Have I been beamed up or over to another country?

Today was arguably the most beautiful weather day I have spent in Ireland - and that's saying something. The temperature must have been nearly 20C in the afternoon. I could have worn a short-sleeved shirt but certainly the long sleeves on the cotton t-shirt were just a bit of overkill. The sky was bright blue and everything about the day was magnificent.

With the continuing availability of a chauffeur, I enjoyed the drive to and through Tullow, to Rathwood. It is a home and garden centre, children's amusement area, cafe, clothing and accessories shop and so much more, all rolled into one lovely spot to spend time and money.

Lunch was the first order of business and the chicken and vegetable quiche hit exactly the right spot. I had a marinated mushroom salad on the side which was promised not to contain cilantro. I don't enjoy the taste of soap and that's what cilantro tastes like to me. However, there were only a couple of stray bits that were meant to be merely parsley. 

Although I've been pretty good about avoiding sweets, I succumbed to the lure of a "pecan slice". There is still a morsel left, but only for a few more moments. I've managed to make it last quite well. Next weekend perhaps I'll have overcome the guilt and will travel the sweet road again.

Then we enjoyed a little retail therapy and I restrained myself and only bought a lovely shawl/pashmina/scarf. Perhaps when I get home I can open up a scarf boutique. The selection of merchandise for such an enterprise continues to grow in my closet. But each new one is unique, so ... 

Heading back towards Bunclody we made a bit of a detour for a short stroll at Altamont Gardens. It's still lovely and has more paths that are calling us to walk upon them. Soon.

Finally home, we enjoyed a supper that included the stray fish fillets from The Bailey Cafe, reheated roasted veggies and of course, boiled potatoes.

This evening we drove (thank you Auto Address App) to Ballyroebuck for a comedy sketch and a three-act play in the community centre. The sketch was very funny and well acted. The play, The Tailor and Ansty, was amazing. I've come to expect a lot from local drama productions and this was fabulous. There were only two actors, with the man being on stage through all three acts. Tonight was the closing night. However, there are other productions coming up between now and my departure so I shall be very cultured by the time I get home, don't ya know.

It's late now and the eyelids are drooping. Time to sign off. Photos again soon I hope. They stubbornly refuse to automatically upload and when I manually set them to upload they get tripled and quadrupled. Too tired to figure it out.

Slan,

Ann