place des Diligences

SAINT PATRICK'S SEMINARY

2011-08-21T06:23:00.003+01:00

Saint Patrick - in all his garrish glory.

These snakes are really scared.

I saw signs for an estate sale at Saint Patrick's seminary. I decided I would check it out.
Neighbor Paul needed a ride to Redwood City to drop off his car for repairs. I followed him over there then we had coffee at Peet's then walked through the Farmers' Market. I dropped him off at home but later he wanted to check out the estate sale so I agreed to take him over there.

The estate sale was interesting. It seemed like the sale was winding down a guest house for priests. The house was a three storey building with individual suites of bedroom, sitting room, bathroom. Most of the furniture was a mix of French and Mission Revival. It seemed like all of the bargains were sold on the first day of the sale - yesterday. Isn't that always the way.

I did bump into Síle O'Reilly at the sale. I have great memories of seeing Síle perform with her choir in the chapel of Saint Patrick's. It was good to see her again and chat about her hens and bees.

SANTA CRUZ

2011-08-20T17:46:00.004+01:00

Tom and Ellen

I'm still on vacation, though the days are dwindling before I start school again on Monday. I'm making the best of it.
I called Ellen to see if she was not too busy with the new grand-daughter. She said "Come on down".
I drove over the hill in the afternoon. When I arrived Tom suggested a walk on the beach. We drove the short distance to the beach. It was beautiful. I took off my shoes and let my toes go wild in the sand. The sky was clear - no haze or clouds or fog. We walked along the beach closest to the marina. We avoided the part of the beach with the Boardwalk. On the way back Ellen spotted the fins of porpoises playing in the water. There was a harbor seal too hanging out.

Ellen and Tom had been invited to a birthday party of a friend at the Cash Store in Davenport. I tagged along. We drove up the coast to Davenport. At the party there was a live band playing and lots of wine flowing. I met Tom's ex and her husband. They have a house in Mexico, close to Manzanillo, a place that holds fond memories for me. We chatted about Mexico and their travels in France.

We spent about an hour at the party then headed back into Santa Cruz for dinner. We had dinner at an Italian restaurant: Ristoranti Avanti, a family run place that was very comfortable. Tom had forgotten his glasses but the waiter brought him a selection of glasses to try so that he could read the menu. Restaurants are responding to the greying of America in new and subtle ways!

DUBLIN'S PÈRE LACHAISE

2011-08-04T13:48:00.001+01:00

I've been meaning to check out the new museum building at Glasnevin Cemetery since it opened two years ago. The building is unusual for a cemetery but Glasnevin is an unusual cemetery. It was founded by the Liberator, Daniel O'Connell after he wrested Catholic Emancipation from the British. Churches and churchyard cemeteries passed into the hands of the established church - the Protestants - during the Reformation. Catholics were limited in where they could bury their dead by the Penal Laws. Catholic Emancipation eliminated the worst aspects of the Penal Laws, allowing for new churches to be built and cemeteries for the city to be opened.

Like Père Lachaise in Paris, everyone who was anyone in Dublin society is buried in Glasnevin. The history of the country - plagues, wars, revolutions - is written on the headstones.

IRISH ICONS

2011-08-02T22:20:00.001+01:00

Spit on me, Dickie

Helen was going in to Town to look for an outfit for the Big Wedding. I rode along with her to Jervis Street but she made it clear she wanted to do her own shopping. I walked up to Parnell Square to the Municipal Gallery. I never miss an opportunity to see Francis Bacon's Studio (more than 7000 artifacts arranged exactly as they were in his London studio) and the treasue trove of Impressionist works that Hugh Lane collected for the city.

I walked back down O'Connell Street and cut across the Half Penny Bridge into Temple Bar. I was looking for the Gaelchultúr building but I never found it. Instead, I wandered around until I came to a less-developed part of Temple Bar. On Bedford Lane there are panels by individual artists who are part of a co-operative, The Icon Factory. The panels, as the name suggests, depict icons of Irish social, cultural, and sporting life. Everybody who is anyone (or was anyone) in Ireland in the past 150 years is depicted. There is a funny commentary for most panels that gives some idea of the context of each personality or group. My favorites were the literary panels and the panels on the greats of traditional and popular music. You can bet that Shane MacGowan is up there with the best.

