Happy Friday, everyone! As the heat continues to bake nice and crisp here in Texas, a friend who lives in Switzerland sent pictures of a new snowfall there. Just goes to show that nothing is the same.
I will share a few more pictures from my Ireland adventure. As I reflect back on them, my heart fills with gratitude for the opportunity. It was truly special to me.
I will start with the day we visited Inis Mor on the Aran Islands. The water was very rough that day, and anyone prone to motion sickness had a challenge on the ferry that transported us. The island is most famous for the wool sweaters that are made there. Our guide said the entire island is 11 miles long and 3 1/2 miles wide, with a very long history dating back to 490 AD. There is one bank on the island, and it’s only open one day a week. And yes, even though it was cool and windy, there were people in the water in the second picture and on the beach. Not my cup of tea. The climb to the top of the cliffs on Inis Mor is just a little under a mile but steep and rocky. I had to stop once and rest on the way up. And, as the photo of me at the top shows, the wind was blowing fiercely. There is a distinct difference in the way the rock fences are stacked on the island compared to the other parts of Ireland we visited. I loved the horse and donkey that obviously came looking for a handout. 🙂
I loved visiting the Aughnanure Castle. We got to go inside, and it is remarkably well-preserved. Our guide there explained that the murder hole was a real thing and a very effective defense against enemies. If anyone managed to make it through the heavy front door, there were archers poised above the hole to kill them immediately. Notice how thick the walls were. And, of course, there was a dungeon.
A night on the town in Galway City with the group was super fun. My meal was called Irish Bacon and Cabbage. It was more like what we could call ham. And the Espresso Martini was delicious!
I had hoped to hear some authentic Irish music, and we found this at The King’s Head pub in Galway.
The next few places we visited were breathtaking and so rich in history. The matchmaking festival is apparently quite popular, and people come from all over the world hoping to find their mates. I hope you’re not overloaded with all the photos, but I promise this is the last post about Ireland (for a while, anyway).
Many have asked me my favorite place to visit, and honestly, the Cliffs of Morher sit at the top of that list. It had rained hard all that day, and my rain jacket failed me leaving me soaked. So, our coach driver, Billy, loaned me his jacket and hat. I was grateful because I was wet and cold at that point. He strongly suggested that I indulge in a whiskey when I returned to the hotel, so I followed his advice. 🙂
The last night, a smaller group of us went for pizza (yes, pizza in Ireland), then it was farewell.
Oh, and I had to try some Irish dark chocolate. Delicious!
That’s it. I hope you enjoyed the journey recap with me.
In other news, as most of you have already seen, I have a new book available for pre-order, releasing in November, that is part of a series with eight other Story Empire authors. Mine is #5 in the Harbor Pointe Series.
The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.
BLURB:
What’s the point of having it all when you have no one to share it with?
Brandon Miller has his dream job, financial security, and he’s madly in love. Only one thing is missing—a commitment.
Angela Cooper’s ex-husband left her with deep scars, souring her on the concept of marriage. She’s not interested in a do-over. Not with Brandon or anyone. Her heart is locked securely away behind a thick wall.
With a ring in his pocket and hope in his heart, Brandon arranges a romantic getaway to the historic Harbor Pointe Inn, where he plans to pop the question.
Before they reach the inn, Angela’s got her camera in hand and ghosts on her mind. But they arrive to find a much more tangible horror.
Accident or foul play?
Someone is up to no good, and Angela is the next target. When suspects can be worldly or otherworldly, danger and secrets lurk everywhere.
Poised at the perilous edge of too late, Angela and Brandon face the fight of their lives.
I hope you’ll take a look at all of the books in the series! You can find them here: Harbor Pointe Series
Lastly, I want to give you all an update on the new water pillow. I have added two more cups of water to it and am loving it. I don’t wake up anymore with a stiff neck. So, thumbs up for the water pillow!
That’s it from me. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!
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Thank you for the vicarious tour from your trip, Jan. All the best with the new release!
Thank you, Mark!
Thanks for sharing your travels, Jan. Ireland looks amazing. I can almost see dragons soaring above those cliffs! Did you sign up to a group when you got there, or did you go with a group? It looks fun 🙂
It was a writer’s conference and there were only twelve authors. We did all the tours together as part of the conference package. And, yes! I agree about the dragons soaring above, and I could easily picture Viking ships sailing into the caves.
What a fabulous time it looks Jan. Amazing to see dungeons and murder holes! Thanks for sharing the music vid to give us a taste of Ireland. 🙂 x
Thank you, Debby. I’m glad you enjoyed traveling along with me!
I did! 🙂
So much in this post, Jan. Love the memories–I see the violin in one picture. Or maybe it’s a fiddle… And kudos on the new series!
Yes. The violin is very much a part of Irish music, Jacqui. It was so much fun. And thank you for the good wishes on the new series!
Wonderful memories of Ireland, Jan. The murder hole is so interesting. I haven’t seen one of this before. Congratulations on your new book and the series as a whole.
I thought so too, Robbie. Of course, the metal grate would not have been over it back in its day and is there for visitor safety now, but so interesting. I’m glad you enjoyed the journey and thanks for the congrats on the Harbor Pointe series!
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Ireland is near the top of the list of places we hope to travel to in the next few years. We’re starting to make plans.
