Ireland, part 2

When I spoke to the owner of the cottage, she said, go into the village, turn left at the bicycle and you are the 8th house on the left. I love directions like that.

It turned out that bikes had quite a significance on the holiday. My holiday companions are all regular and accomplished cyclists, and they took the decision to hire bikes. I ended up doing 35 miles up and down the mountains.  I brought up the rear by a long way, but it felt like a major accomplishment nonetheless. It was a stunning ride.

The uphill slope was called Granny. A wolf in sheep's clothing!

My favourite bit was the thrilling downhill ride into Ardara, and along the sand banks of the estuary.

Ghost houses pepper the landscape. I love these old houses and what they represent of the old way of life. All over the hillside you see piles of peat drying, ready to be burned. In the air, everywhere, the smell of peat fires.

The water is black from the rain which runs down the peat soil off the mountains. The rivers with their black water and white froth, reminded me of a pint of Guiness. Beautiful and so fitting.

The landscape seems to sweep away all thoughts, instilling a great calm and leaving the mind empty, so you can just be. It's like a meditation.

The folk village at Glencolmcille, where there are reconstructions of cottages through the ages, showing the everyday life of villagers from 1700 onwards. This little corner of Ireland is designated as Gaeltacht, which denotes an area where Gaelic is the main language spoken. The Irish are rightly proud of their language, culture and legacy and are working to preserve it. In Glencolmcille, there is a school where people come from all over the world to learn Gaelic.

Religion still plays a big role in Ireland. This village was the brainchild of a priest, whose mission became to try to fight the desperate poverty, to help the hungry and the homeless by giving them some employment and something to work towards and believe in, at a difficult time in Irish history. Although not religious myself, that seems to me to be a man and a mission to admire.

The people of Co Donegal want tourism, they want people to go and visit and discover their heritage, because that is what will help to keep it alive. If you ever fancy it, I recommend it wholeheartedly.