Thursday, April 2, 2015.
Not surprising we slept late again this
morning. I guess staying out after midnight is not as easy as it once was, “ah
sure were only young once”. That doesn’t sound right but close enough!
After breakfast we discussed the troubles
of the world, revisited family history and enjoyed another great conversation
where the subject matter meant far less than the company.
A walk down the lane to collect the post
shook out any cobwebs remaining from last night’s shenanigans; the wind and the
damp forcing me to zip up my coat tight and dig my hands deep into my pockets.
I had forgotten how penetrating the cold can be here in Ireland despite what would appear to be a favourable reading on the thermometer. I think today’s reading was 9deg and yet so cold but it eased as the day wore on.
I had forgotten how penetrating the cold can be here in Ireland despite what would appear to be a favourable reading on the thermometer. I think today’s reading was 9deg and yet so cold but it eased as the day wore on.
Kees volunteered to show me King’s house
and the Abby here in Boyle and while I wasn’t sure how interesting it might be
I’m so glad we went. King’s house was fascinating in its history and the
quality of the restoration. The models added to the enjoyment and the clothes
and uniforms of the era were detailed and presented with imagination and flair.
The furniture and general décor was captivating. The pictures below are but a
small sample of those I took. My favourite is probably the model of a battle
field as it is today … a graveyard where those that died are buried.
The final exhibit was the cells where prisoners
were held after this house was occupied by the military. The face behind the
food slot caused us to jump back in fright.
The Cistercian Abbey was a lot of fun
despite the drizzling rain. To keep the visitor interested there were markings
and engravings which we were challenged to find and we did … all of them. The
curator was a friend of Kees; a Dublin man with a great sense of humour; we
swapped a few jokes. Apparently Eugene,
the curator, lived in Kees’s house at one time and that’s how I found out that
the cottage is known as Flintstone Cottage;
a variation of the former owner’s name … Featherstone. Wasn’t
Featherstone one of Rumpole’s collegues?
Our tour was complete with a visit to
Coffee and Sweets an internet café in the center of Boyle owned by another Dublin
man with a wicked sense of humour. There I enjoyed the repartee, coffee and was
able to upload the previous day’s blog.
Dinner at Frank and Cora’s … Fried Mackerel
and all the trimmings was excellent and most enjoyable. Off then to another
session in Drumbshambo where Frank is the main man. I sang a couple of songs early on but shied
off later as the crowd grew and noise level rose. I captured some of the action
in photo and video. Mark arrived and I had a chance to spend time with him. We
left before the end and I felt a pang of sadness as I hugged each of my
brothers goodbye, hoping at the same
time I’d see them again very soon.
 |
| Writing the book of Boyle? |
 |
| Cloak and Brooch! |
 |
| Party on |
 |
| Kees Eileen and Mak |
 |
| Frank in fine form |
 |
| Eileen |
No comments:
Post a Comment