Lakehouse hangs

It's very difficult to describe a great weekend with amazing friends.  What I mean is, it's very easy for me to describe what Enid, Alice, Katie and I did last weekend.  But you know, sometimes the whole, really is bigger than the sum of all parts (thanks Aristotle!).  So, while yes, we did a lot of really fun things in a really amazing part of Ireland, in a beautiful house, in a glorious setting...that alone doesn't capture just how joyous it was to spend time with my twin and my best friend (of about 33 years, since primary school). 

Anyway let's see if you can feel the vibe of what a good weekend it was!

Alice kindly did the driving in her fancy new car which was a fab ride indeed.  Enid felt bad bringing Bones with us in the new car (it had NOT been planned!) but to be fair he was no bother at all and slept all the way down, and all the way back.  He was also very good in the cottage.  He loves it there!

All in all it was a weekend packed with good clean fun - a nice dinner on Saturday which Katie drove out from Galway for.  Mmmmm lovely filet steak and fab wine.  Then afterwards we had a rowdy game of scrabble.  Cheaters the lot of them!!  I swear I was ganged up on! Did I mention the lovely fire as well?  There is nothing like an open fire right!

On the last morning we got up early and Enid fried up a lovely big breakfast (thanks Enid!).  We ate breakfast looking out on the lake view while listening to a Christmas album on the record player.  How hilarious!  But it just felt right! 

After breakfast we took a clamber down to the lake and took in it's beauty.  All to soon it was time to go and we had the car loaded up and were on the road back to Dublin. 

Thanks for the great weekend darling girls!  I'll hold the memories close for a long time

Discussing how to gang up on Amy!

The sunsets over the lake are surely some of the best in Ireland?

Bricfeasta!  Mmmm

Sure what else would you be doing but listening to Christmas songs?!  :))))

The 3 amigos down by the lake on Sunday morning

Bonesie.  He's not a bad little doggo sometimes



Come West Along the Road

This weekend being Easter it is a long weekend in Ireland, so Enid and I took advantage of having Monday off and made plans for a little road trip.

 

With Enid's little IQ packed to the brim and coffee in hands we set off...with Bones in tow.  To be fair Bones is great company, and he really was no trouble at all this weekend. 

As we arrived near Galway city we realised we were very close to our sister Katie's apartment.  We drove up and gave her a phone call to see if she was home.  She was surprised, but delighted to hear from us and buzzed us straight in for coffees and a lovely chat.  She was delighted to see Bones too - she is a big fan of her furry nephew - and we all had fun playing with him and showing off the latest tricks he has learnt (a very funny one involving a €10 note in particular!)

 

The photo above was taken as Katie waved goodbye to us from her balcony.  It was great seeing her and we were really happy we had caught her at home.

 

Once we arrived at OKF (the lake house) we were pretty hungry so we whipped up a little lunch straight away.  It was so nice, we decided to take advantage of the weather and the beautiful setting, and eat lunch outside. 

Bones guarding the door!

Like I said above, he really was no trouble at all.

Later that evening we went for a little walk up to the village and had a drink in one of the local pubs.

But as planned, back in time to see the incredible sunset across the lake.

This photo was taken literally 2 minutes after the above photo.  Can you believe the different colours?

 

As the sky went dark, and the lights from all the houses around the lake twinkled on, we lit the fire and got comfortable for the evening.  We had a lovely night of chatting and reading our books on the sofa. 

 

Did I ever mention how bad the internet coverage is out West?  It makes for a nice little digital detox and a chance to catch up on ones reading!

On Sunday morning after a fantastic nights sleep we were up nice and early and I got the full Irish going on the hob.

 

Rashers, sausages, black and white pudding, and cheesy scrambled eggs. Nothing better! 

The weather was not as nice as the day before so there was no eating outside today. 

 

After breakfast and a little more relaxing, we began packing up the car and closing up the house. Before we got on the road back to Dublin we decided we would go visit the famous "Coral Beach" nearby.

Named for the unusual yellowish stony sand, Trá an Dóilín, a biogenic gravel beach actually made of coralline algae known as "maerl". 

In photos, and in real life, it was quite funny because Bones blended in almost to the point of camouflage with the "coral". 

Where's Bones?! :-)

Back in to the car for the long (but good) drive home, Enid and I chatted and listened to Elvis on Spotify.  We both agreed it was a super road trip and night away for the two of us. 

 

Sorry, I mean three! How could I forget Bones :-)

 

What a lovely weekend!

This weekend I decided to take a little break away from Dublin.  Here I am on the bus to Galway at 7.15am on Saturday morning.  I was up early as I wanted to wash my hair before I set off, but as you can see I look pretty happy with myself to be up and out, and on the road!

 

When I arrived in Galway I had an hour before my next bus to bring me right into the heart of  the gaeltacht area of Connemara. So as is tradition I went into Garveys across the road from the bus station for some food and coffee.

 

As it was still so early in the morning I went for the full Irish and it was very good indeed.

 

After a lovely day pottering around the house - indoors and outdoors - sunset arrived and the night drew in.

You just don't get views like this in Dublin do you?!

I settled in for the night with a lovely fire and a little drink for the evening. An open fire is a real treat in this day and age I think you will agree. There's really nothing like the look and smell of it, and of course the heat from it is fabulous. 

 

On Sunday morning I woke to this glorious view

Sadly it was time to go but not before I managed to fix the zipper on my weekend bag (which I had managed to break by overstuffing on the day previous - oops).  All's well that ends well and I do enjoy doing diy/craft stuff like this.  Quite proud of myself too if truth be told!

