Confectionery

We were nearing the end of the journey, and the train slowly descended to the sleepy, terracotta-roofed town of Hali Ela to terminate at the city of Badulla in the lower central hills.

When I stopped by the church, the old steps were barred by a locked iron gate, and a police boat docked nearby. Inside, along with icons of the Holy Family, is a glass-encased relic from a much later date: a water-worn Bible plucked from the Nile near the sacred steps in 1976, its pages miraculously open to Isaiah 19:25: "Blessed be Egypt my people… "

"Ireland is a global hotspot for peatlands," said Dr Clare Noone, researcher at Irish Climate Analysis and Research UnitS. "Unfortunately, most Irish peatlands have been drained or degraded and [in this state] it is likely Irish peatlands are currently significant sources of carbon emissions, contributing to global warming. With careful management, this could be reversed. They could become an important sink and help slow down the impacts of climate change."