Adventures With Felicia - Strandhill

You will notice that Haley is not in any of these pictures.  That's because she got sick!  So, we had to go places without  her to be sure Felicia got to see some of the lovely scenery Ireland has to offer.  We started with a trip to Strandhill.  If you recall, we went there with Connor last summer.  It is a lovely place - on the Northwest corner of the island.  A strand is a beach.  There is a lovely beach here and apparently some fantastic surfing.  There is also a lovely golf course and Knocknarea overlooks the town and course. Benbulben is also visible from this town.  There is also an airport here - more on that later...

In these photos, though it is hard to see, there are about 4 or 5 people in the water.  Strandhill is popular for swimming and surfing.  This particular area is extremely rocky and there are lots of signs posted that say no swimming.  Also, it was a very chilly day.  I was wearing my down coat AND my wool sweater from the Aran islands!

 As you can see below, and I have said this before:  The Irish are a Hardy People!  Apparently, they are also risk-takers...

There is a path along the sandy coast, which also goes through larger sand dunes on the South side of the town.  The town is surrounded by sand dunes, and some are as high as 39 meters. In the 18th Century, the village had to move to the "top road" at the base of Knocknarea because of the encroaching/moving Dunes, but they were planted with Marram grass in the 19th Century and have thus been stabilized.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day.  So glad Felicia was granted a reprieve from the winter rains!  We also had chowder and fish and chips in the local pub.  It was a lovely adventure!

Ta Da!

This is a shot of the golf course in the shadow of Knocknarea. 

And this is Benbulben in the distance as we walked along the coast heading north of the town, towards the airport.

The map shows various routes around the village.  The yellow loop around the town is about a 6 km trip, and would take about 1-1/2 to 2 hours to walk.  We did not have that much time, as it was already mid-afternoon and the sun would be setting in under 2 hours.  So, we just walked along the route going along the beach and then veering towards the airport.  The airport is the black runway on the map - it is a short strip with water all around and also, a very small airport.  Obviously, 747's don't land here!

The part on the Hillside that says Dolly's Cottage is where one could connect with a path that leads to the top of Knocknarea and Queen Maeve's Cairn.  That would take some significant time to complete as well!  I have not walked up from there, but am thinking I should give it a go!

St. Stephen's Day

December 26th is St. Stephen's Day.  It is a  major holiday in Ireland.  Stores and  banks are closed.  Pubs open in the evening and do a big business on St. Stephen's Day!  For us, it  meant a trip back to the airport to pick up Haley's present - Felicia Menon!

Christmas Gifts!

On Monday, December 22, I drove to the airport bright and early to pick up my Christmas presents.  At the Airport, they have great decorations and the sign says:  The best Christmas present ever is about to walk through these doors.

And they DID!!

I had the hats for them and even wore one myself!  They also had free pictures for people  who were meeting up with family for the holidays. (See below) In Ireland, there is so much emigration that Christmas  can  mean that families are getting together after several years apart.  Many of them emigrate to Australia, so it is pretty cool to see people waiting for family that they haven't seen in many years.

On December 23rd, we all went out in downtown Longford.  Haley went out with friends, while Steve and I and the boys hit a couple of pubs and had a lot of fun.

On Christmas Eve, we went to meet John, and he never showed up!  I was a bit worried about him, but as it turns out, his cousin came from Dublin and  picked him up for the Holidays, and he had no way to call me as  he didn't have my number.  He felt bad but I was glad he had a place to go spend Christmas so it all worked out and now we can just get together in January for a relaxing evening at the pub.

On Christmas Day Haley realized they had neglected the advent calendar.

A struggle ensued...

Then  it was time to eat.

 

We had a lovely dinner together and essentially did a Thanksgiving meal.  We cooked the turkey the way Hiram had done it - you know - spatchcocked!  (which of course could also be called "butterflied" but where's the fun in saying that?!)  We are converts as it made the turkey cook faster and kept it from drying out and it was  fabulous!

Holiday Shenanigans!

We had the Abbott Christmas Party on December 13 in Athlone.  The party was at the Radisson Blu Hotel.  We got a room for the night and prepared for a fabulous time!

I bought a beautiful dress at Clara Ellen in Longford.  It was basically a body glove (and I do mean glove!) with a lacy overlay.  It was green and gorgeous!  I had tried on other dresses - some lovely black and tan ones, but with the encouragement of Noreen and Aisling (the two women we met there last Spring with Amy Pinski) I went with the green one which really seemed spectacular.  I did have to get my personal seamstress (Jeanie Beanie of course!) to shorten the straps on the glove, and it came out perfect!

On Saturday morning Steve and I left Zach in charge of the dogs, headed south to Athlone and checked in to our hotel.  I scheduled to have my hair done at a shop nearby, and we walked there together and then Steve ditched me for a local pub.

The young woman who did my hair was really nice.  She told me she had an idea and so I just went with it.  She mentioned Downton Abbey and I was quite excited to see how it would turn out.  Unfortunately, she apparently meant the Dowager Duchess and so I left the shop looking like Professor McGonagall!  I tipped her and thanked her profusely because, as Dowager Duchesses go, it did look pretty nice, and then I was on my way.

Now that I'm looking at it from the back, it may just be the lines in my face that made it look like an older lady up-do... RATS!!!  Oh well - can't do anything about that so let's move on!

I met Steve at Gertie Browne's Pub.  The  pub is lovely!  It has a history of having been a hostelry for people traveling west and also a carriage house.  I heard mention it was the oldest pub in Ireland, but I am certain the Brazenhead of Dublin makes the same claim and declares themselves as officially the oldest, so perhaps Gertie's is the oldest one in Athlone?  Anyway, their web site does not make that claim but does state that the pub is over 1000 years old.  Regardless of age, it is a charming pub with several nooks to choose from and we had a very nice time.  While we were there a GAA football team came in.  They were hilarious and kept chatting with us and the banter was so funny!  We would love to have stayed but we had a party to attend...

