My Irish Retreat

While this trip has not turned out as planned, I still have to pinch myself to believe that I am actually in Dublin. It has been my deepest desire to stand on Irish lands just as my ancestors did. I have wanted to sink into my roots, into this land and the people. My time here has given me that opportunity. So with Covid and all my experiences, I am grateful to be here. Today I masked up and took the bus to the middle of Dublin. I spent time walking around and looking at all the beautiful old architecture. I tried to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College, but all the times were filled.  I toured the Anglican St. Patrick’s church. It was fascinating. They had an audio guide. Not only did I learn about the church but also the history of the city. I then took a tour of the Teeling Whiskey Distillery for my son-in-law, Tom, and Dave Wettstein. I knew they would appreciate my newfound knowledge. Did you know Irish whiskey is distilled three times? And did you know whiskey gets its co...

At last,  I am leaving my hotel hermitage. First, I give thanks for this place and all the staff in the hotel, from reception to housekeeping to room service. They all cared for me. While I was in isolation I was never alone.  And I give thanks that I was staying in a hotel with these amenities available! I ordered breakfast this morning, after having survived the last 3 days on my previous breakfast and it did not disappoint!    I packed my extra fruit into my suitcase and backpack. I will enjoy it later. I have become practiced at using the apps to find buses and trains. I found a bus, about a 10 minute walk from my hotel, to take me to Dublin. Meanwhile, Reception called to check on me again and I told them I was nearly ready to go. I almost felt sad leaving my space that had become my sanctuary and headed down to the elevator. I stopped near the front desk and told everyone thank you and goodbye. They all knew me. They call me Miss Eileen. It was sweet parting....

This afternoon, I thought I should venture out to see this place where I had been this past week. It was a way to town from the hotel, but once I arrived, it was so worth it. I was able to order an iced latte and a brownie, sit outside in the town square, and watch the people. Being around people and hearing them talk about their everyday lives was refreshing. Next, I ventured off to a walk around town. After coming across St. Nicolas Church, which is a beautiful old historic church, I came upon this beautiful mural of St. Brigid. I had seen it online with a group in Ireland I belong to, but what a delight it was to come upon it. I got a bit of St. Brigid even if I was not able to go to her shrine. You will note that one side shows her as a saint and the other as a Goddess. Then I wandered down to the river and the bay I could glimpse from my hotel room. The tide was out, but I took some time to watch the birds at play. Then, I wandered into St. Helen’s Park. It is a beautiful park...

 What is next? That is the big question.  I contacted my travel insurance carrier and they said I would need a PCR test for me to be reimbursed for my travel plans. I was able to arrange a test but it is some distance away. It is day 5 since my first test, so I arranged a taxi with the front desk. At 9:30 I went outside with my kn95 mask and told the driver I had Covid and that I needed a PCR test. I was not sure if he was going to take me, but after talking with his boss and deciding it was day 5 he would take me. We left the windows open a bit and I sat as from him as possible. Please pray with me he does not get it. He has had it before and he needs gallbladder surgery soon!🙏🙏🙏 I told him that I am scheduled to fly tomorrow but trying to find a plane for Monday, which will be 10 days since onset. Believe me I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out when it will be safe for me to fly. I have relied a lot on my friend Scotti and her daughter Erin who is in the health...

 I awoke this morning feeling better: no headache, no aches or pains, no coughing jags. My nose is still stuffy, I still cough from the sinus drainage, my chest muscles hurt some from so much coughing these last days, but I can tell I have crossed over the worst of it. At least it would seem so right now. I am thinking about going out for a walk. Today is the first time in several days I have even considered a walk. I have felt too fatigued and miserable.  For several days now, I have watched out my window and wondered about the people who walk with a dog in the field across from me. I wonder where the trail leads and if it leads to the ocean. I wonder when it is low tide and high tide. The ocean is just far enough away that I cannot make it out. The days have been so cloudy it is sometimes difficult to tell where the ocean and sky separate. And then I wonder, if I were to walk, how long it would take for me to reach the ocean. Soon I may know. Soon I may know. I give thanks f...

 This morning I woke feeling very rough. My head aches, my coughing is coming in fits and my upper body aches. I am grateful for the Tylenol I bought in Kilkenny and the nose spray I had the good sense to bring and most especially in this moment a long hot shower to sooth me and a hot cup of coffee to comfort me. My little hermitage has many comforts. But most on my mind is that it is the morning of  July 25th, 8:00 in the morning Irish time. It is 1:00 in the morning at home in Idaho. People are sleeping. My thoughts carry me to my daughter. It is her birthday. Over the course of her years, there are few birthdays I have missed celebrating with her. When I planned this trip I knew I would be missing this day with her, but because of the scheduling of the retreats I could not see a way around it. But she is my first thought this morning long before she awakes. I hope she knows my deep love for her and my deepest desires for her comfort and happiness. A parent’s love always car...

 Things are not going the way I planned. I think that is the pilgrimage part of this journey. Friday evening my throat felt scratchy. I thought, maybe I am dehydrated, I have not had much to drink today. Then waking up Saturday morning my throat was very sore and I was congested. Before starting out to walk Brigid’s Way, I decided I should find a Covid test. The taxi that was going to take me to Brigid’s Way took me to the pharmacy. I got the test, went back to the hotel, and sure enough, I have Covid. I got more achy as the day went on, and probably have been running a fever. My throat is very sore, and I am very congested. The coughing continued to get worse as the day went on.  I have had to cancel my motel in Armagh and St. Patrick’s Way. It looks like I will be spending the rest of my pilgrimage in my hotel room in Dundalk with a distant view of the ocean and rolling hills. The hotel staff has been very nice and concerned for me.  They let me know they that they can ...

  The day started early so that I could be up and packed to walk into town and catch the 8:15 ferry. I woke to a perfect sunny, windless sky. What a beautiful day to cross the sea to Galway. As I load and sit on the ferry, I hear the languages of Gaelic, German, French, and English. On the island, I learned that there is a commitment to caring for each other and the island. There are 750 people on the island, and according to our bus driver, everyone knows everyone and their business! Every day, something is picked up for recycling. Monday is food, Tuesday is plastics, Wednesday is paper, Thursday is cans, and Friday is glass. They have a recycling center on this 12-mile island. Local fish is served at the restaurant. To get a bag at the grocery store, you have to pay 70 cents, but they are heavier than our bags and can be reused. I learned that they would like windmills for energy, but the government has not allowed them because they are so unattractive. Many people do have solar....

The last Day of my Inis Mor Celtic Pilgrimage Musing and meditation during my visit to The Seven Churches, the Beehive hut, and the Dolman.    The Seven Churches are one of the largest monastic foundations and pilgrimage centers along Ireland's west coast. Three Beehive Huts or Clochán na Carraige is one of Ireland's best examples of an old dry stone beehive hut. The hut dates from the early Christian period. They were used by early monks to live in solitary and prayerful isolation. A monastery would be nearby. The Dolman, or Portal Tombs, were created between 3000 BC and 2000 BC and are generally considered tombs, though they may also have had a ritual significance. It is incredible to step on these ancient grounds of significance.  What is this Celtic Calling? That moves through the wind, the buoyancy of the seas, the mystery of spirit, the longing of the soul. This calling to cross the sea, amble in the soft grass, search the cloud-covered skies, and sit with the ances...