July 4, 2009

July 4th, 2009

If it’s raining at the same time as the sun is shining.....you must be in Ireland.

If there are a bunch of boyos standing out in front of the local pub in their Sunday best having a pint and a fag after their buddy’s wedding...you must be in Ireland.

If there are rosy cheeked children running and playing in the rain with no jacket on.....you must be in Ireland.

If there are millions of rocks that have been piled into ‘fences’ to separate the fields....you must be in Ireland.

If the road is much too narrow for the vehicles traveling on it and the speed limit far too high for the road conditions....you must be in Ireland.

If there are people with a twinkle in their eye, smiling and nodding as they pass you....you must in Ireland.

If there’s a castle on the horizon in the distance....you must be in Ireland.

If the fields are greener than green and the flowers more colourful that usual....you must be in Ireland.

If the houses and the shops are all painted a different bright colour...you must be in Ireland.

And....if there are shouts of gladness and support coming from a local pub where a rugby game is being broadcast.....you must be in Ireland.

Well.....welcome to our world because we are in Ireland and enjoyed each of these sights and sounds again today.

Last night saw me back in the pub at Coosan Cottage but this time mom joined in the craic and we were entertained by Mikey (the barman who is planning to visit Canada for a year beginning this November), Tommy (owner of Coosan Cottage), and Robby (aka T-Bone Wobby – twubble wif a capital T). Robby truly is a character and I can believe that he could be trouble given the opportunity. We were regaled with their tales of woe as the Irish culture takes a page from the Americas where the guarda (police) are unlikely to use any discretion in dealing with locals who need to get home from the pub after a couple of pints. Mike, Tom and Rob all agreed that Ireland was headed for the toilet as a result of this shift in ideology. I must say that they put up a fine argument and I’m inclined to think there might be some truth in their position.

Regardless of my thoughts on the matter...it must be said that the Irish definitely have the gift of the gab and that they’re able to talk such a good tale, are likely to have an advantage in a disagreement. Tommy told us a story last night about some of his experiences with recent events where bureaucratic systems became involved in local community disputes. His description was captivating and his telling of the outcome was brilliant....I’d pay to see him deliver the story again on stage.

This morning dawned another “potentially” lovely day. Following another great breakfast with Tom at Coosan Cottage we packed up and hit the trail again. We’re both beginning to get the hang of reading the road signs and I’m becoming more comfortable each day with this wrong side of the road business. By the time I get home....I’ll be just like T-Bone Wobby, in real trouble....I won’t know which side of the car to get into and I’ll think that it’s a simple thing to turn left and a challenge to turn right.

We started out this morning with a quick stop at the end of Coosan Point Rd where we had a view across the lake of Hodson’s Bay. The boys had told us about it last night as we’d been talking about the fact that there was a Hudson’s Bay in Canada. From there we found our way to N6 and hit the motorway for points West. We waved good bye to Athlone as we sped along toward Galway and in no time at all we were pulling into the little town of Bullaun where we took the opportunity to visit the original site of one of the ancient Turoe stones that dates back to 300 BC. About two years ago the stone was enclosed in a small shed with only 2 windows for viewing. The purpose of the shed is to protect the stone from the elements as it has deteriorated so significantly in the past 30 years after not having deteriorated much at all in the past 2000!

The reason for the increased speed of aging and damage to the stone is pollution and the thinning of the o-zone. It is sad to think that our pollutants could damage something so quickly after it has been just fine for so many many years. The stone is right next to a Petting Zoo so we stopped in the cafe there and had a cup of tea while watching the crowds of kids running around at the zoo. It’s Saturday today so the roads are busier than ever and there are loads of people about (both tourists and locals). Soon we were back in the car and en route to Kinvara (population 400) for a walk around town before heading to Dunguaire Castle for dinner. What a lovely little town, positioned right on the edge of Galway Bay. In fact.....I’m sitting on a park bench at the water’s edge as I type this. There are birds everywhere and boats coming and going and lots of colourful shops and homes dotting the hills of the town. Oh Oh....here comes the rain again so I am now sitting in the car at the edge of the water in Kinvara typing this missive.....

Dinner at Dunguaire Castle was grand, as they say in Ireland. The Castle was built in 1520 and all the walls are six feet thick to ensure the indoor temperatures stay the same year round. We were greeted in the entry hall by a woman in period dress who offered us a glass of mead (honey wine). It was delicious so I had two glasses! Following some entertainment suited to the 1500’s we were led up two flights of curved stairs to the main dining room where two of the guests for dinner were selected to be King and Queen for the evening and given the responsibility of presiding over their guests. The King and Queen turned out to be a couple celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. She was originally from Ireland and he from England but they had been living in New Zealand for the past 50 years. It was her first time home and an emotional experience for her. Dinner consisted of an appetizer of cold smoked salmon, potato and leek soup with Irish Soda bread, a main course of chicken breast with mushroom gravy, potatoes, green beans and carrots and apple pie with whipped cream for dessert. It was all delicious and by the time we rolled down the stairs two hours later...we were stuffed! Throughout the meal we were entertained by the same performers who had greeted us in the entry hall and they did an admirable job of providing a “feel” for the times. We weren’t out of the Castle until 8:00 p.m. so had our fingers crossed that we’d make it to Doolin before dark.

The road from Kinvara to Doolin definitely wins the prize for being the roughest so far. We keep thinking about Rob and Jenna riding on these roads without shoulders while dodging the rain drops and the cars that careen along them at 100 km/hr (the posted speed). We sped along with the rest of the traffic and made it to Doolin in one hour with plenty of light to spare. It’s 10:15 right now and it’s still light out! We’re heading off to the pub so may report back in later.

Having trouble locating internet here though so it may be a couple of days till I can post this missive to the web.

Till next time,
Lorrie