I know you will enjoy it immensely, Pete. I certainly did. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!
LOVE everything about this post! Thank you for sharing your journey and your new book, Jan!
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
Thank you, Yvette. I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! Have a great weekend.
These pics are stunning, Jan! Looks like you had a wonderful time. Somehow I misssed the other Ireland posts, so I’ve got some catching up to do.
Lol, Teri. I have SO much catching up to do that it’s overwhelming. I’m glad you enjoyed today’s post and photos. Thanks for stopping by!
Beautiful photos of Ireland, Jan. I hope to get there someday. Yay for the Harbor Pointe Series! Xo
I hope to get to return there someday, Denise. So incredibly beautiful. And yes, yay for the Harbor Pointe series! Congrats to you!
Jan, I LOVED your photos! They are amazing. What a fantastic time you must have had. The scenery and surroundings are just breathtaking.
And I’ll add a “hip, hip, hooray!” on Harbor Pointe 🙂
Thank you, Mae. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. It was truly an amazing time I won’t ever forget. I wish the photos actually did the scenery justice, but they don’t. Thanks for the cheers on Harbor Pointe. I offer them right back to you!
Thank you, Jan, for sharing your photos of Ireland. I visited Ireland a few years back and found the people there very friendly. It looks like you had an enjoyable trip.
My deepest apologies, Linnea. For some reason, WordPress keeps putting your comments in Spam and I forget to look there. Thank you for visiting and leaving comments! Hugs!
Thank you for sharing the photos and details of your trip, Jan. Sounds like you had a great time.
It was truly wonderful, John. Thank you for stopping by, and glad you enjoyed the post. I wish you a great weekend ahead!
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What a wonderful trip this was. And what I like is that you got a taste of original Ireland in that pub. So cool! The castle is amazing. I like visiting old castles. We have so many around here and generally in Europe. Every castle has its specific energy… I don’t like to feel all of them. However, I am happy you had such a great time, Jan ?
I totally get what you are saying about each castle having its specific energy, and it’s not always good energy. So much tragedy has occurred throughout history. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. I’d love to visit your part of the globe someday. 🙂 Have a great weekend and thank you for your comment, Erika!
If ever you make it a bit closer, please, let me know ?Have a great weekend too ?
Your pictures have me longing to return to Ireland, Jan. Me and my sister are planning a trip for next year, so keeping my fingers and toes crossed we can go. Enjoy your weekend and thanks for sharing!
Oh, how wonderful, Mary. And what a special place to share with your sister. I would love to go back and see other parts of the beautiful Emerald Isle. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. Have a great weekend, too!
It looks like you had a wonderful time! I loved seeing all of the pictures! ??
Thank you, Kymber. I’m so glad you enjoyed the journey with me!
I love all your pictures! You were indeed fortunate to see the Cliffs of Moher. I found the historic sites and castles were very well kept when I was there. And how lucky to get to see a traditional Irish band play!
That was one of the things that struck me about the castles, Darlene. There was no graffiti on the ancient walls, no deliberate defacing or chipping away at the stones. It seems the Irish people revere their history and the ancient sites. I loved all of it, including the Irish music. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend!
I know you were there specifically for a writer’s workshop, but you did get to see some wonderful things and experience the Irish culture! That’s great.
Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us, Jan! I loved the photos. It looks like you had an incredible time. I’m happy for you. And now you can look forward to your release. Congratulations! I’m looking forward to reading The Edge of Too Late. Enjoy your weekend! xo
Thank you, Jill! I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. I love sharing them. I appreciate your good wishes on the new book release and series! Have a great weekend.
Your photos are wonderful. What a gorgeous country! I’m looking forward to reading the Harbor Pointe series!
It is so hard to capture the vibrancy of colors with my iPhone, Vera, but yes, it is a gorgeous and gentle country. I’m so glad you are looking forward to the Harbor Pointe series! Thank you for visiting!
I’m so glad you were able to make the Ireland trip. Looks like you had a wonderful time. Congrats on the new book. Doing a happy dance for you!
Thank you, Joan. It was a truly wonderful experience, and I wish I could feel a bit of that rain and cool breeze right about now. 🙂 Congrats to you on your new book as well!
It looks like your trip was amazing, Jan. I’m glad you had a good time, and I enjoyed the pictures, so don’t worry about the number. Good luck to you and the others on the new book-series. I’m looking forward to adding that to my reading list.
My photography skills are lacking, Dan, but I had to try and capture as much as I could. It was an amazing experience. Thank you for the good wishes on the Harbor Pointe series!
Looks like such a great trip.
It most definitely was, Craig. I wish I could conjure up some of that rain and cool air right about now.
I liked the music from your video, too.
I’m so pleased you had such a good time, and even some sunshine! So exciting about the Harbor Pointe series release! Love your graphic. Have a wonderful weekend, Jan. Hugs ???
Thank you, Harmony. I am super excited about the Harbor Pointe series and so thrilled to be a small part of the project. I hope you have a restful weekend, and thank you for stopping by!
Wonderful journey and memories! Thank you for sharing, Jan, and congratulations on The Edge of Too Late. ?
Thank you, dear Gwen. And my congrats to you on The Gift! Hugs!