It was a lovely mild morning when we got up and got the laundry on. It wasn't yet quite sunny but very acceptable. The usual fog or low clouds were easy to see as we checked the view. Braden tested for Covid and he was negative. It's really just a cold. He wore a mask to keep from "sharing" and we set out for Hook Head. The laundry was done so we didn't need to decide which socks were the cleanest among the dirty ones.
No detours were suggested by the voice in my phone today. I think the Apple Map navigation is more accurate than Google. Then again, we did have that misstep yesterday where we were in the middle of nowhere and told we'd have to walk the final 500 metres. I still have no idea where we were when we reversed course and got to where we should have been earlier.
And the navigation voice I'd been mistakenly calling 'Ms Google,' is getting a bit demanding. When we are about 100 metres from a turn she'll almost bark "Turn right." I guess that's so you follow her directions. Even if I complain about her mood or instructions, she has been a godsend and will continue to be one, although my travelling is pretty much over. I'll just be around here for the final two weeks.
The route was mostly on good roads and we experienced everything from glorious sunshine to rain while driving. It was raining when we arrived at the lighthouse, but tickets were obtained for the next tour, and we had time for soup and brown bread for lunch. I indulged in the wonderful seafood chowder - having enjoyed it both other times that I visited. This time I declined to take the lighthouse tour, leaving the 151 steps for others. Instead, I ordered a capuccino and relaxed in the cafe. That's getting to be a very pleasant habit. By the way, Hook Lighthouse is the oldest continuously and still working lighthouse in the world.
 |
| Arrival at Hook Lighthouse, in the rain |
 |
| The end of the capuccino and view of the sea |
The return trip included a stop at Fethard Castle - now a ruin. And it rained again, but were not deterred. Well, I was, but the castle expert was not.
 |
| Remains of Fethard Castle |
From there it was on to Egan's pub to say hello and basically confirm that our musician was not up to performing due to his cold. Instead, Guinness was consumed by all and we enjoyed a couple of hours of conversation along with the black stuff. And there was that shot of Poteen for good measure. Nope, not me, I'd tried it before and found it "wanting." Wanting to be consumed by someone else. We tasted some hazelnuts, after shelling them, collected and brought in by Aiden who later played some pool with Braden and Sammie. That visit seemed to banish his cold. Possibly it was the poteen. The only thing comparable in my mind is Screech from Newfoundland.
 |
| First Guinness coming up |
 |
| Aiden with the hazelnuts to share |
Larry and I talked history and genealogy and I have some new avenues to explore and possibly a clue to finding out "who was Mary Foley?" She was a child who was born very near the Byrnes in Coolruss, apparently went to New Brunswick with her parents in 1848 and yet ended up living with the Byrnes from at least 1851 to 1861, before simply disappearing from any records I can find. That's for another day, but very soon.
Now back at the cottage, the kids are packing up their belongings for tomorrow's drive to Greystones to catch the DART into Dublin. They will complete their trip in the big city. I will meet some friends for lunch and then come back to pack up my own things for the move across the road on Saturday.
No comments:
Post a Comment