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



August Bank Holiday lakehouse weekend

I'm just back from the most glorious few days spent in a little part of Irish heaven in a house by a lake.  This might be a short blog but I am sure you will find that the photos below capture the spirit of the weekend (aka the awesomeness!). 

Amongst other things we drank wine and ate lovely food,  Relaxed with vodka and beer - while sitting outside reading (Enid & Amy) and sketching (Ciaran) while waiting for sunset.  We took a lovely spin around the gaeltacht region, dropping into the Connemara airport - hoping we might be able to buy plane tickets and take the 8 minute flight across to the Aran Islands but they were completely booked up. We visited the beautiful beach famous for it's coral sand and laughed at how Bones was practically camouflaged - he was the colour of the sand!
On Saturday afternoon we strolled into the village and had a pint in the local pub - and a quick game of pool.  It was also useful as we could access wifi in the pub.  There is nil to none coverage in the house. It's a real digital detox which is fantastic.
We twice clambered down the hand made stone path from the house to the shore of the lake and sat on rocks - chatting, and enjoying the sounds of the water lapping against the stones. What else?  Oh yes,(because we are nerds) we had a fun Saturday night playing quiz games and scrabble.  And finally, today on the way home we stopped in at the Spiddal Craft Village where Enid and I bought super fun rings made out of vintage 1 penny Irish (pre-euro) coins.

Enjoy the photos!

Ps. I cannot take credit for that adorable kissing horses shot - that was Pigsy

Pps. A special mention to Bones who was a very good boy for the whole weekend

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!