Steep slopes, from roaring sea to windswept valley; a hundred heavy layered steps towards the sky. At the top, cells as much homes as stony cairns look out towards a never ending horizon.
I'd already looked over the edges and teetered on the stairs. The only parts of Skellig Michael still beyond my grasp are the uppermost reaches: small structures perched on stepped gardens eked out of the rock face and overgrown with wild grasses. The island is immense in scale and dwarfs me completely, but is small enough that I've clambered over most of its secrets in a day. Parts of it are blocked from exploration; half because this heritage site deserves to sit unmolested by curiosity, and half because it's all too easy to plunge unnoticed into the deep while trying to satiate it walking the footsteps of ancient monks and future Jedi all at once.
Puffing and out of breath from climbing the lonely stair, I crest at the garden terrace and look out towards Little Skellig. The retaining wall here is the original — it has protected the edge of this little community for hundreds of years with nothing but its own strength and stubborn nature, stones laid precisely in place and purpose sitting stolid in the face of centuries of driving wind and acrid ocean rain. Apparently this narrow strip of somewhat sheltered grass provided a little bit of greenery to accent a diet of fish and gull. Any useful foliage is gone now, but the springy moss cushions blossoms like small ivory stars; here and there, small sprays of coral-like succulents have found purchase in cracks of the slate structures. To my left, the upper monastery is a level above me, with the domes of each cell peeking over the wall at my approach. To my right, the wall wraps around this precious terrace, and then open air, forever, to the horizon. Here is a photosphere, to help you get your bearings as we stand just below the main entrance.
The stone lined path to the small entrance in the wall beckons, but I can't help myself and look over the the wall to the water below. There's a worn line of bare rock marking the passage from the gardens to the ocean. No one takes this daily journey anymore, but the history of those climbs can't be erased, even by the fury of nature.
I look back one more time to the isolation cells I mentioned in my very first post, this time with a telephoto lens. Across the island and up the peak, the details of the small compound are more easily seen. Walls to protect the path, and the dome clinging to the very lip of the ledge. For when living almost completely isolated on an island in the middle of the ocean just isn't alone enough, I suppose.
I have to duck to avoid breaking my nose on the low lintel of the doorway in the monastery wall. Monks here clearly were smaller than I am... or all of the first Jedi were Yoda-sized.
I emerge into the heart of the monastery. Stone walls, stone paths, stone cisterns, stone gravemarkers. Stone benches, stone beds... everything is hard and cold. A lot of the life up here must have been like that. Even with the stunning blue of the sky and the endless expanse of the world curving away from me, I feel a bit chilly trying to think of this as home. The simplicity of it is attractive; the opportunity for connecting directly to the earth and to a small community is incredible. But the wind snakes between the domes, and the sameness of the rock and the rock and the rock and the rock reminds me that the choice of this place was predicated on remaining humbled, small, and quite uncomfortable in penitence. It's a pervasive feeling, even as the sun warms my hair and the small, mossy gardens look cozy enough to curl up in. The entire compound is made up of a few cells clustered around a courtyard — a communal space to hold the dead, a chapel no larger than a confessional, a flat stone square two paces across. Everything here is right here.
Sitting in the doorway of this cell, I realize how precious light is. Candles here would be more treasured than gold or food; deep shadows fill the interior even at the height of an uncharacteristically sunny day, despite windows and large ventilation holes for the occasional fire. And fire! There are no trees here — none of the peat that powers the rest of Ireland to be dug up. Not much brush or scrub, and hardly any tall grass. Warmth only attained by sheltering from the wind and rain, illumination only falling when the heavy clouds break long enough to allow it. The romance of this place fades by the moment. It took more than an hour to get here on a clear day, in a powerful boat designed specifically for it. Realizing the herculean effort of successfully bringing any supplies here through treacherous seas, lugging them up deadly cliffs, to monks who had nothing to trade in return and for no reason other than to try to help keep them alive in a place they'd gone specifically to be forgotten... Choosing this place as the evocative imagery for for Luke Skywalker's Last Jedi hideaway has become painfully clear.
Walking behind the cells in the grass makes me feel a bit better. It is a beautiful, severe place holding fast in time to values that many humans have forgotten — a testament to will and perseverance and faith and maybe even to a touch of crazy. I run my fingers over the smooth slate shards that mark the homes and the graves of those who built this place, and I come to the end of the row. I stand above the remains of the chapel and the steps back to the central courtyard.
