Pit Stop

We are spending the next few days in Navan before heading back to Dublin for our finals week.

On our travel day we stopped at Tulsk (Rathcrogan) to see the place where Maeve's house is supposed to be. It is really a cool experience to be reading this old irish mythology and then see the places where the action is rummered to have occurred. It brings the myth alive for me and brings the history of Ireland into context. Unlike America, Ireland has this deep and rich past. Unfortunately the recent centuries have seen Ireland under the British thumb and repressed under a political struggle. But the ancient history is fascinating; some of our earliest world history occurred in Ireland starting back with the megalithic tombs and evidences of farming cultures. Ireland is deeply connected to it's past but, as a result of the Celtic Tiger, is moving quickly into the present. Technology is good, bringing Ireland up to speed with England, but also destroying local culture and stories.

We also stopped at a megalithic passage tomb, smaller than new grange. There were spiral patterns on the walls which suggest a journey towards the center (the enclosed tomb) and then back outwards (towards life).

Now we are in Navan, a small town, and our hotel is right across from a church. We hear the church bells ringing every hour, but it was somewhat refreshing to be woken up by church bells at 7 this morning; a real sound, affirming my presence in a non artificial world.

Living in 4 star hotels and eating 3 course dinners every night is wonderful but has left me feeling a bit artificial myself, like i'm not really living. Going out to the country and feeling the wind roar around me, chilling me but invigorating me, makes me realize what is really important. There is more to life that tv, than material things, and i need to find that way of sustainable life for myself after this trip is over.

We also saw Trim and Tara. Trim is a 12th century Norman castle. New information learned about the Normans: they brought in kickass defensive systems into Ireland and they kind of assimilated into the Irish culture by marrying into it.

We will return to Dublin on tuesday, May 1st, the day of the pagan Beltaine festival we have learned about (light a big fire, dance around it, and if you aren't too hung over in the morning you drink the morning dew off the grass) and it just hit me that our trip is so close to being over, but yet we still have miles to go. Miles to go.