Back on the other side of the river I met up with Helen again for coffee before we went home.

FARMLEIGH

2011-08-01T16:13:00.000+01:00

The State Guesthouse

August Bank Holiday means that there is a farmers' market on at Farmleigh. Helen wanted to go so that Timmy would have some time to work on his thesis for his school inspector qualification. We drove over to pick up Aimée and take her with us.

Farmleigh was the former residence of Lord Iveagh, a kind of townhouse set in 75 acres of parkland close to Dublin. The house and grounds were bought by the Irish Government when the Celtic Tiger was still roaring. The Government use the house to board foreign diginitaries, including Mrs. Windsor and her hangers on. Barack could have stayed there too had he spent more than 45 minutes in the country. In fact, he would have found it very comfortable since there are two completely separate suites for men and women - a nod to Muslim potentates like Obama.

We walked around the market enjoying sight and smell of the variety of foods now available in Ireland since the Lace Curtain fell and Ireland opened itself to the world.

MO RANG SEAN-NÓS

2011-07-29T19:56:00.001+01:00

Last day of the sean-nós class.

SUNDAY WALK

2011-07-24T15:44:00.000+01:00

"go ciúin sa ghleann ina luí"

Each year the ard-rang goes out for a walk with a local native speaker. This year, the usual “victim” Paddy Beag was not available so Tony Birtil from Liverpool led the group. Usually, Tony “teaches” the hillwalking class but today he took us on a less strenous hike to the church.
We were a big group – Rang 6, Rang, 7, and Rang 8 all together. We walked in bright sunshine, seeing the valley at its best. Tony pointed out the damage to the trees from the storms of the previous Winter. Many of the trees suffered from the increased salt in the air. The fir trees, in particular turned brown and ugly and many other kinds of trees died. The local people refer to this phenomenon as “an gaoth rua” – the red wind.

At the church Tony opened the access to the souterrain. There is a wooden ladder now, something that wasn’t there last year. It is a lot easier to climb down into it than ever before. No one had a flashlight. I used the flash on my camera to poke around but I’ve been inside it so many times that I didn’t really need a light to find my way around.

After the church the group split up. Today is Open House at the Folk Museum. The majority of the group headed up there to get a taste of life in Sean Dún na nGall while a small group went with Tony and Seosaimh Watson to investigate a group of passage graves that the local people refer to as the “Necropolis”.

DONEGAL TOWN

2011-07-23T21:38:00.000+01:00

Mary offered a ride to Donegal Town. Sandy wanted to come along but she also wanted to spend the day in the Gleann. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day, the perfect day to go swimming. We agreed we would go into Donegal to do the weekly shop but try to be back early so Sandy could go swimming.

When we got to town we parked the car and split up. They were going to the castle first but I wanted to get a little breakfast. I walked out to the Catholic church by myself then walked a little further to the Famine Graveyard. I was surprised to see that all the rowan trees along the edge of the graveyard had been cut down. It seems the County Council is making an effort to clean up and maintain the site. Schoolchildren had planted a bed of flowers to commemorate the aid sent by the Choctaws during the Famine.

I walked back towards town. I crossed over to the other side of the river to explore a different part of town. I found a newly opened restaurant where I could sit outside and have a cappuccino. Directly across the street was the Magee's factory.

I went back to the castle. There was a tour about to start so I waited in the courtyard for a few minutes. I love visiting the castle and try to take the tour every time I visit Donegal. I love hearing the story of the Ó Domhnaill and how they defended Ireland from English encroachment. Ultimately though, they were defeated and we haven't had a day's peace since.

The tour was hardly finished when I got a call from Mary. Sandy wanted to go back to the Gleann. I had to meet them right away so we could do our shopping and they could get back. We went to the SuperValu together. Yuki (Sneachta) was there doing shopping too. Mary offered to take her back in the car so I decided I would stay in Donegal and take the bus back later.

I met Marcas in the Diamond. We had agreed earlier that we would have dinner together. We walked over to the Blueberry which wasn't as crowded as usual. I had the special - lamb kebabs served in a bhajji that was more like pita bread. Marcas had the chickeny thing. I couldn't resist the strawberry-rhubarb crumble with fresh cream. Everything was delicious.

When we were finished there was very little time left for walking around. We took the bus home, well satisfied with our day out in town.