It's quiet; I'm inured to the sound of the wind. A gull dips by my head and continues out to sea. I contemplate the chapel: the only building on this island built with mortar in a vain attempt to create something lasting, and also the one with the least remains. There's a lesson in this view, somewhere... Clouds are blowing in from the west, and our trip back is still an hour away. It will likely be violent and wet. I lay back in the sweet smelling moss and close my eyes against the sun, taking what comfort I can here while I'm still able; that's lesson enough for now.
These photos and words are my own work, inspired by travels all over this pretty blue marble of ours. I hope you like them. 🌶️
Absolutely incredible photography babe.
It a beautifully formatted and written post too, kudos Crimmi ❤️
thank you, Perc! I must say, most of these places are so incredible, that provided I don't fall off them and die, I'm almost guaranteed to come home with great photos. :D
Is it the island from new Star Wars?
It is indeed~ you can check it parts one and two of this series with the links I included if you want to see more of the sites that the movies have now made famous. :)
That's a really unique place! The stone path from above looks intimidating. :)
Yeahhhh, the steps up were enough! You'd not catch me trying that path without some serious gear.
No doubt. One should really consider if they are up to the challenge if they are going to attept that. I'm sure many people would not bat an eye, but I'm not one of them ;)
pristine imagery and fun simile. whether jedi or monk, you are tangential world building off a moment in time. kudos.
It's a bit self serving, but doing it this way solidifies each memory as I relive them and pair them with their photos. This is an exercise in sharing, but also in selfish hoarding too~
I am still in awe that you were able to visit this amazing place. I loved it in the movie, but I love it more to hear your description. Your mastery of the English language is extensive and precise.
thank you so much. It imprinted very strongly on me, and I'm taking the time here to try to express that feeling to all of you when I get the chance to sit down and write~
Thank you for sharing!
You have an excellent ability of making one feel the place and pictures you share!
I can almost feel the smooth slate under my own fingers! and wind chilling me to the bone.
I hope You have a great Monday! and smile as much as you spread smiles!
and you, Jesse! it is my great passion, so if you're picking up on it, I'm on the right path <3
Wow this place really is perfect for the Star Wars series!
Your photos captures a calm and quiet beauty that has an eeries side to it as well.
The bird that you included in the last photo is awesome too!
Keep posting great stuff and hope you have a great day!
thank you so much! Standing at the top in the wind, with essentially only the birds, and thinking about being on that small island alone, or even with only a few people....yeah, I think it's better for a quick visit; not to live.
HAHAHA imagine living in one of those stone igloos, what a life you'd have :D
Those pictures are amazing, they really capture the essence of the place, your writing makes it come alive even more! It looks like a nice spot to build a peaceful retreat, the hermit's paradise, I guess it keeps you in the present moment, one wrong step would be fatal, the kind of place that keeps unwanted visitors at bay,lol. Beautiful post, what an epic journey!
too bad they weren't battle monks. Invade them? They'll hurl you from the cliffs! (I'm pretty sure they were raided a few times but that stopped once people realized they didn't have SHIT)
This is a really gorgeous and unique place. And it's full of history on top of that. Looks like it should be the set of an awesome movie about heroes, magic and war.
yeah, I kind of wish it wasn't Star Wars that chose it, but after being there and then attempting to watch the movie, I get the choice. I do worry about the impact on tourism after this, but can't say much given that I clambered all over it myself.
So freakin pretty! Such a cool place I'm jealous you got to visit. May the force be with you 🙏
thanks so much! I would absolutely recommend going- just make sure you start your planning about half a year or more in advance! However, if you find yourself in portmagee, Ireland unexpectedly, head to the docks in the center of town around 6am and just stand around waiting and hoping someone doesn't make their booking and you could get lucky!
fingers crossed
Wow.. thanks for sharing this place ! I saw this place from the Last Jedi , i was in awe as it is so beautiful. And I thought to myself, this is indeed a perfect place for Master Yoda and the Jedi resides. I am guessing the place must be with little residence ?
You're right! No one actually lives there except a caretaker. It is a protected heritage site. You may visit the island, but you must come and leave on an approved boat (there are not very many, and only at a specific time during the day), and are monitored while you are there.
Good to know that they are protecting this site. If anyone can come and go, probably it wont be as pristine and beautiful until today. Thanks again for these info
That is some serious craftmanship, AMAZING!!!
right? Just the idea of even laying all the shale like that... forget finding it or chipping it or dragging it up the mountainside... :|
Looks like an interesting place with a beautiful view of the sea. I like the pictures, looks like you had perfect weather to visit the place. I haven't seen the movie, but I can imagine the place fits perfectly in the world of Star Wars.
