Last Days of Celtic Charm

By Ron and Kathryn Ivey

Since our last update, we left Belfast and drove south to visit our friends in Dublin. We were warmly welcomed by Donovan and Wilma Graham in their home just south of Dublin. The Grahams have been in Ireland for the past 3 years with World Harvest caring for the missionaries. They were so gracious to host us for three days and we felt a little bit like we had come home to the States. They took excellent care of us during our stay. There home always smelled of goodness, as it was likely that Wilma was cooking up a delicious meal or dessert (our favorite was banafie pie!). Another favorite, Donovan introduced us to hot chocolate with Baileys – it is like liquid sweetness in your mouth! On our last night with the Grahams, we went to dinner by the coast in little town called Greystones. As you see below, the restaurant was decorated for Christmas and even provided us with poppers - a favorite tradition on the British Isles. Here are Donovan and Wilma opening their poppers and wearing the crown.(I'm sure Donovan appreciates me putting this in).





The Grahams also took us out to one of their favorite spots in the rural Wicklow mountains outside of Dublin, the monastery ruins of Glendelough. We understood why St. Kevin found this place so beautiful and peaceful over 1000 years ago and started a place of retreat and prayer. Glendelough (Valley of the Lake in Gaelic) is now a series of ruins and a beautiful lake amidst the Wicklows.





We also learned from our tour of the Guinness Factory, that from these same Wicklow Mountains flows water used for Guinness. Maybe that's why the Guinness tastes better here! In Dublin city centre, we enjoyed the tour thoroughly and the free pint of Guiness at the top of the factory even better.





We also visited the famous Book of Kells, a beautifully hand written and decorated version of the Bible from the Golden Age of Ireland. Trinity College Library, which housed the Book of Kells, also had an impressive hall of ancient and rare texts. We also spent a day downtown in Dublin in the main shopping district, Grafton Square. Imagine a quintessential Christmas shopping area filled with shoppers, carolers (they were a lively group of ladies!) and decorated with Christmas lights.



After Dublin we were off to Scotland to visit Edinburgh and Inverness. In Edinburgh, we wandered around cobble stone streets filled with Gothic spires, castles and cozy restaurants and pubs. We stayed at a quaint bed and breakfast a short bus ride from city centre. During the short days (we only had a few hours of sunlight) we explored the city streets of old town and new town (new as in 1700s). Old town's primary road, the Royal Mile connected the Queen's Palace at Holyrood House and the impressive Edinburgh castle high on a rocky crag in the middle of the city. Here are some pictures of a pair of pipers playing along the Royal Mile and the view of Edinburgh Castle from the park below.





We had a blast enjoying crepes, sugar roasted almonds, Christmas cookies and hot lemonade at an open air German Christmas market. Vendors sold all kinds of goods and treats in small cabin like kiosks. Unfortunately, we were too full each night from our dinners or we probably would have went back every evening for dessert. Speaking of food, in Scotland they have best soup. I can't remember the Gaelic name but its a thick broth of smoked haddock – a great find after a cold walk. We had it one evening and went looking all over for it again to no avail. Here are some fun pictures of the Christmas market and the carnival next to the market.





In one of our walks to a monument overlooking the city we took some pictures of the city that give you a taste of the romantic Edinburgh skyline.





After Edinburgh, we took a scenic bus trip up to Inverness, the gateway to the Scottish highlands. In Inverness, we stayed in the home of JD and Jenny Bump. They gave us an amazing gift by letting us use their home for three nights while they stayed at their parents house down the street. A huge blessing, this enabled us to have our own place to cook meals, wash laundry(we were beginning to smell by this point!) and just relax by the fireplace. This sign of kindness to people they had barely known showed true hospitality. Still, being away from home days before Christmas made us homesick and long for fellowship and family back home. It made us realize the blessing of community.

JD(aka Bump) took us around the area to see the sights of Loch Ness and help us find a bottle of scotch to take back for the fellas. Here are some pictures of the River Ness and the Loch Ness. Unfortunately, no sitings of Nessie were made as we traveled the shores of the Loch...Maybe next time....





