slave in Ireland (click
here for his bio). Eventually, Luc helped him escape
from slavery, Ahtun Re said. And that's how this
1,600-year soul bond was forged.
Here's an excerpt from St Patrick's bio in Wikipedia:
When he was about 16, he was captured from Wales by Irish raiders
and taken as a slave to
Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning
to his family. After entering the Church,
he returned to Ireland as an ordained bishop in the north and west
of the island, but little is known about the places where he worked.
By the seventh century, he had come to be revered as the patron
saint of Ireland.
TO BE CONTINUED... at Cliffs of Moher.
Love & Light and everything bright...
on St. Patrick's Day in 1970. Before then, I had never
even heard of St. Patrick. Ever since, however, I have
been celebrating it as my North American birthday (see
Bob's
"Irish Roots", 1970-present).
I have always felt an amazing affinity to and great
relationships with the Irish people in my life. I even spoke
some Gaelic words in 2002 out of the blue without knowing where
they came from. 