Connected again

Well, here I am again, coming to you from West Cork. To be precise, Mill House, Waterfall, Corran, Co Cork. It's about 10 km from anywhere, on a long and winding road, part of which was marked as closed. As that was the only way in we simply ignored the sign and kept going according to Ms Google's instructions. She didn't let us down.

What did let us down was the cottage we'd booked. The bathroom is on the ground floor as you enter and everything else is up a treacherous set of stairs with two landings. Eventually, we managed to haul our luggage up. The bedrooms are lovely and the beds comfy. The living room - kitchen combo is quite compact [read small]. The heat is on a timer that we can't control and is on overnight. That's when we prefer it cool. There is a space heater in the living area and we put it to good use last evening.

Upon arrival, Jill, the host, greeted us and showed us around but we didn't get instructions for operating the stovetop. Who knew that Ireland had so many potential surfaces on which to cook food? After Jill had left and we'd been trying to figure it out, her friend Liam came by and said that he'd never used such a stovetop and then proceeded to instantly know what to do. That was quite amazing and did nothing for our self-esteem. 

Not long later, Frank Keating dropped by. He lives relatively nearby but in his case, not nearly so remote. We had warned him that coming here the first time is best done in daylight. We had a lovely visit and enjoyed a cup of tea (made mine peppermint) along with a slice of the delicious cake he had brought for us. The Irish do love their sweets and the selection is approximately endless. 

The location for our get-together later this evening has changed to a hotel near Carrigaline because this place is too small and too remote, and one of the gang wants access to a tv screen because there's a big match on tonight. Frank was going to pick us up on the way and drive us home afterwards. Very very generous of him. 

Anyway, after some discussion following Frank's departure, we decided that we can't stay here. The stairs are just too much of an obstacle. The "house rules" state a no-kill policy regarding bugs. Really? Yep. If you see one you are supposed to let it live. Well too bad for the bugs - they are not safe from us despite the rule. So far we have not murdered any but ...

It took some searching online but we found a hotel in a suitable location and booked a double room for the next three nights. We'll leave a note of explanation for the host and are unlikely to get any sort of refund but those stairs are just too awful.

As luck would have it, our hotel is the designated meeting spot for tonight. How lucky is that? 

Now I'll back up a bit.

We arrived in Rosslare in the evening and settled into Margaret and Eugene's holiday home. The plan was to use my phone as a wifi hotspot because we knew there was no wifi in the house. Good plan but impossible to execute. The phone signal was so weak and available seemingly only outdoors if you were lucky, we couldn't get any wifi at all and had to use phone data. Later I discovered by accident that the signal was stronger in my upstairs bedroom but by then it was too late and too iffy anyhow.

Tuesday we got up a bit late, had breakfast and set out on the lovely cool sunny day and went to Kilmore Quay. The lovely thatched houses and very long beach didn't disappoint. Judy took off her shoes and socks to wade in and found that any plan to actually swim was instantly a silly thought. The water was very cold. But she has at least dipped her toes. Mine remained inside the shoes and socks I'd chosen for the occasion and didn't have to dry off or warm-up.

We had lunch at Mary Barry's as I'd done on other occasions and once again the service was amazing and nearly as good as the fresh seafood cakes I had, along with the ever-present chips and a salad. Not wanting to disappoint the cook we shared a Sticky Toffee Pudding which was served warm with ice cream. It would have been a shame to have ignored this option. It's a good thing we'd walked a lot already.

Then it was off to Hook Head and we were grateful to be there during the week. We were only 6 on the tour plus two fussy noisy children. The 115 steps up and back down were required not only to reach the viewing area but to continue to work off that pudding. The day was clear and once more I could see all the way to the estuary at New Ross and the passage out to sea that my ancestors took in 1847.  Hook Head lighthouse is the oldest working lighthouse in the world. If you have not seen the Netflix series about the Great Lighthouses of Ireland add it to your list. Apparently, additional episodes are coming out here any day. I don't know how long it will be before we can see them in Canada.

We drove 'home' and made a little side drive to see Rosslare Strand. The tide was in so there was no good area to walk on the beach. The beach was almost entirely underwater at the time.

Wednesday we stayed fairly local and explored Wexford town and Johnstown Castle. Judi was looking for a watch to replace the one she left at home. No matter what store we checked, including Thrift Shops, there didn't seem to be any reasonably priced watches. However, in the first thrift shop we came to, I spied a "puffer" jacket that stuffs into its own little bag. It was my size, a nice colour, brand new with the tags and only €8. Yay. I now use it all the time.  Eventually a suitably inexpensive watch was found in the equivalent of a dollar store and we wandered around and at lunchtime found the Crown pub. The decorations were lots of fun and very colourful and you may have seen my picture there on Facebook. Oh yes, the pasta with smoked salmon and broccoli was lovely too. 