I really did get very lucky with the weather. Ireland is notoriously temperamental and damp for a large portion of the year; had anything picked up much more, the trips would have been cancelled, and that would have been the end of my changes to ever see it ~
Wow, amazing Storie again.... i happy i took some time to read it... Your pics , let you feel you be there in this moment...
Love this Workout...
it was definitely a workout~ I think living here, you would be a very fit and wiry monk. Everything is climbing a lot and eating a little. The penitence diet!
I evidently need to travel more...
until you are pillaging by longship (a thing that did happen to this island, though it was likely disappointing in terms of results ) you can always come along with me 😊
Very beautiful sights.... @crimsonclad ,you have got powerful descriptive skills.
thank you so much! My big dream with the travel posts in this blog is to both share my photography, but to grant your eyes sight with my writing... it will always be a work in progress, but I think I get a little better each day.
Wow....very impressive work. I just went through it again. Keep it up @crimsonclad
Very cool place...but Luke def should have been in some type of cave system...right?
It's this tiny dot, out in the ocean. Getting there is kind of miserable. There's the wind and the birds, and a bit of grass. And that is it. If the goal is to be forgotten, then this is certainly the place.
But I think it would have been interesting to have Rey first "see" him in the dream cavern below the island, sort of like an echo of the way he first envisioned Vader.
You went?!?! Omg. Incredible. I need to start planning my own Jedi pilgrimage. Thank you for sharing! These pictures are great, Crimmi!
I did! It was a pretty crazy trip. Parts one and two detail climbing the island itself, and then exploring the valley and the long stair to the monastery. If you decide to go to Ireland to do this, the second you book your flights, start looking around for a boat to take you. They carry 16 people each, and there are only 13 of them licensed in a year; usually trips book up more than 6 months in advance... With the movies now, I assume it will be more than that even. Make sure you have cash, as almost no businesses in the town of Portmagee take cards. (This is likely also changing because of the movies, though.) They can only make one landing trip each day, and the weather cancels almost half the trips. I consider it one of my biggest travel blessings so far that I finagled onto a boat at the last minute.
That sounds amazing. Thank you! Ireland is definitely on the bucket list, so making it part of my Jedi pilgrimage will definitely need to be a part of it.
Seriously. Human nature is a fickle and wild beast
While climbing the slopes...while climbing the stairs... I was like, "YES! I want to live here!" but the more I sat at the top and in among the stones and watched and felt and thought, the more I realized what an unbelievable challenge it would be, unless you were kitted out with the best gear. (And even then. NO. TREES.)
Cool you must've lost some kgs 😁
I once visited the desert where they shot the "tatouine" parts of star wars
it's in Tunisia(my country 😉) But now that I read this I MUST visit this place 😊
I so want to come to Tunisia! It's been on my list for a while now. (I also really like your country's metal~ I'm a big fan of Myrath!) I heard that the buildings from Tattooine are a hotel now? But a true desert is one of the things I've not yet explored. We have a small desert in my province in Canada (the only one in the country) but it tends to have a lot more scrub and vegetation. I've driven past some famous dunes while exploring California, but didn't get time to stop in. I want to try sand surfing!
haha
since I can't go to Monastic Cells I can host you in tunisia instead. I have many friends who live in the south(where the desert is)
I can't promise you sand surfing but camels and horses and quad bikes are good alternatives I guess 😉
Because, in the end, wish lists are ment to be fulfilled 😉
Wow this is beautifully written. You've a wonderful knack for taking me right there. Great images too.
I can't bear to put up photos without writing an essay :| I'm working on keeping the feeling and losing some of the verbosity, lol
Nooo! Don't do it. the verbosity is great, it tells a story. I really like it.
WOW, this PLACE! I'd never heard of Skellig Michael, and now I know such a place exists quite close to me :-)
Love the way you close your story, it's very much how I experience travel :-)
well, if you're close by, maybe it's just the trick to put on your bucket list!
Beautiful and unreal. Like a scene in the game
It's pretty surreal, hey? I totally know what you mean... it looks designed to be photogenic.
Great pictures. I actually blocked out this scene because it reminded me of Luke drinking gooey green slime that he milked from an alien tit (Spoiler Alert). But the scenery is truly breath taking and it must have been a thrill to see all this in person.
