Category: Ireland

Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way

Today it was a glorious 20oC and so Boswell (my cute little rental car) and I headed out exploring along the Wild Atlantic Way…

…and managed to find Easky Pier and Castle – although this sign was not exactly encouraging!

I love that dotted around the coast are the drawings made my local youngsters, encouraging us to take care of the area…

Someone had been feeling very zen…

The Beach Bar – venue for a scrumptious lunch!

Local seafood – yum!

Then off again, meandering along skinnnnny country roads…

…and back home in Sligo in time for me to work through the evening…

…and I leave you with a photo of last night’s sunset – that was taken at 10:06 PM !!!!!!!

~ Bella

Sligo Rally

Welcome to the Connacht Motor Club Sligo Rally!

I caught up with a friend today and we went to Riverstown Folk Park for what is known as a regroup halt – essentially a short rest-stop during the Sligo Stages Rally.

After a wonderful fill of motor fuel fumes, we headed to Sandhill for lunch…

All in all, a fabulous day!

Oh, and yesterday I went wandering but there wasn’t enough in my wandering to warrant a separate post, so here are my photos…

Wishing you a most blessed Sunday!

~ Bella

Welcome to Sligo, Ireland

After a delightful time with friends in Malahide, on Monday I drove across the country to Sligo where I will be staying for the next nine weeks.

It was sprinkling all day but that did not dampen my enthusiasm… This (below) is the view from my bedroom balcony on the day I arrived…

As I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, I strolled down the street to what has now become one of my new ‘locals’, The Embassy Steakhouse Bar and Grill.

The staff are ever so friendly – and the food is sooooooooo delicious!

Arriving home and look what greeted me in the water below…

Tuesday night – back for dinner…

…and this salmon and couscous was “culinary heaven!”

Although the Irish Whiskey at the Grand Hotel in Malahide was the best they had, I was pretty sure this place would have even better – and they do!

It was like drinking heavenly nectar!

Then home again…

This is the view I get while still with my head on my pillow…….. Bliss!

There is always something to see in the river…

Today, I went for a wander and in less than five minutes’ walk from home, I arrived at Sligo Abbey.

From Wikipedia: “Sligo Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Shligigh), a ruined abbey in Sligo, Ireland, (officially called the Dominican Friary of Sligo) was originally built in 1253 by the order of Maurice Fitzgerald, Baron of Offaly. It was destroyed in 1414 by a fire, ravaged during the Nine Years’ War in 1595 and once more in 1641 during the Ulster Uprising. The friars moved out in the 18th century, but Lord Palmerston restored the Abbey in the 1850s.”

…and every churchyard needs a cat…

Back home…

There are two tiny islands in the river… I have named this one Ducklet Island…

…and this one Swanlet Island…

It’s like having my very own nature preserve right outside my bedroom door!

Until next time, sending love and smiles to all…

~ Bella

Farewell Romania ~ Hello Ireland!

First, let me say, “I love Romania!”

I would go back there at any time – but that’s for another post…

Yesterday morning I left beautiful Romania and since my flight was at 07:15, I arrived at the airport at 04:30 – thinking that would be plenty of time…

Hmmmmmm……………

This (below) is a photo of Bucharest airport at 04:30…

This photo (below) was taken at 06:00… and one of the people in front of me mentioned that today was a relatively good day… Apparently the last time he was there, it took over three hours to just get this far… I guess Romania is quite popular!

See the yellow lettering in the faaaaaaaaaar off distance (below)? That is the border patrol through which one needs to pass before one even gets to the beginning of the trek to the gates…

This photo below was taken just before 07:00 (bearing in mind my flight is due to leave at 07:15)…

Standing in line, I saw this gizmo… There isn’t a red button large enough………..

I finally board the plane (that is scheduled to depart at 07:15) at 07:13 (after arriving at 04:30) and what was mildly disturbing was that while I was in line, there was a drip-feed of other people joining the line… Ever so slowly… Not like normal where, where the flight is called, everyone crowds into the line…

…and then when we took off, there was only around 30-40 people on the plane…

Me thinks many of the intended passengers were still standing in line at Bucharest airport!!!

Then, I arrive in beautiful Ireland!!!

What was also exceptionally lovely was that I was speaking with a client who is also a very dear friend and I mentioned that I was arriving in Dublin on July 1st – and he said that he was also arriving that day – and when we cross-referenced, we discovered we were arriving within less than an hour of each other…

So, we met at the airport and journeyed in my lovely rental car (his name (the car’s name) is Boswell and he is taking excellent care of me!) to my hotel in Malahide where I stayed the first two nights before heading to Sligo…

Not only that, but another of my very dear friends who is originally from Ireland but now lives in England is over here visiting family, so we caught up yesterday and today…

I feel ever so blessed!

I am staying two nights at the Grand Hotel in Malahide, built in 1835… just about 5-10 years before my time… 🙂

Here is where we curled up and drank and ate and drank at the Matt Ryan Bar…

…and I said to the waiter that I wanted a double of the best Irish Whiskey they had… and it was luverly!

Then, we went for dinner…

…and the following morning, went for a stroll along the beach road…

…and had a SCRUMPTIOUSLY DELICIOUS brunch!!!

Snoozed for awhile – soaked in the hot-tub (and found the first place anywhere in the world I have encountered that says you must wear a swim cap to go into the pool..!)

…and then enjoyed a delicious steak dinner (of which I could barely get through half, but it was sooooooooo good!)…

…and now about to head up to my room – btw, the bed and pillows are SOOOOOO comfortable here that I will find out what they are! Seriously! I think this is the most comfortable bed and pillows I have ever experienced in my entire 172 years on the planted!

Goodnight dear Friends!

~ Bella