Thursday was a long day with the drive to Cahir to see the castle and Swiss Cottage. We had a lovely view of the castle from the River Inn where we had lunch and both of us remarked on the setting being very similar to Almonte where you can dine overlooking the river and the falls with a bridge nearby. There is a 2km walk to Swiss Cottage but my Achilles tendons were screaming so we drove. The official entry to the cottage is closed so we had a 1.5 km round trip to see the exterior of Swiss Cottage. It's still unique and still lovely. We almost forgot how to get back to the parking lot. There were signs pointing to anywhere and anything else except that. But I spied the stone stairs and up we went, emerging beside the car. By now the Achilles had shut right up because it just wasn't worth complaining anymore.

We drove to Cashel in time for the folk village and access to the Rock of Cashel to shut their doors as we arrived. More strolling about and then we headed home.

Friday (was it just yesterday?) we drove here to our present unsuitable digs. And you know the rest of that. 

Wifi works but very slowly so I'll post some pictures once we get settled in the hotel this evening. The rain seems to have stopped but the sun has not yet found a route through the clouds. 

I'm going to "publish" this without an edit. You can play "spot the errors" as you read.

Slan

Glendalough with no lough (lake)

 Glendalough as seen from up the Wicklow Gap - no water in the lake

A bit of catching up to do

Friday was chilly and cloudy making us wonder if booking a game at Mount Wolsely had been a great idea. However, we went to the course and decided to play after all. The pro gave us the key to a buggy (a power cart) and didn't charge us. 

This course suited me better than any others we've played so far. There were, however, a few oopsies here and there. Standing on the first tee, looking down the fairway the first thing we saw was the high fence - just the wrong distance for my drive. This was the view.

And yes, I managed to hit the top of the fence and the ball came to rest on the tee side. However, you get a free lift to the other side and I ended up with a bogey which at this point in the year is good enough. 

The fairways and greens were in the best shape of any courses we've played and we had no complaints about any of them. Much to our delight, the fairways were pretty wide, allowing us to stay on the fairway almost all the time. Here are a couple of other views, including a couple of the foxy variety - on a tee box. They were not taken with a long-range lens - he was right there and not at all afraid. This poor fox had a bad leg and it was almost painful to watch him "run" off to the trees when he got bored with watching us.

the fairways were wide, there was plenty of water, and some of those slopes forced you to consider your target

Teeing off on #18 - there is a pond in the upper right, just by those trees. There is a ball marker now resting in that water with the name "Faye" on it. I had on 5 layers of shirts and jackets. My best guess of the temperature was in the high single digits. Of course, some of the locals wore shorts and short-sleeved shirts. Brrrrrrr

Mount Wolsely is a resort and I'd love to spend a golf holiday there. They do have a special of games at their course, Bunclody (which we loved although it's very long, but that elevator ..., ) and Carlow, which we didn't play. Next time. I'd be happy just playing those courses, with maybe a game or two at Coollattin.

After the game, we went into Tullow to the Tara Arms Pub and enjoyed a great dinner. Later we made a short visit to Coolruss, with a peek at Bob's tree in the dark, and caught up on the news with Jim, Mary and Aoife. We'll see them again at Egan's this evening.

Today was Saturday and we had to keep asking ourselves if it has really been almost two weeks since our arrival. It was bright and sunny but cold and windy. We've played golf 4 of the last 5 days and even if cajoled we would not have taken out the clubs.

Instead, we met friends for a late Irish breakfast at Rathwood and although we wandered through the shops there, bought nothing. Then it was off on a drive to Glendalough and to our surprise I think the entire population of Ireland decided it was THE place to go today. Cars were parked all along the road.

So, we changed course and drove over the Wicklow Gap. From the first vantage point, as well as glimpses along the way, we saw that there is little or no water in the lakes. It was shocking to see all that bare ground where the lakes should be. There is a considerable drop from the road down the mountainside. I watched the road ahead as I drove and Pat dared not look down. She did remind me to watch the road. On we went to Hollywood but didn't see the sign. Yes, they have a Hollywood sign on the hill.

A picture of this sign can be seen at: https://www.rareirishstuff.com/blog/the-original-hollywood-hollywood-co-wicklow.6431.html

From there we got back "home" without help from Mr. Google. I'd passed that way before, more than once. We took the highway back having enjoyed the byways in more than enough locations. Mr. Google has a penchant for saving you 100 yds of distance via a road barely wide enough for a car.

After a nice dinner at Park View House in Shillelagh, we're relaxing for a bit before joining the Byrnes at Egan's pub, just down the road. We will undoubtedly be the first to leave, being of the 'early to bed' persuasion, unlike the locals.

Tomorrow we'll do our final packing up, play our last round of golf at Coollattin and head to the Carleton Hotel in Blanchardstown so Pat can be at the airport for 7 am for her flight home. And later in the day I'll meet Judi at the airport for Part 2 of Ireland 2022.