MO RANG (MY CLASS)

2011-07-21T09:56:00.000+01:00

My class is interesting. There are about 18 people in the class. Most of the people, maybe 10 or so, were in my class last year. I have the same teacher, too. Eithne is a lexicographer who is working on a massive project to identify every Irish word that has ever appeared in print. She is directing the project from a center in Donegal. The biggest part of the project is to digitize every book and manuscript that has ever been published. Each entry will have a paragraph from the original showing the word in context. Every spelling or varient form of the word will also be included to show how words have changed over the centuries.

Eithne has to do a lot of research as part of her job. Last night she gave a lecture on some of the more interesting material she has been working with. She showed slides of handwritten texts that children collected from the old people in their community in the mid-1930s. The school children of the country were given the task of collecting stories, songs, poetry, and games and this huge collection of material is maintained by the Folklore Commission. More than 100,000 children participated so there is material from every parish in Ireland but Eithne focused on the material from Donegal.

The class is well structured and for the most part everyone is at the same level of ability in Irish. Madelyn, the Swedish woman from my class last year, has really improved. Last year she struggled a little but this year she is able to hold her own in any conversation. Barton and Scott are back again but Scott left today to go back home to North Carolina. Barton is a Fulbright scholar, originally from Santa Rosa who has moved with his wife to Belfast. He is very funny. Some of the other people from last year have moved up a level to the translation class. They spend their time learning how to translate government documents into Irish. It seems awfully boring to me.

SIÚLÓID (A NICE WALK)

2011-07-20T13:23:00.002+01:00

Marcas invited me up to his house for dinner. When Marcas is here his parents rent a cottage and the whole family comes down together. Marcas teaches the lower level class.
Before dinner we went out for a walk together. Marcas' friend Colm came along, too. Colm has no Irish so we have to speak in English when he is around. I know that irritates Marcas.
We walked up the hill from the cottage where they are staying. The rain had stopped earlier in the day but there was still plenty of clouds in the sky and gusty wind. We walked for about 45 minutes in the direction of the Atlantic then turned around and walked back to the house for dinner.

Marcas' mom is the cook. His dad is a dentist but he is retired. They are both well educated people and have a lot to say about the situation in Belfast where they live. It was good to hear the perspective of people who live there.
We had a really good dinner. His mom baked fresh local salmon and made mashed potatoes and mashed turnips to go with it. I was put in charge of making the white sauce to go with the fish.

FIDIL

2011-07-20T09:40:00.000+01:00

Fidil

The boys were back in town, fresh from their triumph at the National Concert Hall in Dublin the night before. I saw them last year here and was really impressed but this year they were even better.

The evening started with a warm-up act – a group of three young local women who sang a bunch of traditional songs in harmony. It was really nice to hear these fresh interpretations of old classics like An Cáilín Rua and Cad É Sin Don Té Sin. Two of the girls also played a few tunes on the fiddle. It was a really nice complement to the main act.

Fidil were absolutely brilliant. They had their patter down pat for the audience and they certainly seemed in command of their instruments. Two of the boys are from this part of Donegal so it was something of a homecoming for them. They played many local favorites and remembered the great local fiddler James Byrne by playing some of the tunes associated with him.

Ray, Mary, Sandy, Yvonne

FOREIGNERS' CHURCH

2011-07-17T13:07:00.000+01:00

The Protestant church in the valley.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PEG

2011-07-17T12:19:00.000+01:00

Margaret Fogarty (McGill)
July 17, 1923

RAIN AND WIND, WIND AND RAIN

2011-07-16T13:14:00.000+01:00

The Ugliest Building in Europe?

I took the bus up to Donegal from Dublin. Gemma’s Kevin was going to give me a ride to the Luas so I could get to Busaras for 11 but he decided instead to take me all the way in.
Since I didn’t have to take the Luas I had lots of time to wander around after I bought my ticket. I walked over to the ISAAC’s youth hostel for breakfast. The Caribbean man in charge was just setting up but he made me the best cappuccino of the trip.
I walked back to the bus station to take some pictures. Busaras (bus palace) competes with Liberty Hall for the title of “Ugliest Building in Europe”. What were they thinking? Inside the design is equally bad. The toilets are in the basement so if you have to go (and who doesn’t have to go before they get on a bus?) you have to lug all your baggage down a narrow flight of stairs.