I had a brilliant time away, I feel truly lucky to have access to such beautiful part of Ireland in such a cute little cottage beside that amazing lake (what a view!!),

 

*** *** ********************************** *** ***

 

In other news! At 9 years of age Bones went to the cinema to see his first full film today.

As I travelled home on the bus I followed the exploits of Enid, Ciaran and Bones at the cinema with a big load of other pups and doggos for a first ever #dogfriendly movie screening in Ireland.  It looked ridiculous but apparently was a great success according to Enid. If you'd like to read more about this Enid has done a full trip report over on her blog.

 

This week in pictures and a few small accompanying words!

Gosh I have had a busy week/weekend so shall do a flyover post with some photos of the highlights - of which there are many!



A sampling of some local hostelries.  In particular the hospitality of Baggot Street - last weekend I had a drink in a combination of Toners, Doheny and Nesbitts, O'Donohues, McGrattans and of course my favourite Reilly's.  After 20 months of living on Merrion Street I finally have a local!  We also took a stroll down to the Grand Canal area (near the Grand Canal Theatre/Marker hotel and the Google and Facebook quarter) where we had a drink in Charlotte Quay.

 

A visit to Mary's pub.

And burgers in Wowburger.  Mary's is a cute little pub off Grafton Street on Wicklow Street.  It's done up in the style of an old Irish grocer/pub/shop.  It actually sells hardware along with the Guinness!  It's cute but I wouldn't be rushing back.  I do like the way they have wowburger downstairs though I must say!  It's quick and handy and the burgers are decent.



Free Vaseline! Well kind of.  I realised I had none on my person while walking down Grafton Street so I nipped into Boots where the girl on the till helpfully pointed out that I had enough points on my boots card to get it with.  It takes ages to build up any kind of points to get something  so I must remember instead just to exchange them for Vaseline in future - if you know me you know I like to carry and use it all the time as my lips can get quite dehydrated. Also if you know me, you know I like free stuff :-)



Rosa Madre, Crowe Street
I simply cannot recommend this lovely Italian seafood eaterie enough.  A shared starter of baked (melt in your mouth) scallops were flavoursome and divine.  Then for my main I was very excited to try the seabass which was completely covered and baked in a crust of rock salt.  Once cooked it was brought from the kitchen in the baking tray, shown for inspection and then taken away to be chipped out of the salt shell, fileted nice and neat, before being returned to the table for eating.  It was a plain white fish - simple and succulent with nice flavour from the salt and lemon oil.

Cottage in Connemara.
I had the BEST little mini break in Galway.  In fact the only criticism was it was too short.  Look at that beautiful lake (right beside the house where I stayed).  How beautiful is it?!! 



Culchie Chinese food in Connemara :-)  A sharing platter of satay chicken, bbq ribs, spring rolls and sesame prawn toast. To be fair it tasted much better than it photographed. And it was a fun evening with lovely company!

DM from a blog reader. 
I received a lovely DM tweet from a reader of my blog telling me they had recently got involved the pro-choice movement and saying how helpful they had found my recent Repeal the 8th blog post.

Paleo soup
Do you remember my recipe for sweet potato and chorizo soup?  I made it again this week and loooooved it.



Little Museum of Dublin.  This morning I nipped to the LMoD to see an exhibition on Irish fashion which is due to close soon.  The 50s and 60's really were the heyday for exports of beautiful Irish design and materials (tweed).  Sybil Connolly as always is my favourite designer of that period.  Classic and elegant.

All in all, I've had an action packed and FABULOUS few days.  Here's to some further fabulous days in the near future!

One night trip to the West

There's nothing like a trip outside Dublin to make your weekend stretch! 

Yesterday morning I got a bus to Galway to see my little sister Katie perform in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with her amateur dramatic musical society (the ClareGalway Society).  It was a great night!  I am completely biased of course but I thought Katie was wonderful as Mrs Potiphar and it was a wonderful production all round.

I came back today and honestly it feels like I was away for a few days and nights.  Galway is a special place and has that effect on you.  Particularly as it is feeling very Christmassy and festive at the moment.



And here I am with the woman of the hour after the show.  My mother took this photo and continuing the longstanding joke in our family about her photography skills there's her finger top left.  She is also famous for chopping heads off so actually we are lucky that this pic is semi decent at all!

g-g-g-g-g-G-Galway

Last week I went for a flying visit to Galway for one night.

 

Primary goal was to see Katie in the Galway Musical Society performance of Rock of Ages.

Ok so I am completely biased but she was awesome.

Lol - totally biased!

Secondary goal to catch up with my wonderful friend Laura - on the right of this pic in the grey.

After the show we had a great night in The King's Head where a great band was playing.  A total throwback to the trips (lots of them) my friends and I used to take when in our early 20's to Galway. 

The next morning before my bus home I pottered around Galway.

I was impressed with their city bike scheme.  The bikes are similar to the Limerick ones, and they look like they are in great locations all around the city.

Eyre Square was lovely in the sun.

In the background you can see the Meyrick Hotel which was previously the Great Southern and hence was named The Southern Comfort hotel by myself and an ex of mine when we used to stay there.  Also in my early 20's like the trips to Galway mentioned above.

It will always be the Southern Comfort to me therefore :-)

 

This adorable little café is near the bus station.

It screamed Key West to me  And I didn't catch a photograph but an old lad strolled past it in a leather jacket and a quirky captains sailing cap which also screamed Key West to me (you get all kinds of great characters on the rock!)

 

So that was it!  I departed the sunshine of Galway and arrived home to lovely sunshine in Dublin too.  I spent the afternoon and early evening chilling out in Merrion Square which is always lovely when the sun shines.