Sorry for the LONG update!!! We just can't keep up! We are actually in Paris this week celebrating the New Year and taking in the beauty of the Parisians....our London update will be coming next!

Much Love and Happy New Year!
Kathryn and Ron

West Side Story

By Kathryn Ivey

Ron and I have made our way up the west coast of Ireland into Northern Ireland and back down to Dublin. It has been an interesting journey to go from the countryside to the cities of Belfast and Dublin, and to go from the Republic to the North.

On our way out of Galway, we drove to the Cliffs of Moher...and I'm not sure how to articulate what we saw! It was overwhelming. The cliffs plummeted to the sea and the sheer size of the coastline against the sea was unbelievable! We unfortunately hit it on a very, very windy day - we're talking gusts that made you feel like you had just jumped out of an airplane (hence my hair in the photo below). However, we had tons of fun taking in the views while balancing to keep upright!





We then headed up the western coast to spend the next few days at the Holy Hill Hermitage, an ecumenical monastery right outside the town of Sligo. We both were not sure what to expect, but in the end it was a very fruitful time. Holy Hill is a monastic community that is committed to helping people of all faiths experience the Lord through the beauty of His wilderness, reflection, and time away from the hustle and bustle of the world. The sisters we met had a tranquil and thoughtful way of life coupled with a warmth and lively spirit. We stayed in our own small "hermitage" (pictured below) and really spent our time reading and writing! I read 5 out of the 7 Chronicles of Narnia within 2 days! They had an amazing library with over 6,000 books, a great fireplace, and a lampost alluding to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Our hermitage also gave Ron and I quite a romantic setting as we shared a twin bed every night we were there - romantic in a sarcastic sense of course!



The hermitage was located right outside of the bustling town of Sligo. However, the only time we really spent in Sligo was when we snuck away from the hermitage to eat McDonalds and use the internet (which by the way was only available at the McDonalds!). But seriously, we did have a wonderful time at the monastary, and we also were able to go on a driving tour that took us to various spots that inspiried many of the poems W.B. Yeats wrote-and the scenery was breathtaking! Below is a picture of some swans during our drive around the "Yeats Spots."



We then took a pitstop on our way to Belfast through a quaint coastal town called Portrush on the northern coast of Ireland. Even though we were farther north than Juneau, Alaska, the weather was beautiful!! We found a hotel that looked out over the beach, and we took a quick stroll through town before heading out again.....to the Giant's Causeway! This geologic anomaly was yet again, breathtaking! Thankfully we had a day full of sun as we hiked up to the edge of the cliffs and then down below to where the hexagonal, black rock formations jutted from the shore. The waves sounded like jet airplanes as they rolled across the rocks. Again, we where overwhelmed by the expansiveness of the scenery.





From the northern coast, we traveled to Belfast to visit our new friends Richard and Lisa Treacy. We met them for dinner at their favorite place in Hillsborough south of Belfast. We instantly connected and had great conversations. They were so gracious to invite us to stay with them for a night. We had a wonderful and relaxing time at their home. The best was sitting at their kitchen table one night drinking tea with biscuits and enjoying the craic (that's the Irish phrase for having fun conversations) until 1 AM!!! The next morning, Richard took us around Belfast with his buddy Don, who was the former chaplain for the prision that held both IRA and Ulster terrorists during the Troubles. It was eye opening to see all the murals painted on various walls around the city stating their loyalty and threatening retribution to those in opposition. You could really feel the tension that still existed to a certain degree in these areas. Don has started a cool business in which at first glance is a secondhand furniture/clothing retail shop for those in need, but with a closer look, it's really his way of helping to reconcile the Catholic community and the Protestant community. Often, he will receive a used couch from a Catholic person and it ends up in a Protestant home. He prays for the families as this interchange is made. What a vision!





We were sad to leave Belfast and our new friends, but we were due to arrive in Dublin. We made a pit stop on the way to Dublin to Adrien Bailie's showroom. Adrian, a friend of the Treacy's, is a top interior designer in Ireland. The Treacy's were generous to set up some time for me to meet Adrian and "talk shop" with him:) I thoroughly enjoyed our time there, and seeing Andrian's creative/beautiful style really inspired me! You can check out his website at
http://www.adrian-interiors.com/.