The bus trip itself wasn’t too bad. It takes four hours to get from Dublin to Donegal Town with a very short stop in Cavan Town. In the old days there was a 15-minute stop so you could have a sandwich and stretch your legs before getting back on the bus. This time the driver warned that there was only time to go to the bathroom and that he would leave without anyone who took too long. The cuts are deep everywhere, it seems.

The bus schedules have completely changed. Before, there was an hour wait in Donegal for the bus to GleannCholmcille but now it is more like 3 hours. Donegal is an interesting place with lots to see if you have a couple of hours to spare. But when it is lashing down rain and the winds are howling you don’t feel like walking around with a heavy suitcase in tow being a tourist. I didn’t feel like going to a pub for the afternoon so I just hung out in doorways until it was time to get something to eat – two houses around the world but I was homeless in Donegal Town.

I had a very pleasant meal at the Blueberry Café off the Diamond. The towns that came into being during Plantation times always have a central plaza that is referred to as a diamond. Donegal does have a diamond but it is more like a triangle. I had a braised steak with vegetables and mashed potatoes. As always it was very good. The owner always greets me warmly and enquires about Rich and Nephew Vladimir who he met lo these many years. That’s why I like going there – it’s like family.

I finally reached GleannCholmcille at about 7:30 in the evening. We had one more change of buses in Killybegs but there wasn’t time to see much. Besides, the rain never let up so there was no lingering for pictures.

'Universal Links on Human Rights' (1995) by Tony O'Malley
Eternal Flame for prisoners of conscience.

BON VOYAGE, TROGLO PHIL (AGAIN)

2011-07-15T21:27:00.001+01:00

My airplane has arrived.

BON VOYAGE, A MHÁIRTÍN

2011-07-15T20:52:00.003+01:00

Are we not Devo?

Rich took me to the airport this morning for the flight to Dublin.
It was blazing hot, maybe 30°C already. But Dublin was considerably cooler and it started to rain while I was waiting for the bus.
Now I have to find a way to get to Donegal tomorrow.

HAPPY BASTILLE DAY

2011-07-14T14:42:00.003+01:00

The BIG Parade

Local citizens

FEUX D'ARTIFICE

2011-07-14T14:29:00.003+01:00

The fireworks in the village were a little less dramatic than in the past. We had a leisurely dinner with the Willis' and Lucien and Denise from the North. Mr. Willis made barbecue on his new Weber Kettle. He grilled merquez and shrimp as an appetizer. His pièce-de-resistance was a perfectly grilled leg of lamb.

After dinner we wandered down to the river for the big show. It was already quite dark. The show started almost as soon as we found a place to sit on the wall. It lasted for about 20 minutes and there wasn't really a grand finale. We did enjoy it though. Afterwards we wandered around the crowded main square where there was a live band and dancing.

13 JUILLET

2011-07-14T14:15:00.002+01:00

The dinner party before the fireworks.

PAINTED LADY

2011-07-10T09:54:00.004+01:00

Rich has been busy painting. After an initial setback with Great Leap Forward Green he went back to the paintstore in Saumur to find something closer to Village of Montsoreau Official Green. The result is a very pleasing color that is the perfect backdrop for the hollyhocks.

LOVEBIRDS

2011-07-10T09:43:00.004+01:00

For those of you keeping track of the gossip in the village (you know who you are TH) Bertile and Jeremy have been spotted swanning around like two teenagers.
Bertile appeared in the village about two weeks ago. Reliable sources indicate that she spent the Winter in a sanatorium in Paris. Jeremy arrived in his late-model Merc on Thursday and they have been inseparable (and insufferable) ever since.
Our source also reports that the EX is living in Chouzé on the other side of the river. He has not been to visit yet.

AMUSE-BUCHE

2011-07-08T21:30:00.002+01:00

Haché de tomate sur un lit de mayonnaise et endive avec anchois marinés surprise d'été.

SHUSHIKITA (ARE WE WITHIN 25km OF THE OCEAN?)

2011-07-06T21:46:00.003+01:00

I always thought that this was a statue of Beaurepaire ("He was buried in the Panthéon, but then he went missing") since it is very close to the Rue Beaurepaire in Saumur. In fact it is a statue of Petit-Thouars, the hero of (the first battle of) Aboukir.

