Week 5.2 Leenaun

Sorry for the delay in entries.  The Cafe was without reasonable internet for a few days and today I've been felled by a cold which started to hit me about 15 minutes after saying "it's remarkable neither of us have fallen ill on this trip."  I really should know better. I also seem to jinx businesses.  I'm sorry I said "it's remarkable Golf Ball World is still in business" because it was out of business the next time we drove by.  Sorry, Golf Ball World.  Anyway. 

Thursday, I reluctantly admit, was my birthday and so we decided to take a short trip somewhere.  We settled on the nearby village of Leenane and the Killary Harbour as it promised spectacular scenery and some nice walks.  Our lovely new friends D and J were very kind to drive us there and back and the drive was absolutely stunning.  At 2:30 we had booked a cruise on the Killary harbour: Ireland's only fjord.  Having never seen a fjord (this will be the year of fjords-- we'll see more later in the spring), I had to plead ignorance and look up what a fjord is: "a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity."  But I bet you knew that.
 I was convinced our new friend D was teasing me when he said that there was a money back guarantee on the cruise that you wouldn't get seasick. But he wasn't.  And it wasn't a problem at all. The cruise itself was gorgeous and I learned a lot about the history, geology, and aquaculture of the area.  It was very cold but wonderful to be out there and see such breathtaking scenery and hear about some pretty heartbreaking history. Up these steep rocky cliffs, you could see deep furrows in the land (called lazy beds) where they attempted to grow potatoes.  When you see these furrows, the inhospitable landscape, and the rocky terrain, you see the determination and the desperation of the times. 
In the evening (which was even colder) we went to two of the pubs-- well, both of the pubs.  One of them, I was intrigued to learn, was where they filmed scenes from the movie The Field.  Much of the film was shot around Leenane.  I remember the film being incredibly moving and heartbreaking: it added some interesting layers to being in this space. It was pretty incredible-- in it's truest sense of the word-- to be here on my birthday.
Below are photos from the cruise of the fjord.