Our next entry is coming soon which is about our time in Dublin and then Scotland! We miss you all immensely, and with Christmas just 4 days away, it does get lonely at times thinking of not being with you all during this time. Howver, the Lord has blessed us greatly with the friends and family we have spent time with thus far! We have really come to realize how important community is!!! We love you all, and will be in touch soon!

Peace, Love, and Merry Christmas!

Kathryn and Ron

We Have Arrived

By Ron Ivey

Kathryn and I are entering day 6 in our journey across Ireland. We've
met some friendly people, seen breathaking scenery and learned much
about the history of this magical island.

In these past 6 days, we've seen over 10 rainbows, walked along
beaches with the most amazing waves, seen landscaps with colors so
bright and stark that it doesn't seem real. The weather has been a
mix of rain and sun, seemingly more sun on the days we have been
sightseeing.



We first stayed in a bed and breakfast outside Kilkenny, a cozy
village a couple hours south of Dublin. We toured the town, the local
castle and enjoyed our first genuine Irish Guiness (tastes much better
here in country). Our hosts the Nolans, were a kind, Irish couple in
their fifties. There house was a bit cold, but the fireplace and the
electric blanket helped warm us up after a blustery day. We enjoyed
our first Irish breakfast (which typically consists of a fried egg,
boiled tomatoes, sausage, bacon, toast, and soda bread along with tea
and/or coffee) looking out on a rainbow and rolling green
pastures...seriously!



The next day we visited the impressive Rock of Cashel where the
ancient Irish Kings of Muenster held court. In the 5th century St
Patrick baptized the King of Muenster, but during the ceremony he
accidently stabed the King in the foot with his scepter. The King
thought it was part of the ceremony and he bit his tongue. The wind
was so strong at the top of the castle that boards and scaffolding
were coming off. Kat about blew away!! :)





For the next two days we stayed on the Dingle Peninsula on the west
coast of Ireland. Our hosts were a young couple, Ian and Rachel Smith,
and their young daughter Katlyn.
Their home, an old Irish cottage, was so welcoming and warm, with a
huge fireplace and comfortable living room. We felt like part of their
family and wished we could have stayed longer than a few days. Ian
was a great host and guide to the area. Plus we had breakfast from
their garden (fresh mushrooms and tomatoes) and fresh eggs from their
ducks. We felt like we were in the shire!



This part of Ireland is very wild, rugged and beautiful. The people
here speak Gaelic and love traditional Irish music. We took a drive
around the peninsula and saw some of the most beautiful and
overwhelmingly expansive views of bright green fields tumbling into
the rocky, green blue sea. Also on this drive were ancient ruins
from celtic warrior people and the ruins of the Irish monastaries.
The Gallurus oratory is a simple and impressive reminder of the time
of St. Brendan and his disciples studying and copying the Gospels and
whatever literature they could get their hands on. We also saw the
rocky crag rising out of the ocean where many of the great works of
western civilization were kept safe from the illiterate vikings and
barbarians. The people here were very proud of their heritage and the
landscapes.



Our next stop was the town of Galway, an old fishing port where the
Spanish would land for trade. Its now a booming university town and
tourist mecca. As with our other stops, we are some of the few
tourists, so most of the people in town were likely students or
related to the university. Last night we hopped around to different
pubs to listen to local tradtional irish bands play music. In one of
the pubs, Tig Coule, there were a band of 7 musicians sitting around a
big table. It looked like they all came seperately each bringing
their own instruments (fiddles, mandolin, guitar, gaelic drums, flute)
This was one of our favorite experiences!

Well, we are getting back on the road again and heading to Sligo, home
of WB Yeates. We are staying at a monastary there, Holy Hill
Hermatige where they are committed to helping people like us step into
the beauty of nature and listen to the Lord. We will be there for
three days and will write soon. Next week we will visit the Treacys
in Belfast and the Grahams and Robert Short in Dublin, all friends of
our friends back in the US. We miss you all and are so thankful for
the encouragment to go on this trip. We are learning much about each
other and ourselves in this journey.

Much love,
Ron and Kathryn