Three islands and Summery Autumn

These September days holding onto Summer's warmth a bit. In the daytime anyway. Sunny walks and outdoor cups of tea, decorated with many colours now; dots of orange and red berries,  yellow leaf speckles underfoot, trees brushed with rust and gold. In the evening though, Autumn is at the door, the light retiring sooner and chill, smoky scents in the air.

Above: 
Three islands. One with an ancient ring fort edging a 100 metre high cliff, the one in the middle with the smallest population, and the smallest one with a lighthouse and a dolphin visitor. Boats instead of buses - stay on til the last stop!

Sea and rocks and tea

The fishermen

The dolphin

She visits so close to the shore

The morning tea, elevenses, afternoon tea and 4 o'clock cuppa.  Teach an tae (Tea House), sitting outdoors with a view of the sea - one of the nicest ways to drink tea :) Snippets of sentences spoken softly in Irish.

Saying hello to the friendly locals.

The daintiest of flowers find their way up through the rockiest of grounds.

Catching the last rays amidst a landscape of rock and sea.

An island trip

Bye bye mainland Ireland

Passing by Inish Meáin on the way. But this is not the island we are sailing to. Staying on the boat 'til the "last stop".

 Hello Inish Oírr (the smallest of the 3 Aran islands)

The dolphin escorted our boat into the pier! Can you see her fin?!

Stepping onto an island of green and grey with dots of bright pinks, whites, yellows and purples. Tiny green fields enclosed with ancient dry-stone walls. The only place in the world (along with the Burren and the other Aran islands) where Mediterranean, Arctic, Alpine and Temperate varieties of plants grow together in the one habitat.