Back at the hotel we went got dressed up and headed to the party where they started out serving mulled wine.  We had a lot of fun talking and laughing with the people from Abbott and I saw several lovely dresses - but many were black and tan so I was happy to have chosen the green one!  We had a nice meal and danced like crazy.  I didn't think I would be able to move much in my dress - but it was a Christmas Miracle as I was able to raise my arms and dance like no one was watching!  And  no, I didn't rip the dress either!

I did not get a full length picture of the two of us that night, but here are two shots I took of the dress earlier at home.

So that  was our big Holiday party.  We had such fun and Steve's co-workers  gave me high praise, telling Steve they all thought I was great craic!  (That's pronounced "crack" and means "fun" in Irish).  Steve even lost his tie that night, but they had it at the front desk when we checked out so it's all good!

The house is all decorated except for the tree.  Haven't made cookies yet as I was waiting for the kids.  We   pick up Connor and Haley on the 22nd!  We will go out for dinner on Christmas Eve.  Most people here celebrate on the 25th, not the night before, and most restaurants and stores are open on the 24th.  We will be meeting a friend, John Conboy, who walks at the Mall in the mornings when I am walking the dogs, on the 24th at the Longford Arms Hotel for a pint and then dinner.  We will have turkey and dressing here at home on the 25th, and Haley's friend, Felicia, flies here on the 26th for a week.  Connor's girlfriend, Kay, flies in on Jan 4th and also stays for a week! Looking forward to lots of activity  for the next 2 weeks.  Great friends, great food, great wine and great craic!

Hope the Holidays are a grand, peaceful time for all!  Cheers!

Loughcrew Equinox

No, we did not get to the passage tomb for the Equinox, but  flashlights are the next best thing in lieu of the actual sunrise!   When we visited Loughcrew last June, Steve took pictures inside the passage tomb which I have only recently located on the computer.  The woman who showed us the things in the chamber used a flashlight to show us how the sun would rise in the sky on the Equinox and light the pictures on the stones as it traveled higher up into the sky.

 It's rather amazing that they had circular pictures for the sunlight to touch upon as it went up into the sky.  I find it quite fascinating to say the least.  This final picture is on the way out of the passage tomb. 

November Notes

For Thanksgiving I flew to the states to spend the Holiday in Iowa with family.  Unfortunately Steve and Zach couldn't come along, but it was a good trip nonetheless.  All of my brothers and sisters were able to come to our hometown of Dubuque, Iowa and enjoy my favorite holiday together!  Jane and Bill drove from Ohio, picking Connor up along the way in Joliet.  Dick drove up from Kansas, and though we missed out on seeing Lisa and the boys, it was wonderful to have Ricky Dicky Doo come to town!  Connie and Dick and Satchel drove up from Milan and actually had some REAL TIME OFF so that was grand!  And Jack and Sharon flew from CA - where it was sunny and warm - just to be with us and Emily!  It was fantastic!  Good food, good wine, and GREAT COMPANY!!! 

See, we really are a fun bunch!

Haley picked me up at the airport and we spent a whole week in Dubuque.  I got to see my Aunt Ellen and Uncle Bob, my cousin Barb, and my cousin Carol and her husband Terry.  I also got out with June and Pat and other high school classmates and so felt I'd made the most of my week in Dubuque.  I did also learn that moving back to the midwest, if and when that occurs, will be a real jolt for me, as I am not really used to the below freezing temps anymore!

I did appreciate the regulated heat in the US homes!  Our rental home is heated by oil.  You can turn it on or turn it off - using a timer so it goes on and off throughout the day, but you can't really regulate the temperature - at least not in our house.  So, even though it is colder in the Midwest, the indoor temps are better because you can set it for a good temperature and keep it there, generally.  We go from  warm to cold throughout the day here in Camlin Willows. I guess we're lucky it's rarely below freezing here!

While I was away enjoying time with my family and friends, a poem I had submitted to the local paper got printed - along with my pictures that I had taken and submitted!  I credit my time kissing the Blarney stone for my ability to wax poetic and actually get published!

So to recap:

Here is my official Blarney photo of proof.

Here is my official Certificate of Eloquence.

And finally, here is my official publication in the Longford Leader!

The pictures are the ones I took when I climbed Knocknarea in October - the day before I turned 51!

Since it's hard to read the newspaper clipping, I am reprinting my poem below:

CLIMBING KNOCKNAREA

Rain then sun and azure blue,

The tempest pauses, light pushes through.

Soaking gloves and sopping feet,

Slippery grass and white, wooly sheep.

The wind picks up but the hill protects,

Until it’s on the top I step.

All alone, or so I thought,

But felt the soul of one long-lost.

Bullied and buffeted like a leaf on the gale,

Tried to stand, couldn’t, failed.

Then to my feet, I circle the mound,

Heavenly view, heart’s desire:  found.

I left a stone, Queen Maeve I pleased,

The winds died down to a lovely breeze.

My spirits charged, heartbeat renewed,

Worries and cares had come unglued.

Lighter now I descended the hill,

But Maeve and Yeats, are with me still.

Dunbrody Abbey

So we had a lovely Bank Holiday weekend and dined very well at Dunbrody House.  We headed for home on Monday and saw the Abbey on our way out of town.  There is a lot to see in County Wexford, including the ancestral home of the Kennedy's and the Dunbrody Famine Ship.  Once again, we will need to come back...