Easter Monday 5am when alarm clock ringed to tell that is about to time to get airport hopper to get into the Dublin airport pick up the car... Last time I was driving I had Volkswagen Golf and it was a really good car to drive with. This time I had requested to have a same car and the rental company succeeded to complete my request so it was time to hit the road again, I love it!
American-Dutch-German-Finnish team was picked up around Maynooth before heading to Wexford. On our first stop we found out first a tourist information and then a nice coffee place to start the morning, it was about 9.30am at this time on Easter Monday so town was quite peaceful. But we manage to find a great place: Cup of coffee and fresh made still warm scone with it kicked the day forward as we planned what to do during the day.
Most haunted house in Ireland, the Loftus Hall. A place where the the devil itself have visited and where people still experience paranormal things... History of the house starts in year 1666 when a member of the Loftus family moved into the house. Powerful family on it's time who ended up bankrupt as renovating their house just in case if the queen of England would visit. They spent in modern currency 60-70 million euros for it and the queen never visited... For example a mosaic floor built by Italian brothers which is unique in the world because family cut off hands off from the brothers after they finished their work so they could not copy that floor nowhere else. The kind of staircase that can be found only two other similar pieces over the world, one bottom of the ocean in Titanic and other in Vatican.
Tuesday was the day that was going be exciting... Plan was drive to Portmagee and catch a boat to take us to Skellig Michael. Stepping on a boat large enough to carry out 12 people and head out about 11km to the open sea sounded quite exciting especially as I have used to either rowing boat on the lake or a big passenger ferry between Finland and Sweden or Finland and Estonia. After boarding to first boat the skipper moved us to another boat that they were able to have all same group members in same boat and that turned out to be a real lucky boost for the day! While boat was facing the waves of the sea and water splashing on the boat in a way that I was able to taste salty water on my lips skipper shouted us to look right! There was two basking sharks which were so close the boat that if I would reach my hand over the board into the sea I would probably be able to touch the shark. And our boat was the only boat that saw these sharks!
On the horizon we saw two islands, Skellig Michael and Little Skellig. First we landed on a Skellig Michel, green rocky island that rises around 200 meters above sea level having a top covered on mist and seabirds flying around it... I experienced it like going into the Jurassic Park Island! Skellig Michael is an old monastery that has founded by monks possibly as early as 6th century. They had created a system to collect rainwater that provided a possibility for them to live almost in total isolation from the outer world. To reach monastery from the pier, there was 618 steps to climb up, made of stones without having any security rails etc. next to stairs so one missed step can lead up to a fatal drop.
Little Skellig is a smaller island close to Skellig Michael. It's occupied by seabirds that have a huge colony there. Seeing the rock even far away it looks partially white and that is only because of the birds, at this time of the year it is estimated that there are around 60 000 birds on the rock and highest peak is around July-August when there are over 80 000 birds. Pretty impressive!
The trip was easily described by one word: Spectacular! So far I would say that my favorite places I've seen in Ireland was Slieve League Cliffs at Donegal but I have to say that this Skellig Michael became now number one. On the way home we stopped quickly in Limerick to walk around and have a dinner. Finally arriving to Maynooth after two days it was already around 11pm so quickly to bed catch some sleep and prepare myself for the next following days...
American-Dutch-German-Finnish team was picked up around Maynooth before heading to Wexford. On our first stop we found out first a tourist information and then a nice coffee place to start the morning, it was about 9.30am at this time on Easter Monday so town was quite peaceful. But we manage to find a great place: Cup of coffee and fresh made still warm scone with it kicked the day forward as we planned what to do during the day. Most haunted house in Ireland, the Loftus Hall. A place where the the devil itself have visited and where people still experience paranormal things... History of the house starts in year 1666 when a member of the Loftus family moved into the house. Powerful family on it's time who ended up bankrupt as renovating their house just in case if the queen of England would visit. They spent in modern currency 60-70 million euros for it and the queen never visited... For example a mosaic floor built by Italian brothers which is unique in the world because family cut off hands off from the brothers after they finished their work so they could not copy that floor nowhere else. The kind of staircase that can be found only two other similar pieces over the world, one bottom of the ocean in Titanic and other in Vatican.
The clock was ticking, hours passed by and it was time to enjoy a lunch break before ending up first day in a hostel in Killarney... The best place was the one we found on the way driving along the copper coast... Picnic table by the seaside and green fields where cows where watching us while we were enjoying our cold lunch in warm sunshine.
Tuesday was the day that was going be exciting... Plan was drive to Portmagee and catch a boat to take us to Skellig Michael. Stepping on a boat large enough to carry out 12 people and head out about 11km to the open sea sounded quite exciting especially as I have used to either rowing boat on the lake or a big passenger ferry between Finland and Sweden or Finland and Estonia. After boarding to first boat the skipper moved us to another boat that they were able to have all same group members in same boat and that turned out to be a real lucky boost for the day! While boat was facing the waves of the sea and water splashing on the boat in a way that I was able to taste salty water on my lips skipper shouted us to look right! There was two basking sharks which were so close the boat that if I would reach my hand over the board into the sea I would probably be able to touch the shark. And our boat was the only boat that saw these sharks!
On the horizon we saw two islands, Skellig Michael and Little Skellig. First we landed on a Skellig Michel, green rocky island that rises around 200 meters above sea level having a top covered on mist and seabirds flying around it... I experienced it like going into the Jurassic Park Island! Skellig Michael is an old monastery that has founded by monks possibly as early as 6th century. They had created a system to collect rainwater that provided a possibility for them to live almost in total isolation from the outer world. To reach monastery from the pier, there was 618 steps to climb up, made of stones without having any security rails etc. next to stairs so one missed step can lead up to a fatal drop. Little Skellig is a smaller island close to Skellig Michael. It's occupied by seabirds that have a huge colony there. Seeing the rock even far away it looks partially white and that is only because of the birds, at this time of the year it is estimated that there are around 60 000 birds on the rock and highest peak is around July-August when there are over 80 000 birds. Pretty impressive! 
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