There may not be another post for a couple of days.

Slan

Thursday and more sun

 It doesn't get much better than today weather-wise. The sun was out all day and it was warm enough to sit outdoors without a jacket. But that was later..

We had set as our mission, to check out the offerings of Dunne's store in Gorey. We are trying to support the Irish economy after all.

What we hadn't yet found was a garage to repair the headlights. Mr Google came through and we found a garage, also in Gorey. The appointment is booked for Friday morning at 8:30. Getting up early has not been a priority until now but we'll manage.

The shopping excursion was a success with a few items bought at more than acceptably low prices. My new t-shirts will give me a non-golf look in the coming weeks. 

It wasn't an exciting day and we really didn't have an adventure nor did we take many photos. After a delicious Caesar salad with chicken, we headed for a drive part way up Mt Leinster. The view was spectacular but despite the sun, the view was hazy. I decided against the nerve-jangling drive all the way to the Nine Stones. Instead we chose to follow the back roads in order not to travel back the way we had come. Eventually we came to the N80 and I was once again oriented. 

We ended up taking a stroll around Altamont Gardens - always lovely. And as refreshment after our stroll we each had a delicious little tub (125 ml) of Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream. Yummy.

A visit to Kathleen Doyle for a cuppa and a cookie completed the day's adventures. We're having another quiet evening. I just have to clean my golf clubs to prepare for tomorrow's round at Mount Wolsely

No pictures today - Internet service is too slow for photos to be transferred and there weren't many to choose from anyway.

Is it really Wednesday already? Is it really sunny all day long?

The answers to the two questions in the heading are both a resounding YES! This has been the most spectacular day of weather. It was a bit coolish offset by such glorious sunshine. But let me back up.

The view this morning - full of promise which was fulfilled.

Today was the day to swap cars. We met Oliver at the Gorey train station as planned. He used his senior citizen's free travel pass. It was certainly easy for us not to have to drive to Ashford to return the car and then find a bus or train back, ask someone to pick us up in Gorey, etc. 

En route to the train station, we found ourselves a bit early so made a stop at Dunne's. My baseball cap was too tight and gave me a headache so I thought I'd try to find one there. Well, yes indeed, really nice, well-fitting, soft light fabric baseball caps for €5. I bought two. Good thing I did because Pat had forgotten to put hers in the car when we left the cottage. 

And, we noticed some lovely clothes, suitable for golf and travel, of course, so tomorrow we are heading back to Dunne's to see what might fall into our shopping carts. The weather is not to be so nice, and there's a lovely cafe for lunch so why not.

Once Oliver was on board we drove to Kathy's for the car swap. Her brother Jim was visiting and we had a brief catch-up. All was in order until we tried to start the car - the one I'll be using for the next 4 weeks. It had sat idle for too long. Turning the key produced a little bit of noise but it wouldn't turn over. Oliver got out the jumper cables but his car is a Prius hybrid and we never did find his battery. A very helpful guy working around Kathy's place provided his car and we got it going. This is the short version.

I took it for a very short drive and when back at Kathy's to load up our golf clubs, we left it idling. The drive to Bunclody for today's golf game was sufficient to make it a very happy car. After the game it started up with no problem. Can you see my big smile from here? It's an older car but very peppy and we love it. I should be shifting a wee bit more smoothly very soon. We felt badly driving off from Kathy's so quickly but we couldn't let the car stop running. We're going back for a visit tomorrow afternoon.

Our golf shots today were not quite as awesome as those of the past couple of days, but we were distracted by the gorgeous scenery. Photos at the end of the narrative.

It was my turn to ride the elevator from #17 green to #18 tee and Pat's turn to drive the cart up that steep winding hill. Neither of us was disappointed by the experience. 

We picked up some prepared salads at SuperValu to put with the rest of our rotisserie chicken and had a very tasty dinner chez nous. 

This evening will be another quiet one "at home". I'll add the pictures for your viewing enjoyment. They are out of sequence. I'm sure there's somewhere for you to complain so please feel free to do so.

just off the elevator arriving at #18 tee

17th green with the elevator waiting to transport me up

somewhere on the back 9 - it was severely downhill to the green but looks rather flat here

the stream needed a snack so it ate my golf ball

ho hum, just another nice view

The bridge from the top of the elevator to the next tee

And now it's time to clean the golf clubs. They have a day off tomorrow but we want them to feel refreshed and ready to go on Friday. I should not have looked at the weather but ... you never really know how the day will play out in any case.

Today's weather - well first, what time are you talking about?

 It has never been more true than today - if you don't like the weather, just wait and it will change. Sorry for the late posting - I hope you didn't turn blue holding your breath.

For the most part, it was sunny and cool, well for a couple of the morning hours. The day dawned sunny and about 5C, or that was my guess. The predicted high was to reach 12C. Superb. In the sun it's always warmer. There wasn't much wind and at least that condition persisted all day long.

