"Skellig Michael +++ A trip t ..." a County Kerry Travel Page by sabsi

I think it's about time that I will tell you more about this wonderful trip to the Skelligs. It must have been the best place I have ever been I think.... well definitely the most exotic...

Our B&B landlady had arranged everything for us a few days before. She also called in the morning to hear whether the boats are going and had the good news for us for breakfast "Yesterday it was a bit choppy but today it's perfectly calm" she said....

When we arrived we met our "sailor" Patrick Murphy (yeh, right! what a name!) at the pier in Portmagee. We got a few drinks and biscuits for the day and waited for the other people who wanted to take the same boat. Other boatmen we met talked about "perfectly calm conditions" too...."just a little seaspray on the way back maybe". Still I was getting nervous, heard to many stories of high waves and little boats full of seasick people... I'm not sure whether their understanding of the word "calm" is the same as mine...

We sat down in our open little boat and left Portmagee almost in time at 10:30 a.m. The boat next to us was full of tourists wearing Army uniforms... we take the p*ss and lots of pictures coz they look sooo funny. A bit like D-day...

As long as we were still in the bay it was really calm. It's started to rain - just a little bit though. Typical Irish drizzle! We got some nice views of Valentia and Puffin Island, of St. Finian's Bay, Bray Head and see the first puffins flying around. And I thought that's as good as it gets..

As soon as we left the bay it's getting exciting... The waves get higher, a few people fall down because the waves surprise them. I just stay seated and enjoy it. More birds are flying by and the views get more and more spectacular....

After 50 minutes we are getting close to little Skellig and the sea gets more rough with every metre. After all we are out on the Atlantic ocean a few miles in the wild west of Europe. There's a lot of water between us and New York ;-)

Sea spray start to hit the boat...and I suddenly realize that I have the worst seat because it all hits me. I feel like the men in the film "Das Boot" when their submarine is trapped in a stormfront for three weeks ;-) I'm completely soaked and cold within a few minutes (and wish I had an army unform ;-) But it's too great to freeze and moan...

Finally we arrive at Little Skellig and the boat (=the waves) stops for a little while. It's only now that we can see that the white rock isn't white because it's a different kind of stone - it's all birds!!!! And what they left behind...

We slowly go around the little island to watch the birds. There's more than 20000 gannets living there actually. I read it's the second biggest gannet colony in the world! Lots of puffins fly around us, I love their style. I'm sure they are better divers than flyers actually :-) Very cute. A few seals are lying in the sun (luckily the rain disappeared for good 3 minutes after it arrived)!

After a few minutes we leave this noisy spot to go to our destination - Skellig Michael. Unfortunately we are either in a hurry and that's why there are more waves crashing into the boat - or then the waves got worse. My fleece jumber is soaked...

This is just a little impression of the waves. You have to go to experience this yourself. It's kinda scary but extremely fascinating as well!

After another short bumpy wet cruise we arrive at Blind Man's Cove on Skellig Michael. A little seal is swimming aroung in the water - if you have very good eyes you can see it in the picture ;-)

Our boat is leaving, we agreed to meet again at 2 p.m. before the sea gets really rough in the afternoon. We wonder what the boatmen do in the meantime? Have a drink behind the next corner?...

I am dying to dry my clothes somewhere... people can follow me because I leave a wet line behind...

We walk uphill along the modern path around the rock. On our way we meet the first puffins and start taking pictures like crazy. We always thought this is as good as it gets.... Isn't he cute?

But it got better

And better...

After climbing maybe 100 steps we meet this fellas at a nice spot so it's time for a picnic.

The black spots on the pictures aren't dirt stains - it's all birds!!!

My favourite picture: This is the little puffin I shared a biscuit with (well at least until a big seagull came). Isn't he a real beauty?!?!?!

Anyway, see how far down the boat is? This is after only 1/6 of all the steps or something - gives you an impression how steep the rock is!!

More pictures of puffins...at home making funny sounds...

...and on their way home from work.

I tried a few times to take a picture of a landing puffin. They are definitely more talented in diving than in walking and almost certain in flying. When they fly they look like one of those old silent movies which are shown in a too high speed, when they land they look even more clumsy... I loved to watch them!! And I guess I was really lucky to finally succeed and take a picture like this!

This is as close as it gets. I wish I could take one of these happy birds home to have something happy colourful and clumsy to keep me company at home... Only joking of course, no animal was hurt during the shooting of these pictures....

Oh well, you might have guess already. There are steps on the island. To get to the monastery on the top you have to climb 680 steps (nah, didn't count, I read it!).

Oh you might have guess there's a monastery on the island, wha? I guess it's about time I tell you more about the history of this place.

In AD 600 monks formed a monastic settlement on one of the island's peaks. It is well preserved and still intact so it's one of the most important early christian monuments in Ireland if not the world.

They decided to make the way up to the monastery easier and built several "staircases" - one of the is the "tourist way" up the island. The steps are made of stone (well what else?) and it's amazing to walk up there and thinking about how those monks used to walk up the same steps more than 1400 years ago. Magic

...and steep!

This is the last set of steps up to the monastery. I give up here because I am scared of heights and I am not sure how I would get down again. I send Colm up to make pictures and have a look around here. This seems to be the windy part of the island - no surprise in the middle of the two peaks really!!

A last picture of Colm, I hope I'll see him again in one piece. I will go and take some pictures to show my VT friends...

like this one...

...or this one!

This is the monastery on Skellig Michael. The monks used to live here until the 11th century (I think) when they moved to Ballinskelligs on the mainland.

They lived in these beehive huts. They collected rainwater to drink and swapped goods with the fishermen from Portmagee and other places. I think it is definitely a mystic place - I mean how can they have lived there? One a steep rock like this? Why did they come? Why did they leave? So many questions open.

I was really sad when I saw these pictures because I would have really liked to see this. I'm angry because I was scared. Next time I will go.... it's not often in life that you get a chance to see something magic like this I think....

There's one window in one of the huts and I can imagine the discussion of the monks when they built it...

"Where shall we put the window?"
"Oh, good question. Isn't there any nice view on one side?"
"Well there's Little Skellig of course...."
"Oh right, let's build the window so that Little Skellig is exactly in the middle!"

...which it is.....!!!! You have to believe me though because the scan isn't exactly brilliant quality!

For us it's time to walk down to the boat again. Ouch, the stairs are even steeper when walking downstairs. That's why I don't really look amused....

But we made it down. In time! Unlike some of our fellow travellers....

Pat Murphy is handing out army uniforms just like the ones we took the p*ss of this morning. Hmmm I guess now we are the ones who look silly - But at least we didn't walk up and down the rock with these plastic uniforms!!
We are expecting sea spray..I think I've heard that one before.

We still have time to take a few nice pictures of our private D-Day landing..

Eventually we can leave. The cruise is rough - but we were smart enough to take the better side of the boat this time. The poor guy who sits opposite me has inherited "my" seat -- but at least he has a waterproof army uniform while my jumper is still soaked from the way there ;-)

We say good bye to Skellig Rock - it was an amazing experience!!!

In the end in the calm bay I had the chance to take this incredible picture. When these people arrived at the boat late there weren't any gorgeous army camouflage uniforms left so for them the latest fashion from Milan was ..... YELLOW! HAHA