December 23rd
After a day's hill-walking, I catch up with Olwyn and Roisin at The Clarence (club) where there is some interesting jungle music.
Elaine, Rosin (the fairy) & Olwyn
Christmas Eve
Begins with a memorial mass for my Grandparents and Uncle Tony. Shopping (browsing). Pub (hot port). More browsing. Shops are packed, apparently Tesco has run out of turkeys and streaky bacon. Pub (mulled wine). Party at Breda's apartment - I get told I look 'youthful for my age'! Midnight mass & Carol service. Tea and mince pies at home by the fire.
Christmas Day
I sleep until midday (unheard of!). Long walk at Rosses Point, watch the charity swim and decide that a dip in the Atlantic on the 25th December may induce terrible pre-travel illness, so stay dry ashore. Visit the delightful Doreen and Betty Crown, my Grandmother's cousins, in Strandhill. Back home we indulge in a couple of Bloody Mary's, eat a wonderful traditional dinner, our first Christmas day with just the two of us. We don't really have a routine - each year our Christmas has been quite different. Snooze and rest for the remainder of the day. Santa (Clause) was very practical this year - thermals, hiking socks & dollars!
Rosses Point beach, Sligo
'Jumping Jacks' to keep warm!
Rosses Point promenade
St.Stephen's (Boxing) Day
Another amazing sleep (it is so peaceful here). Feeling refreshed, we climb Knocknarea, mince pies and a flask of mulled wine in tow. Visit Mim. More turkey. Then we hit the town. A very fun night - many reunions!
Mother is happy on her bi-annual pilgrimage
Silliness on top of the mountain
Hot port & mince pies :-)
Traditional Irish stone wall
Happy Cows
December 27th
An Irish fry-up for breakfast. Tremendous rush to leave the house by 9am. Icy roads, slow drive. Chaos at Knock airport, Ryanair ladies have been replaced with middle-aged men in wooley-jumpers. Flight delayed. Arrive in Luton, no trains to West Hampstead (WH). Train to King's Cross, eventually onward train to WH. Rooms a mess, need to pack. All packed, superfluous goods donated, remainder binned. Room clean. Run to station, aaargh no Jubilee or Metropolitan line! Rail replacement bus to Baker Street, get wrong tube, miss train from Victoria, aaargh. Wait for an hour in Victoria, icicles appear on my eyelashes. 19.03pm train to Faversham, meet Sam. Drinks with friends. Almost miss the train to Whitstable, run like the wind, train at platform. Make it with seconds to spare. Arrive at Whitstable, nice walk home. Lovely evening chatting and laughing. Broken sleep, but my lovely hotwater bottle keeps me warm :-)
December 28th
Wake early, eyes do not function, breakfast. Rail engineering works, drive to Sittingbourne. Watery goodbyes, followed by a teary journey back to London. Pull myself together! Last minute organising. Spill glass of Berocca (orange vitamin drink) on white fleece 5 mins before scheduled departure time! Vanish! Taxi to Heathrow. Meet Irina, my worldly possessions have been whittled down to 14.5kg (plus hand luggage!). Hassle at check-in with immigration, names, seats, and then I am chosen for a 'random security check' before boarding the plane -step-by-step security take out every item from my hand luggage (a tightly packed 25 litres)! Plane delayed, but we are headed for JFK New York, then Buenos Aires!! I am quite grumpy and the (lovely) New Yorker beside me is chatty and wants to make friends. I just want to sleep....wrap up in blanket, eye mask, flight socks, ear plugs......at last, peace!!
The first chapter of my South American adventures is about to begin! An exciting conversation over a glass of wine on a Tuesday evening with Adam (my friend & soon-to-be travel companion) has materialised! Despite all the wonderful things in my life in London, there is all-consuming fire in my belly to travel! This is something I need to do for me, and I have inclining that I will grow as person having done so.
Right, no more talking, must sleep....currently suspended 10365 metres above the Atlantic Ocean, with 2.52 hours remining until we reach JFK.....
It seems very intereting. That traditional Irish wall of stones is magnificent. And I also understand your desire to travel, it something that happens to a lot of people. I myself rented a buenos aires apartment on a whim and flew to Argentina. It´s something that can´t be explained. Some have it, some other don´t.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I loved it
cheers,
Brittany