We were ready early and headed to Coollattin in case an earlier tee time was available. It was We extracted our clubs from the car, and put valuables and other essentials into the golf bags and put them on the trolley. That is a pushcart – smallish and had no frills - not even a cup holder. Our travel bags aren't large but they do have built-in wheels, making it just a bit iffy for balancing. Once settled we were good to go.

The sun was bright and as we walked along the first couple of fairways started shedding layers of jackets. Once we had the right number of layers for the temperature, the sun went in. Time to put on another layer. Oops - sunny again, and so it went.

The front nine at Coollattin is a wee bit hilly but quite a nice walk with no real sweat and very few long uphill slogs. Neither of us encountered any terrible issues with the Par 3 inside the walled garden. [Check out hole number 5 on the Coollattin golf club website.] If you watch the flyover video, inside that walled area the large sand trap has been filled in making it a much friendlier hole. We both struggled with the speed of putts. I had a bogey, on that hole and was very happy.

My streak of good hits seems to be continuing and I'm hoping that lasts. Overall things went well on the first 10 holes - we weren't too fussed about the bad putting. It takes a long time to adjust to really slow greens and there were a lot of very close calls.

When we were about to tee off on #11, not having come close to the clubhouse we hadn't seen any "comfort stations" along the course. And at that point, I needed one – soon. We were only a couple of hundred yards from the clubhouse so I made the round trip. It was about the same distance as walking 2 Par 4's. Then I sat for about 2 minutes before I was ready to attack #11, and off we went. Still on foot. Dumb! I had the chance to get a buggy (power cart) during the comfort stop but I figured the walk would be good. 

Now it's not Mount Everest, but uphill and down dale and not a par 3 until the very last hole, which was flat. I had skipped #12 and #13 to make up for the trot to and from the clubhouse. They were very long and very up and down and the view was lovely from the bench at 1#4 where I waited for Pat. 

The weather was lovely but the bar was closed when we finished so we returned to the cottage for the post-game refreshments. 

An evening at Ann and Tom's was planned so we got ready and as we were about to leave and suddenly thought we had been spirited back home. It wasn't snow - but it was a mighty pounding of hail. Fortunately, it was not big enough to damage Oliver's car.  

We set out for Craanford when we thought the hail had stopped and were only briefly treated to another round of the pellets. Roads around here were absolutely running with streams of water but by the time we passed through Carnew they'd had not a single drop of precip.

A lovely evening was spent with Ann and Tom, Catherine, Laura and Mairead. Little Kate shared her Easter chocolate with us. I'm sure when I was five I would not have shared a single bite. 

And here are some photos from the day.

even when a bit overcast it's gorgeous at Coollattin

and when the sun is shining it's even better

As I waited at #14 tee the downhill hole awaited

Pat trudging up from #13 green to 14 tee

And if you thought I was kidding about the hail, here's my proof

A potpourri of wonderfulness

Today is Easter Monday. It's a bank holiday. Most stores are closed but the fun was allowed to carry on. And it did.

We had booked a 1:40 pm tee time at Borris Golf Club. It came highly recommended by the barman at Bunclody. Rather than just sitting around all morning we decided to go by way of Leighlinbridge and the Arboretum garden centre. No - we didn't want to buy any plants, but the location is good, they have a great café and a pretty garden walk with fantastical versions of common animals.

Google is our new best friend, getting us everywhere, usually on very scenic (read narrow and twisting) routes. Today we chose to use the main roads. It took longer but was a nice change.

Arriving at the Arboretum we selected our lunch - bowls of yummy Leek and Potato Soup, and we shared a small portion of quiche made with bacon and brie and accompanied by a green salad and a green bean and squash salad. Like you care what we ate. Sorry. But at least I didn't take a photo of our lunch. After a brief wander along the garden walk, we hustled back inside to get warm. The threat of some sunshine had not yet materialized. That would come later.

From there it was off to Borris golf club for our game. There is no pro shop, you sign in at the bar. Green fee plus electric cart was €35 each. No, we are not too lazy to walk. The course that had looked flat in the preview pictures we saw, turned out to have lots of hills and nary a single flat lie. So we got the buggy as the carts are called and were very grateful to have done so.

I'm pointing to the aqueduct - can you see it? Click on the picture to make it bigger.

This is a 9-hole course that you go around twice, using different tee blocks on each nine. Sounds simple enough. Well, believe me, the cart was useful for reconnaissance missions to find the next tee block after putting on every green. Holes cross over each other. Sometimes the red tees were ahead of the whites and blues and sometimes they were farther back, or off to the side, or hiding between bushes. At one point it was very frustrating trying to find our next tee. 

