Welcome to the section of my website that contains the diaries and photos from my holidays. So far details of four holidays are here: see the category archives on the right hand side for my holidays to the West and East Coasts of USA, Canada, and Ireland, in 2002-2004. Here's hoping 2005 brings more of the same!
August 21, 2004
On castles and fine dining
Ally's 22nd birthday began with pancakes. Many, many pancakes. Topped with all kinds of things, most of them bad for you. But what's a birthday for, if not for indulging in those things you wouldn't normally?
Top of the list of things to do on your birthday is visiting a castle. At least, if your name is Alexandra. Rob decided he wasn't feeling well, so stayed at home to get some more sleep. Hannah, Ally and Chris went off to Aughnanure castle, ancestral home of the O'Flahertys, located just outside Oughterard. We resisted the temptation to go back to the candle-makers...
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August 20, 2004
Relativity
As I've mentioned before, late nights are followed by late mornings. Today, it was actually afternoon before we surfaced, though most of us had been awake before then, reading some of the many books we've brought with us. And what's wrong with a bit of lazy time when you're on holiday? (Of course, my parents would just say that I'm reverting to type - several of my previous summers here were spent mainly in bed or on the sofa reading books.)
After a breakfast/lunch combo, we split up for the afternoon. Hannah and Rob went on a jaunt to Clifden, to explore the area for themselves, and to buy more rations and search for the items we didn't get in Galway. And covertly to buy Ally's birthday present and cake, and ingredients for breakfast tomorrow. They didn't find a tablecloth in Clifden either.
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August 19, 2004
Burning the candle at both ends
The weather couldn't last. Today is wet and grey. This is not all bad though, as we'd planned to go to Galway to do some shopping for things to dress the house with. The roads to Galway are much better than last time I was driven along them six years ago. Even the Recess Road, which is long, desolate, and surrounded by peat bog, has been widened and resurfaced.
First stop is at a candle maker's in Oughterard. Hannah picked up a leaflet for them earlier in the week, and we want to buy some candles for the living room. The candle maker is not in, but the shop is open, and we enter an Aladdin's cave of colour. Candles of all shapes, sizes and colours are stacked floor to ceiling. There's enough wax in the building to burn for a very long time.
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August 18, 2004
The English men and women who went up a very tall hill and came down again
The weather is beginning to freak me out. Renvyle is normally wet and windy in August, and once again the day is bright and sunny. There are a few more clouds in the sky than yesterday, and the breeze is quite strong, but it's another stunning day.
This calls for a quick change in plan; we were going to climb Letter Hill - the large hill/small mountain opposite the house - later in the week, but it would be criminal to waste the weather. And Hannah waterproofed her boots yesterday, so they're ready to be worn now.
Having made some sandwiches to take with us, and checked out where we should start from, we're off.
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August 17, 2004
Car parking is an art
Very late evenings are rarely followed by very early mornings, and today proved no exception. Morning was gone in the blink of an eye, and by the time we are up it is well on the way to lunchtime.
We had planned to go to Roundstone today, to visit the workshop of "Ireland's Master Bodhran make", Malachy Kearns. It's too late to make the journey worthwhile, so instead we go to Leenane. This fishing village, and the end of Killary Harbour, has been the setting for several films, most notably The Field, which starred Richard Harris and Sean Bean.
On the way we take the only road from Tully Cross that we haven't yet been down, and drive along the coast. We make a detour to Glaussilaun (pronounced Glosh-lawn) beach, and walk along the sand collecting sea-shells. The sun is out, and the sea is peaceful. Shame we didn't bring the swimming trunks and the towels. Bizarrely we manage to attract another dog, and by the time we're back to the car there are three of them. No owners in sight.
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