Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Easter in Ireland


A  good few days since I posted. It's been a busy time which really began when I opened my e-mail one morning to find a note from a long-lost cousin inviting us to her and her husband's ruby wedding anniversary party. South of Cork. It took us two seconds to say yes. 
   All it took was a flight from Carcassonne to Dublin, a few hours hanging around (eased by a pint of Guinness) and a commuter hop to Cork where Valerie and her daughter Wendy met us. She and I had Skyped so we did at least know what the other looked like. Necessary as we were in our teens when we last met. 
   She and Gerry live at the end of a winding road four miles from the coast and the Fastnet lighthouse (if you've ever listened to UK shipping forecasts, there's a familiar name for you). 
Their farmhouse is large, pleasurably rambling and its heart is the kitchen which has a large Aga and a very large table. 
   Saturday they showed us around the nearby countryside, vivid green and dotted with cows and gorgeous Georgian houses. I became besotted with the colours that people paint their homes in this part of Ireland. This shot of some shops in Skibbereen is typical.
   

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