However, I was hitting pretty well, more or less in the direction we had decided was the right one, the views were spectacular, the course was in pretty good shape and on each hole we eventually found each subsequent tee that we sought. The greens were really slow and it was hard to whack the ball hard enough with the putter, but it's a good problem to have. The back nine was accomplished more easily with all holes played in order.throughout

It was chilly throughout the round. We had sunshine, we had a bit of moisture from above, but mercifully little wind. Some black clouds looked very threatening but donning the rain pants I'd just taken off, had them scuttling away again.

After our round, we were able to use the high-pressure air hoses to clean our golf shoes and that saved a lot of messy digging out around the soft spikes. Now they're good to go for our game at Coollattin tomorrow.

We went into the bar to return the buggy key and there was a group of ladies, probably the ladies' committee, who chatted with us. The barman, Mick, was great. He poured Pat a nice Guinness and made me a cappucino. I bought a bottle of local organic honey for Ann Byrne the next time we see her.

Mick told us about the area and said we really must go to St Mullins. I'd heard of it but there are so many pretty spots that I'd never visited before. Off we went with Ms. Google's voice telling us where to go. 

It was more than worth the visit. Such a pretty little cafe down by the Barrow river next to an old flour mill. I think that the other side of the river was Co Kilkenny. We shared a pizza for our supper, Pat quaffed an O'Hara's IPA and I had more water. That's my drink du jour, chaque jour. The picture is not especially flattering and the ale is not mine, but here I am chowing down on a slice of Hawaiian Pizza - what other kind would you order in Ireland? It was Irish ham. 

Yummy Irish Hawaiian pizza at St Mullin's

From the sign you'll know exactly where we are

Along the Barrow River at St Mullin's

There was a group of canoeists who ended their journey on the Barrow about 50 ft from our picnic table. I'm not sure if it was a tour or a regular club activity. 

Ms. Google was once again called upon to lead us home and she didn't disappoint. She brought us right by Aldi where we updated our supply of chocolate and picked up more milk for our morning coffee. I suppose she would have led us on the same route anyway, but a little part of me wonders if she's listening as we chat in the car, and when we talked about chocolate she made sure our happiness quotient would be topped up. Either way, we're content.

Now we're home and settled in for the evening. Not much nightlife which suits me just fine. The local pubs are only open on weekends due to reduced numbers of patrons, at least for now. I do sympathize with the publicans for the loss of business caused by the pandemic.

That's it for now. Weather is somewhat promising for tomorrow. We'll be golfing anyway.

Easter Sunday and instead of chocolate eggs we got fog!

The weather forecasts have never been more correct than for today. All week Easter Sunday was predicted to have the worst weather of the weekend. As promised, the day started out "cloudy" and raining. The clouds were very low as pictured below.

And when we opened the front door our view was gone

The plan for the day had been made and was followed very closely. We'd booked a tour at the Wicklow Brewery which makes craft beer. It's in a village called Redcross, in Co Wicklow. Google maps found it easily and our trip was without diversions or detours. Quite astonishing really. Actually, the weather had cleared a bit although long-distance vistas had to be imagined rather than viewed. 

Fortunately, there was a parking lot around the back of the brewery and the attached and very popular Mickey Finn's Pub. We found an end parking space easily, into which I backed up. It was fortuitous as leaving the parking lot could have been very tricky as there was a car parked pretty close in front. Backing up would have been a nightmare. Of course, it was raining, but even walking around to the front entrance wasn't too far. Inside we couldn't get over the crowds. Why weren't these people at home for Easter dinner with their families? Do they really allow young children in pubs that serve food? Obviously, the answer is yes.

We arrived about 20 minutes early and as scheduled our guide showed up at 2 pm. The tour was private - we're the only ones who've booked a tour in a very long time. Bonus for us. The introductory video was very good as the two brewers shared the description of the various phases. I learned a lot about brewing and have already forgotten most of it.  They make several different brews from the Coola Boola light-coloured and light-tasting beer to a very nice stout which to my taste buds, really does give Guinness a run for its money. As I am the driver, I sampled only a few and only very little. My favourite was still the lager. 

one of the beautiful natural bars

Pat and Martin our guide with a view of the taps for the sampling

Look closely at the top to see why it can be called IPA, even though it's just barely less than 5% alcohol to be truly called an IPA

Following the tour, Pat enjoyed a pint of the Stout and I enjoyed a Club Soda. There are some drawbacks to being the designated driver. We shared a bag of Mature Cheese and Red Onion Crisps (chips to Canadians). Note to self - look for those in the grocery store.

A look at google maps showed that we were only 15 minutes from Ashford and it was our plan to pick up keys to where I'll be staying in Rosslare next week courtesy of Margaret and Eugene Stephens. Not only did we get the keys, but enjoyed a very tasty slice of chocolate cake and a cup of coffee. Of course, there was also great conversation and we had a lovely visit. 

