This past weekend Amy, David, and I went to Skellig Michael, off the coast of the Iveragh peninsula, more commonly known as the Ring of Kerry. Skellig is Gaelic for crag, and it is basically a rocky island 7-9 miles offshore that was home to a monastic settlement for ~600 years, approximately 1000 years ago. This trip is not for the fainthearted; even sea-sickness medication didn't help the boat ride to the island, and once you've landed and managed to jump from the boat to the slippery cement steps that welcome you to shore, you are facing 600 ft of steps going straight up. No handrails, no escalators, no canteen serving tea & scones at either the top or the bottom. But once you get up to the top, it is amazing. Only 12 monks lived here at a given time, and the 50 or so tourists who were with us that day made it all the more cramped. Here are some pics:
