This picture was taken on top of Diamond Hill in Co. Galway, Ireland. It was the last of the major hikes we did while in the Emerald Isle and absolutely breathtaking. It was cloudy and misty the entire hike up, making the surrounding landscape look like it had been erased. At one point we thought we had reached the top, only to discover that the true peak was hidden in the clouds, nothing more than a dark outline. Once we got to the top, the wind was blowing so hard that we thought we might blow away. But through the wind and mist we could faintly make out land. At first we just thought it was darker clouds, and feared for rain, but it wasn’t so. Slowly and slowly the clouds began to recede, and by the time we were heading down from the ridge it was beautiful and sunny. We could see towns, forests, rivers, plains, and sheep. Personally, I am quite happy that the hike turned out the way it did. The most going up made for perfect hiking weather, and the blankness of the view was actually super cool. It’s hard to describe, but something about the clouds makes one feel like one is penetrating into a deep mystery, ancient and powerful. It made seeing the brief flashes of the landscape even more amazing. And the hike down allowed us to see everything that we couldn’t on the way up, only it was not familiar, and therefore not taken for granted. We could truly enjoy the view, much as we had the clouds, and soak everything in. All in all, it was one of the most perfect hikes I’ve ever been on.