We did make a slight diversion en route to see the Wicklow Golf Course. Wowser - arguably the most scenic course I've ever seen. We wanted to play there this week but they are all booked up for almost every day except maybe Friday. It's unlikely we'll make it but hope springs eternal.  

And these were taken on a cloudy wet day. 

Rather than taking the scenic route back, provided by google maps, we took the M11 back to Gorey and from there I know the route "home". Google Maps has sent us on many scenic routes, which were probably shorter by about 200 yards, with roads narrower by a few yards. The chosen routes were not marred by a centre line painted on the roadway but there's incredible scenery when it's not overcast and raining. No point in driving there when you can't see those vistas.

Once back at the cottage we did a little golf planning for the week and now it's time to call it a very good day and drift off to sleep. 

 

A rare morning musing

Though sleep usually eludes me, last night with a mere 1/4 of a sleeping pill, I had a solid 8 hours and awoke refreshed. One of the problems is that this duvet, with no top sheet, is very very warm. I did open the window a crack. Any further and it might admit the rain.

A cup of coffee (not the best I ever made) has completed the arising ritual. The laundry has been put away, having finished drying on a rack in the cottage overnight. An hour in the tumble dryer was not quite long enough for the small load. 

Now as we gaze out the window we wonder how long it will take before we can see further than the car.

view from the front door

There's no evidence that the Easter bunny knew where we were so alas, no supply of chocolate has been deposited here. Fear not, we do have an ample supply of chocolate to satisfy the addiction.

Our plan for today is a tour of the Wicklow Brewery at Redcross, followed by a meal at Mickey Finn's pub at the same location. How else would one celebrate Easter? 

https://wicklowbrewery.ie/mickey-finns-pub/

The only other time I was at Redcross was when I was supposed to be in Ashford. I wonder where we'll end up today. But this time, we are using google maps and so far we have not exactly been led astray. We have been led via the L roads - those narrow strips of asphalt too narrow to bother with a centre line. They are better than boreens - dirt roads with a strip of grass in the middle. But the views along the way are always worth a look.

Our brewery tour is not until 2 pm and we will leave much earlier than should be required. You do recall my penchant for, um, choosing alternate routes, don't you? And if the fog is late lifting it could be a very interesting drive.

Until later ...

A letdown yesterday but a huge pickup today

I've got to learn to forget about the forecast and just get out. After our golf game on Thursday, remarkably, we could move freely on Friday. Nobody was more amazed than I. I had been exercising but not golfing since October. 

The weather wasn't looking good on Friday morning, I was still very tired because habitual insomnia has followed me here. Still, it was time to drag the body into action and go somewhere. It doesn't rain inside the car. And in the end, it didn't rain OUTSIDE the car either.

We settled on Enniscorthy and the National 1798 Rebellion Centre as the destination du jour. The chat we had with the person on duty was quite interesting about the various flags flying outside. What I found interesting was the Canadian flag and the Irish flag of today were proudly wafting in the breeze. The other flags (US, Australia and oh my I forget the rest) were those from the time of the rebellion. 

Additionally, there was a County Wexford flag which is purple and yellow. The jerseys worn by the sports teams are yellow in front, hence the players are known as "yellow bellies". You learn something every day. Some days you even learn something important. I'll let you, my gentle readers, determine the importance of my "new fact for the day".

We bought our senior rate tickets and started our tour. As you move from room to room the audio, sometimes a video, is triggered by a motion sensor. The previous visits I'd made were at quiet times and there were no other patrons around. It was perfect. This time, there was a rather loudly chatty group ahead of us and their audio presentations were on when ours were, making understanding what we were attempting to hear, more than a little tricky. One chap in the group ahead was, or thought he was, well-versed in Irish history and added his own dialogue. Arrgghhh. We skipped ahead of them when we could. It would be much better if visitors had individual audio guides where you could press a button corresponding with the scenario you are viewing. Note to self, perhaps a friendly little message to the venue.

We stopped in Bunclody on the way home and picked up a rotisserie chicken and some salad at SuperValue, which made a very satisfying supper. The quantity of food I've been eating since the "attack" on Tuesday night, is really minimal and I fear a return of a greater appetite. In fact there were signs today. 

Our evenings are so exciting I can't bear to describe them. We are both equipped with laptop computers. Enough said.

With better living through chemistry, I had a long solid night's sleep and awoke feeling great again this morning. Pat called The Burrows links course in Rosslare and booked us a tee time for 12. And we were off on the hourlong drive. 

Thanks to Google maps, the journey was straightforward and uneventful. No sign of the traffic van that likes to increase the Irish GDP by catching folks who miss seeing it as they whiz by over the speed limit. Running our borrowed Prius in Eco mode means that the speed limit is something we only dream about reaching. No fear of tickets for us. I've started putting it in Power Mode when we come to a hill, otherwise we're in danger of slipping backwards. But don't misunderstand, I'm so hugely grateful to Mary and Oliver for lending me their vehicle. We decided to top up just before reaching Rosslare and now we've got a full tank to fuel our adventures.

