Day Two

Day 2, October 3, 2010

Our first morning, although feels like our third. Yesterday was s-o-o long. Leila first up at 7:00, me at 7:30, way later than my usual 4:30; made coffee in 6-cup French press, had beautiful shower. Floors warm and the cottage cozy. Planning our day. Beautiful sunny day. Leila picked a bowl of fresh blackberries on her early morning walk. Tim has “Unkybitis” back this morning but otherwise everyone rested. Sunny by starts. Sumptuous brekky of eggs and “bacon” and toasted soda bread and jam and marmalade for some. I stuck with my usual cereal and yogurt. Continuous supply of coffee made in small batches in the French press.

Not knowing there was a washer and dryer until after Hettie, the caretaker, showed up mid-morning, I washed out a few items in the kitchen sink and took them out to the shed to hang on the line strung out there. No clothespins so just draped them. On the way back just happened to look down and there in the dirt was Tim’s debit card. Trembling with excitement, took it back and gave it to him. Much gaiety song and dance, hugging, and shrieks of joy. He had lain awake half the night fretting about what he was going to do about having lost it. In the midst of all the jubilation, there was a knock on the door and in came Hettie. She filled us in on the washer/dryer, expressed some shock that we had changed the setting for the heater to come on earlier than 8 but then said it was fine, and then gave us pointers on places to go and things to see. She nixed the idea of the Dingle peninsula in a day – it’s a four-hour drive at best, so we have altered our plans for Friday, the day Chip and Gay head down to visit her cousin.

Tim and Leila left for a jaunt to Ennistymon to get a few more supplies and check out the possibilities for internet connection. Gay, Chip, and I headed up the road for a stroll, picking blackberries along the way, and at the top of the hill the clouds rolled in over a blue sky and it started to pour. Had worn our raincoats but even so got completely drenched. Draped raincoats over bushes as soon as the sun came out and put the rest of our stuff in the dryer.

Piet not feeling great so went back to bed and punted the idea of lunch and coming with us to the Burren. Piling the five of us into Chip’s car, we took off after a lunch of Irish stew saved from the night before. Took the road through Lisdoonvarna to Ballyvaughn, steep narrow roads that wound down through the hills where the bleak, rocky Burren emerged, rising above acres of lush green fields edged with fieldstone walls, Galway Bay sparkling in the distance. Just spectacular. We took a right in Ballyvaughn and wandered down to Kinvara at the head of the bay, a sweet little harbor town. Walked along the quay and talked to a guy pulling his “Hooker,” a heavy old sailboat with a thick black hull. These were the boats that used to transport families and sheep years ago.

Wandered back to Aillwee cave in the Burren, something discovered in 1940s that provided a hibernation spot for the now-extinct European brown bears. One of thousands of caves in the Burren but the only one open to the public, we took the 30-minute tour and then came out and climbed into the Burren off the parking lot. Spectacular views down into the valley and Galway Bay. Home to discover Piet up and about and not feeling too bad, having slept until 3. Had tea and then began the hunt for a place to eat in Ennistymon. First tried the big falls hotel that Tim had checked out for internet connection, then swarming with thousands of gabbling black birds, but after we were seated and then ignored decided it wasn’t the place for us so got up and left. After a couple of futile attempts to find a pub, ended up at a place with a western motif -- paintings of the wild west, hanging Navajo rugs, photos of Cherokee warriors, and an American flag, and American-style music blasting. Decided to stay, since it was so late, now after 8. Nice waitress and owner. I had soup (identical to the squash soup we had in Lahinch the night before) and grilled fish. Chip, Gay, Tim and Leila had the surf and turf with very little of either. Crème brulee for dessert that couldn’t hold a candle to Ma’s and Leila had a chocolate “basket” filled with chocolate ice cream. Home to a cozy house; stoked the stove, watched the Hunt for Red October, which the ladies eventually abandonded for bed.

HvL