Nights in Ireland...

Today was C.S. Lewis day. We attended the church where he was christened and spent his "formative years" as the bulletin stated. It was also remembrance Sunday, which commemorates those who gave their lives in the two great world wars. It was a Church of Ireland service (similar to that of a traditional Episcopal church). The church was dotted with individuals in military garb and there was a general moment of silence in which to remember those lives were lost. It was a beautiful service, but I fear that routine and mechanical behavior set in around the time the actual sermon began and I might have fallen asleep! I met a women from Connecticut after the service who had married an Irishmen and moved across the ocean to live and love. She told to never fall in love with an Irishmen, "they will never move" she said. We visited a famous sculpture by an artist named Ross Wilson, who we were actually fortunate enough to meet early upon our arrival here in Ireland. It depicts Lewis's wardrobe and Diggory, the first boy in Narnia-it was magical...
We also visited the hotel where Lewis is said to have taken his honeymoon with Joy, his wife. It was wonderfully quaint and pleasant, with a fire going in the reception area. We visited various other little small Irish towns Lewis is said to have visited and stayed. It was bitter cold and many of us were not properly dressed for such weather, so we took the long bus drive home with Hadden to Betty and her wonderful cooking, which was sinfully delicious and far too indulgent. We listened to Hadden read his poem about a kiss in the dark; it was hilariously funny and witty-I love Hadden...
Hadden then drove us all home in the dark and shadows. It was only nearing six, yet the sky was completely dark and the windows of the bus were fogged with steam. He played lyric Irish music and we clapped and sang along-it was brilliant. He also played a poem of W. B. Yeats put to music; it was hauntingly beautiful. I will miss this place...