The island looks pretty much the same as it has ever since our first visit in 2017.
Each time we board the ferry for the 40-minute ride from Ireland's west coast for Inis Mor, we can count on some new stories to take home and remember forever.
This time was no different. In fact, one new story began on the ferry.
We met Anthony.
He sat behind us on the ferry next to Donna, a retired English teacher from Flint, Mich.
Anthony offered to exchange seats with Bill because his seat had more leg room. Bill said he was fine.
In the 40-minute ride to the island, Anthony entertained his new friends with salty, humorous quips and slightly satiric perspectives on life in general.
We learned he was an electrician from the Galway area who was headed to the island for a wedding to be performed in an ancient church ruin by a Druid priest.
Anthony told us he had ADHD.
We believed him. But happily so.
Both Bill and I agree that there aren't too many Anthony's in the world. His friend John, father of the bride, concurred when we met him later.
The two had met years before while working in the oil fields of Alberta and had become good friends. John told of staying with Anthony's parents whenever he came to Ireland.
Our intermittent interludes with Anthony, John and the newlyweds and their adorable daughter at various island locations could be made into a movie, easily.
The ending would fit the script perfectly.
A split second before the boat was to leave the island to take us back to the mainland yesterday, the wedding party finally showed up.
Nice, nice people---each and every one of them, and if a comedy writer wanted to follow Anthony around for a day or so, there would be enough material to launch a sitcom.
To say we loved Anthony and his friends would be an understatement. Hope we get to see them again some day.
These little dramas play out in the midst of travel.
New friends are made, and the chances that we'll ever see some of them again are minimal, 'cept for those who live on the island, like Mary, who's a new grandmother on this visit.
We met little Nathan who's three months old, and we had a nice visit with Mary and her family and friends at The Bar.
Mary is very proud that her grandmother starred in the classic island film "Man of Aran." And, Mary's been in a film or two herself.
Sadly, we did not see Bridie, The Bar manager, who was entertaining friends from New Zealand on the mainland.
This time our tour driver was a farmer named Oliver. He even pointed out his farm and his cows. The property has been in the family for generations.
At the glamping grounds, we met Cathy who's in charge this year. She loves her work and will decide over the winter whether to come back or to move on with her career in marketing.
Samantha, manager from last year has gone back to college while Frankie from years before is a new mother.
While on the tour van, we met a couple of Brisbane, Australia who are touring Ireland and then doing a ten-day boat tour of the Fiji Islands.
"Poor things," I said facetiously, and they agreed it was really tough to do all that traveling.
For sure, traveling can be exhausting, but each morning when new adventures, friends and scenes await, we eagerly soldier on.
The connections we continue to make on Inis Mor are wonderful for Bill and me.
We love our time spent on the island, much of it walking and taking in the sounds of brisk winds and seagulls or the clip-clop of carriages taking "turists," as Bill likes to call them, for rides on roads where cows and horses suddenly appear in lush pastures enclosed by stone fences.
Bill even picked several blackberries from roadside vines and popped them in his mouth.
Once more, the island did not disappoint. Once more we'll be figuring out how we can manage to come back one more time.
It's an affliction that's hard to shed, but we happily embrace it because of all the vivid and sweet memories.
Off to Kenmare today where our accommodations are a bit different. We've rented an apartment for three days.
Stay tuned.
Enjoy the photos, and happy Saturday.
A special Happy Birthday today to our beloved Liam.
Good dog! We miss you.
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