We mistakenly parked and tried to check-in at the Rosslare Golf Club which owns The Burrows links course and learned that we had about another kilometre to go before our destination. Noted - and off we went again. 

After checking in, paying our green fees and shelling out €2 for a very basic pull cart we were ready to roll. Pat suggested "just in case" that we don our rain gear before teeing off. Thank you, Pat. It wasn't long before the Irish mist rolled in and lasted for 10 holes. The course is a strange 12-holes long. The true Irish links experience was what we got on the final two holes. It had been merely windy and a bit moist up to that point. And then the heavens opened and the winds of hell swept in from the very nearby sea. 

Our foursome included two very nice young men who lived in the area. They became our course guides and we had a wonderful time - despite the weather at the end.

We warmed up with 2 hot coffees, a soft drink and a Guinness. Pat maintained her traditional game-ending choice of beverage. You figure out which one that was.

By this time breakfast was long in the past, we completed more than our 10,000 steps, so we headed to Arklow for some dinner. It was farther than I'd thought, but long story short, it only took one phone call to a friend who lives in that town, to learn that our best choice for food the was the Arklow Bay Hotel. There were weddings going on and but staff found us a great table in the dining room, we ordered up our drinks, our fish and chips (and mushy peas), and the service was fantastic. 

The drive back to our cottage was uneventful and truly scenic.  Google maps thought we had had enough of roads with lines painted on them, so we were mostly on "L" roads. Let's just say they are narrow and you only meet oncoming cars on the corners. The odd straightaways, up to 100 metres between turns, are always free of oncoming traffic.

Once arriving on the Gorey-Carnew road we no longer needed Ms. Google and shut her down. I can only tolerate a device telling me where to go, for short periods of time.

We're back, wet rain gear has dried out, laundry has been washed and most is almost finished in the dryer. And another day comes to a close.

We took a few pictures - and here they are for your viewing pleasure.

Am I aimed in the right direction? Is that our green waaaaay up there?

No comments on the form, please. It's hard to swing wearing several layers of cosy clothing and a non-stretch rain suit.

True view of a links course - can't see the wind but oh my how it blew

Gorse abounds on this course

Selfie time on the 10th tee

Pat enjoying the day

Between soft and hard bouts of rain, I took off the rain jacket oh so briefly

On the course again

After not touching a golf club for 6 months I had low expectations for today's golf game at Bunclody. I was not contradicted in that by how I hit the ball. It got better after a few holes. We had no warm-up, which should be compulsory in the mind of every golfer. 

Because I hadn't eaten much yesterday - two crackers - I wasn't exactly well fortified but managed two pieces of toast for breakfast. We decided to take a power cart, or buggy as they are called here. Well, this was a wonderful upgrade from other buggies I've used - quiet, nicely cushioned and sparkling clean. We took care of that sparkling look with the wet grass and dirt from our shoes. 

It was a bit of a drive to the first tee, and indeed, there was often quite a distance between one green and the next tee. We only got lost once, choosing the wrong one of the two paths that seemed to head off in the direction indicated. As a result, we got to meet two foursomes of gentlemen golfers. The first group pointed to an area up ahead, indicating that we were on the right path. So we proceeded and encountered another group, with another set of directions. This group turned out to be correct. Reverse course. Reinterpret that little sign. The first group waved at us as we passed them going back, and pointed to the area we were now aiming at. And so, we arrived at the third tee. 

The course is beautiful and is in great shape. The greens were not especially quick but they ran true. But not always into the cup with the first putt.

As we were a twosome in a cart, we were waved through by three groups. This saved everyone a lot of grief - either waiting or finding people very close behind. 

The most unique feature of the course is an elevator from the seventeenth green to the 18th tee. As we had a cart, I dropped Pat off for the elevator ride, and I drove the cart. When I got to the top, I was at the right location but saw no sign of Pat. I caught a glimpse of a bridge, but no elevator, and concluded that in fact, I had taken another wrong path. I drove back down to the fork in the paths and realized that I had indeed followed the right one. Turning around required a 3-point turn then I once again drove up "Mount Bunclody" at a steep angle and this time Pat was at the top. It had been quite a walk from the elevator. Another wonderful example of my sense of direction. And they let me drive here!

I had stopped playing after 12 holes - my tank had run out of energy. We celebrated at the 19th hold, Pat with her Guinness and me with my Cranberry and Soda. I ate the soup and 1/3 of my toasted sandwich. I enjoyed the rest of it a short time ago - rather over-heated in the microwave.

The route "home" via Aldi for a couple of things, was pretty straightforward. I didn't try to take the shortcut via Clonegal, the one that ended up being a long way around via Tullow. 

Tomorrow's weather should be relatively dry so we're planning on the 9 and dine at Coollattin and Saturday we'll head to Borris where the course was recommended. It's one of the oldest courses and sounds lovely.

