December 2014 until December 2015 ~ starting with Sandduning in Peru .....

To visiting the condors in the Colca Valley and flying above the Nasca Lines ...

To paying tribute to ancient Inca burials ...

Times in Lima ...

Then flight to Iquitos and onto the Amazon ...

Visiting San Pedro tripal village up the Amazon ...

Back to the hostel in Cusco ...

Visiting sacred floating on Lake Titicaca ... 

Dearest Jill, we will miss you, forever.  THANK YOU ...

Helen turns vegetarian in her new kitchen.  Yum yum!  I miss your meals!

Back in Burnaby!

Many people have memories of times in Auntie Evelyn's Victorian house by the sea, 38 Seapoint Avenue.  It has been sold and here is the notice to request permission to refurbish and alter the 'protected structure' of this wonderful place.

 

Camino Trail, pilgrimage, here I come!

Since my last blog and writing in Inish Turk I have been back in the Dublin area, meeting up with Arran and Teresa and spending times with family and friends.  Later I first went to Roscommon and spent a week in the beautiful Abbey Hotel pool, helping  a couple of women get over their nervousness and get their legs kicking in the water.  Then I took a bus to county Sligo and visited several of W.B. Yeats haunts and stayed in a hostel in Strandhill beside the sea.  Had great fun assisting a group of volunteers for two days with autistic children surfing in the aquamarine seas of the Atlantic.  After Sligo I went to Donegal and spend a wonderful week in Malin Head, the most northerly point of Ireland; stayed at the Sandrock Hostel, walked a lot, met lovely people, and saw basking sharks leaping happily from the sea!  Saw Danncing at Lughnasa in Letterkenny, spent a night in my favourite hostel in Galway, cycled to the Killarney Lakes, briefly visited Cork in the south of Ireland and returned to Dublin on a sad note.  One of my best friends had passed away a couple of days before.  I was glad to be in Ireland to spend some time with her in July and later with her family.  I feel privileged also to have been in Ireland when my favourite English teacher died at a good ninety plus year old age.

It was especially good to be here for my cousin Helen's 70th birthday party, August 31st.

I have so many memories, this blog cannot begin to describe!  Meantime, close up now.  I will go to see my lovely 96 year old Auntie Evelyn soon and before I leave for Madrid this afternoon.  It has been a wonderful three months and now, my Camino pilgrimage! 

Writing workshop on Inishturk Island July 19 - 26, 2015

Our little ferry from the mainland to Inishturk

Looking down at the ferry, the church and the house where four of us stayed

View of Crogh Patrick on the mainland from our place at the bottom of the hill and a few steps from the ferry on the island of Inishturk.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ISLAND
Inishturk is a small beautiful island, 5km x 2.5km, located 9 miles (14.5km) off the west coast of Mayo, between the islands of Inishbofin and Clare Island. It rises boldly from the wild North Atlantic in wall like-cliffs to the north-west and steep hills to the north on which stands the ruins of the old Napoleonic signal tower 688 ft above sea level.

Only some of the very happy sheep on Inishturk

Inishturk, meaning ‘the Island of the Wild Boar’ in Irish, has been inhabited on and off since 4,000BCE and in its present phase since at least 1700. The old settlers seem to have congregated at the southwest corner round the beautiful little harbour of Portdoon, where there is ample archeological evidence of their presence. The ancestry of the current population includes Wicklow, Wexford and Galway. Some of the dominant names include O’Toole, Heanue and Concannon, names from Leinster, Ulster as well as the nearby Connemara Gaeltacht.

Traditionally islanders have emigrated since the famine, to America and England. As a result, the island is now English speaking, although at the beginning of the 20th century irish was the first language. Inishturk has a good main harbour with a new improved pier, fine beaches and many interesting archeological sites.

Walking down a little road to Mary's house

Geologically Inishturk dates from the Ordovician period. Two separate folds of schists and shales rise out of the Atlantic to form Inishturk, which is a continuation of the same folds as Croagh Patrick on the Mayo mainland.

Inishturk has much to offer the outdoor enthusiast – it is a painter’s paradise; ornithology enthusiasts will be enthralled by the number of bird sanctuaries on the island cliffs. The flora of inishturk is of international importance, The Spotted Rock-Rose (Tuberaria guttata), a rare endangered plant, is found here. Fiadh have been located on the island. 

Walking across island of Inishturk

The island is ideal for deep sea diving and boat trips to the neighbouring islands can be easily organised; Celtic and early Christian fortified habitations are to be found and many fulachta. 

On the eastern side of the island are “Tranaun” and “Curraun”- sandy beaches which boast the clearest blue waters and some of the best views in Europe. Completely sheltered by coves, they are ideal for young and old alike to indulge in a bit of swimming.
Fishing for the Inishturk lobster and the Islands’s huge edible crabclaws are the main commercial activity on the Island, these along with the many coastal fish are served fresh in the island’s B & B’s. 



The waters off the west coast of mayo offer excellent bait for angling enthusiasts. Boat trips can be arranged on the Island.

Monument, sea fishing connecting families to home land

Not only do dogs love the rhythm and flow of the sea!

Bathing belles who love to write ...

Connie dressed warm to watch the swimmers!

Back to Gus' place for a 'one on one' writing workshop

Reading a favourite 'final product' after five days of workshops ~  in the bar on Wednesday night

One of our many meals in the community centre

Rita attacks her enormous pile of fish ...

Some of us relaxing after a tasty meal