That honestly made me the saddest, saddest ever. I really can't say much for the new movies except they were pretty. May I offer you this to make it both more confusing and more hilarious? (Mark Hamill shared this)
LOL. Well played.
Wow that looks Cool :)
it was one of the more incredible things I've seen in my travels the past few years, that's for sure!
Beautiful views and descriptions, @crimsonclad. I could nearly smell the moss. Refreshing.
thank you! refreshing is a good word for the wind and the expanse that felt like it was going to blow me off into the void...
your post is very good and the picture is also very clear, if I may know you use what camera to get the image as clean as it? I really want to have it
I use an old Nikon D7200; nothing fancy when I travel in case it gets broken or stolen! I do colour balance the photos, but I usually don't need to sharpen them up much at all. It's a great little camera if you are wanting a passable DSLR without it getting too expensive :)
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AMAZING.. Greetings from Venezuela.. You are welcome on my blog!
thanks for coming to say hi, mario! I recommend leaving a comment that actually relates back to the post in some way. Lots of people leave a comment like this just to get noticed or some rewards quickly, so it tends to be regarded as insincere. Good work on getting out and commenting; if you actually give a little feedback on the post (doesn't even have to be that you liked it, provided you aren't mean!) you're much more likely to get upvotes and rewards. Simply engage with authors genuinely without making it feel like an obligation to vote for vote, and you'll probably see better results!
Hello my friend, thanks for taking your time to see my little comment but I want to explain to you that when I saw your post the truth that caugt my attention and I was driving in the terrible traffic of the city where I live so I wanted with a single word express yourself what I thought of your publication "AMAZING". I think many times a single word can have a lot of meaning, is my opinion, however I apologize if you didn't like my humble comment. Thank you for your suggestions, they are well received. the constructive criticisms I like it a lot.
PD: I don’t know much English and I help me a little with the translator.
Greetings, you're fine.
No worries! I know what you mean, and engagement is always really appreciated. It's unfortunate that some people misusing comments have taken away some of the impact of single words, but it's just how it goes. Your english is really good, but if you like, I can introduce you to some volunteer proofreaders who can help you fine tune things!
Have you already joined #teamvenezuela on the PAL network? If not, let me send you an invite!
I have not yet joined #teamvenezuela on the PAL network, I would like to join, grateful for your invitation my friend..
You are very fortunate to be able to travel. Some of us are forced to live through the photos and descriptions of others. The best I can hope for personally is within these borders. A quiet secluded place like Iceland seems like heaven.
You lost me on the Star Wars references.
and yet, I'm still rooting for you. Good to see you out at least getting to take a digital look. This particular place was used in one of the new star wars movies. So many people asked about it I finally did a series.
keep on keeping on, my friend.
Wow, this is incredible. Very nice pictures too. Thanks for sharing! (resteemed)
Thank you for reaching out! you are appreciated <3
No problemo!
Wow! This place looks amazing. Thanks for sharing your story and your photos.
and thank you for giving me a reason to capture and recall them <3
You're quite welcome :)
Wow those stone structures are beautiful, they look so well kept also like time has barely even touched them, not sure how old they are (unless I missed it in your post).
they figure the main monastery was build some time around the 7th century~ so coming up on 1500ish years. It is quite wild as Irish storms on that side of the island are legendary; the weather is harsh and there is zero protection up there. And yet, there they sit, giving no fucks at all. The monks obviously had a good handle on the worldly cares thing.
Awesome post! I invite you to visit our blog and vote us back! :)
Hey nitosnews~ thanks for stopping in. I recommend leaving a comment that actually relates back to the post in some way. Lots of people leave a comment like this just to get noticed or some rewards quickly, so it tends to be regarded as insincere. Good work on getting out and commenting; if you actually give a little feedback on the post (doesn't even have to be that you liked it, provided you aren't mean!) you're much more likely to get upvotes and rewards. Simply engage with authors genuinely without making it feel like an obligation to vote for vote, and you'll probably see better results!
Waaaaw... So Beautiful...thanks you @crimsonclad for visit my blog...
Hey lusanamaya~ thanks for commenting. I recommend leaving a comment that actually relates back to the post in some way. Lots of people leave a comment like this just to get noticed or some rewards quickly, so it tends to be regarded as insincere. Good work on getting out and commenting; if you actually give a little feedback on the post (doesn't even have to be that you liked it, provided you aren't mean!) you're much more likely to get upvotes and rewards. Simply engage with authors genuinely without making it feel like an obligation to follow someone, and you'll probably see better results!