All in all not an exciting day but it was lovely to swing the club and sometimes hit the ball well. My putting was not bad - only one 3-putt. 

This evening is an "at home" sort of thing. The tv (once we plugged in the cable) is indeed working and has a great selection of channels.

On the first tee - optimistic to little avail

Pat had laid up so as not to lose a ball to the creek - she still parred the hole

Communication from phone to computer restored

OK - here are the missing pictures that were lurking in cyberspace. It was a matter of turning the phone off and back on. 

The hens kept moving away; I wanted to show the source of the eggs

.Can you see the hens along the hedge. Click on the picture to make it larger.

Beginning our walk at Tomnafinoge Woods

This was the path taken, The one not taken was the one I'd previously used.

Along the Railway Walk at Tomnafinoge Woods.

 

Rain? Fog? Chilly? don't believe that what you see will last

 Well, they say in Ireland if you don't like the weather just wait a while and it will change. So, since I know that, why did we cancel our golf game today? Heavy rain, poor visibility, lousy temperatures with a bit of a breeze ... seemed like good enough reasons.  Rescheduled for the same time tomorrow.

Mistake!! We did a bit of grocery shopping in Bunclody and drove to the golf course there to check it out. The chaps in the pro shop were also predicting that the rain which had stopped and the breeze which had died down, would soon return. Nope - it cleared up, was even sunny much of the time. What a wasted opportunity to embarrass myself on the course. But we did book a tee time at Bunclody for Thursday. No matter the forecast or the morning outlook we will show up for that 1 pm time.

Eventually, we had to wend our way back to the Lodge. I know the way from Bunclody via Clonegal and back here. Hah! Somewhere along the route I missed a turn and found myself in unknown territory. But the scenery was nice and the weather had cleared up. My reputation for getting lost remains intact. Is that a good or bad thing? Once we arrived in Ardattin I knew that just carrying on along the same road would bring us to Tullow. And it did! 

From there we easily found our way back, without stopping at Rathwood for a tasty morsel and great potential for retail therapy. 

Donal dropped in to give us some eggs laid by the hens that call Minmore Mews home. Fresh this morning. 

After having lunch around 2:30 we spent a while searching online for more golf opportunities. Finally, we admitted that we were wasting a lovely day. So - where to go and what to do. A walk was definitely in order.

Destination: Tomnafinoge Woods. It's only a short drive from here so off we went. This time we explored a trail I had not followed on earlier trips and had a great walk along the side of the stream/river. We were surprised when we looked across and saw a deer who was equally interested in us. She almost posed until she got a bit bored and loped off into the trees. I mused that it would be nice if she'd return to a more open area so we could get a better photo. Well, she must be a psychic deer because a couple of hundred yards later, there she was again. This time she brought a friend and they both posed in a location where a better photo was possible. Thank you to the local wildlife.

At that point, my camera (phone) decided that it didn't want me looking at the screen and dimmed to the point I thought it had up and died. Maybe it was jealous of my interest in the animals. Eventually, I squinted sufficiently to see a very hazy image and realized that somehow, a series of bumps while in my coat pocket must have resulted in the setting being altered. So Pat had to take over as photographer and her pictures of the deer are the ones you'll see at the end of my ramblings today.

I can hardly find those settings when I'm trying to change something on the phone. How can I "pocket change" settings? Ah well, these things are sent to try us.

Dinner was the leftovers from dinner in Ashford, with a couple of baked potatoes along with broccoli and cauliflower. Easy! Wait, we couldn't operate the stove. We searched for hidden buttons and switches and finally sent a text to Donal who showed up moments later. The stove burns are gas - and the tank had run dry. The oven was electric and you have to set the timer before you turn on the oven to warm up. That process was a new one for me. But now we know. 

Plans for a visit to Egan's pub for a pint of the black stuff were snuffed out. They are now only open on weekends. So we made a sacrifice and consumed the wine and beer we have on hand instead. When life hands you lemons, make lemonade, or in our case a trip to the fridge.

It's now nigh on time to consider calling it a day so I'll upload a few pictures for your viewing pleasure and a respite from my ramblings.

OK, so I got no cooperation between the phone and laptop for transferring photos. 

I did get these two transferred from Pat.

First glimpse of the white-tailed deer

And this is where she brought a friend

Post script

I came down with what was probably food poisoning at about 10 pm on Tuesday night. I won't share the disgusting details. Today I was able to sip water and have just finished a small plain cracker. It's only 8 pm and for me, that's bedtime today. I plan to miraculously recover completely by tomorrow as we've got a tee time at Bunclody at 1 PM.

Pat was able to play golf today thanks to a ride to the course from our Minmore Host, Donal. She played with Jim Byrne and had a great time and played well. Loved the course at Coollattin. Jim drove her back after their game.