Bad ferry ride leads to beautiful train ride

I took the ferry from France to Ireland once. The overnight trip was, by all accounts, one of the roughest crossings in recent memory.

My fellow passengers responded with a great deal of vomiting, a goodly portion of which they deposited right there on the floor where we were all writhing in ashen-faced misery.

It was a long time before I ate Nutella again.

When we landed in Rosslare, I wanted nothing more than to sleep my way to Dublin.

But Ireland had the complete audacity to be so astonishingly beautiful that I simply could not bring myself to close my eyes for the entire train trip. It was brutal.

Despite this offense, I still hold a soft spot in my heart for the land of Guinness, U2 and almost pathologically good-natured people.

If our region’s St. Patrick’s Day observance is any indication, a lot of you do, too. And you can get a taste of Ireland closer to home – and without the nauseating ferry ride – Aug. 11 to 13.

The An Ri Ra Montana Irish Festival began in Missoula in the 1990s and later moved to Butte “because of its location and strong Irish identity,” according to the event’s Web site.

Irish people like to be near toxic waste? I’m really not sure what they mean, but the festival sounds like a good time nonetheless.

The Makem Brothers and The Spain Brothers, The Celtic Dragon Pipe Band, The Prodigals, The Burren Ceili Band, Trinity Irish Dancers, Tiernan Irish Dancers and others will provide a heaping helping of Hibernian high jinks to get you in the mood.

Friday’s festivities include musical performances, a golf scramble (wouldn’t that be Scottish?) and dance workshops for everyone from the most inexperienced beginners to advanced hoofers looking to fine tune their performance treble reel steps.

Music workshops take up much of Saturday morning, including Cathie Ryan’s look at “Irish Mythology and Music.”

Ryan, whom The Boston Globe calls “a thrilling traditional vocalist” with a “honey-pure soprano,” fronts the cleverly named Cathie Ryan Band, also on the docket of performers. Her colleague, Ben Power, will conduct a tin whistle workshop and Sara Milonovich will hold forth on the fiddle.

The day also features more performances and a fun run.

On Sunday, you can rein it in a bit with the outdoor mass in Irish.

Not fluent, you say? Have no fear. The weekend will provide. Language classes will give you a place to start or practice, depending on your skill level.

You can also check out the genealogy workshop, book fair and author signing. There’s some additional information at www.mgcsonline.org or (800) 735-6814.

Icon artists

My husband has sworn off religious art. He grew so weary of the Madonna and Child during our trip to Italy last year that he started using some language of which I’m pretty sure they would heartily disapprove. Right in front of them.

If you go in for that sort of thing, you’d have good cause to worry for his immortal soul.

Now imagine his dismay when he learns that contemporary iconographers are still busy cranking out biblical scenes. And imagine his further alarm when he discovers they’ve got a whole mess of them just down the road.

On Aug. 6, Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, Wash., opens “Sacred Presence: The Eternal Tradition of Orthodox Icons.” It continues through Nov. 15.

Guest curator Ann Nicgorski, an associate professor of art history at Willamette University, has gathered images by Robin Armstrong, Fr. Rolland Luke Dingman, Vladimir Krassovsky, Heather MacKean and Tatiana Romanova-Grant. Their representations of sacred subject matter have their roots in early Christian and Byzantine sources.

And with a nod to that history, the museum recently completed conserving an 18th century Russian icon of St. John the Baptist. The winged figure and six scenes from his life will be on display.

Opening day includes canticles and choral pieces by 19th and 20th century Russian composers performed by the Blagovest Orthodox Choir, as well as a gallery walk with Nicgorski.

Visit Maryhill’s Web site at www.maryhillmuseum.org or call (509) 773-3733 to learn more.

Going for baroque

They’re nobody’s dummies at Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort in Paradise, Mont.

Sitting in a hot spring in August sounds about as appealing as gargling bees.

But listening to Mozart? That could be tolerable.

The Montana Baroque Music Festival at Quinn’s runs from Aug. 8 to 10 with violinist Monica Huggett, who has served as guest director of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, the Israel Camerata, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and more.

The equally well-traveled Gonzalo X. Ruiz will bring his oboe, and four members of the Portland Baroque Orchestra will be there, too.

The resort’s festival packages include golfing, fishing, rafting and other outdoor fun.

Get your questions answered at www.quinnshotsprings.com or (888) 646-9287.

Regional events

“Annual Montana Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Aug. 18-20, Lewistown. A celebration of Western heritage, the gathering invites visitors to experience a visual and oral exploration of its themes. (www.visitmt.com/406-535-8278)

“Seattle Hempfest, Aug. 19-20. They’re calling it a “protestival” and bringing you six stages’ worth of speakers and bands calling for justice. You can also expect arts, crafts, food and, oh yes, organizations agitating for marijuana reform laws. (www.hempfest.org/206-781-5734)

“True West Cinema Festival, Aug. 24-27, Boise. View Idaho premieres, works-in-progress, three programs of film shorts, industry panels and more. (truewestcinema.fiberpipe.net/ 208-376-3653)