We were in Saumur with Karen and M. Leclerc de Montréal to have dinner at the Japanese restaurant. We parked in the street in front of the post office where this imposing statue dominates the place.
Petit-Thouars and his leglessness is haunting me (The headless ama-ebi was also a surprise).

PARNAY

2011-07-06T21:02:00.003+01:00

Parnay

Troglo Phil took us on a jaunt through the countryside to look for a wine co-operative where we could get in on the ground floor of the next big thing. We never found the co-operative despite multiple passes through the villages of Saumur-Chamipgny on the D147: Souzay, Champigny, and a host of unnamed hamlets.
We ended up at the Chateau de Parnay, the place where Antoine Cristal started it all. We sampled their 2009s and 2010s and a rosé. Phil bought a box (un cubi) of the Saumur-Champigny to take back home.

GREEN COLOR #2

2011-07-06T12:12:00.002+01:00

Do you prefer this color?
Vote by "reacting".

GREEN COLOR #1

2011-07-06T12:04:00.004+01:00

This is the approved color by the Architecte des bâtiments de France.
This green is very subtle - and the photograph makes it even harder to see.

Vote by "reacting".

AUBERGE LA SANSONNIÈRE

2011-07-04T07:37:00.006+01:00

Jenny (the Second Lady Willis) and Peter made reservations for Sunday lunch at a fancy restaurant in Saint Georges-des-Sept-Voies, a little village out past Gennes. The restaurant is part of an auberge, a small boutique hotel in the countryside.

We started with aperitifs on the terrace - kirs all round. We were served a selection of three amuse-buches: guacamole stuffed cherry tomatoes, salmon hachette, and devilled quail eggs.

We had a choice of three menus. The most expensive featured sweetbreads with lobster and seabass, the mid price featured monkfish and pork, the cheapy featured rabbit. There was a salad and a dessert with every menu. We also had a selection of cheeses and a "pre-dessert" which was a mint panna-cotta with a strawberry mousse topping.

Maria and Ari

TOURS

2011-07-03T10:45:00.003+01:00

The Saturday flower market in Tours on the Blvd Béranger.

Vieux Tours - be careful when you order a cappuccino.

BON VOYAGE, TROGLO PHIL

2011-07-01T16:59:00.003+01:00

We were invited to another party at Máirín and Michael's house in the country. They had heard that Phil was leaving to go back to Santa Monica so they wanted to throw him a farewell party. Phil isn't leaving for another two weeks but that didn't deter Máirín. They are so pleased to be living in France that they take any opportunity to throw a party and show off their renovated miller's house.

There were a bunch of interesting people at the party (besides us, it goes without saying). We met Michel and Sylvia. Sylvia, an ex-pat from Oakland, told us several times that she has been in France for 7 years and two days. I'm not sure she is liking it yet. Her husband, Michel was born in Morocco. He had interesting stories to tell of growing up there. His Portugese grandfather moved to Morocco after the Great Crash (not 2007). During the war the harbor of Casablanca was bombed by the Germans. He bought a sunken cargo for $1000 dollars, sight unseen. He drank champagne for the rest of his life from that one ship.

We also met André who had lived in the United States since he was 14 years old. He was very funny with his fake Brooklyn accent. He told stories of trucking life in California, making runs between Los Angeles and Hayward. At one point he owned an auto parts store. He told funny stories about one employee. The man was in his late sixties when he came looking for work. His argument was that he liked to play the ponies but he didn't want to lose the house's money.

Another couple came later. Aurzel, the hand and foot model from New York, arrived with her French husband, Fred the farrier. They originally moved into the family's chateau but had to sell it because of the enormous upkeep and heating bills. I don't know what she does here in France but I imagine there is not a big market for her hands and feet anymore. Fred has relatives in Washington D.C., cousins who he visits often. Despite that he speaks very little English.

PRETTY GIRL STREET

2011-07-01T12:18:00.001+01:00

Wouldn't you just love to live on this street?

OCEANS OF SUNFLOWERS

2011-07-01T10:50:00.003+01:00

When I first got here the weather was cool and the skies were overcast every day. The sunflowers stayed inside their protective perianth waiting for their namesake to appear. Then suddenly last weekend it was Summer. The temperatures shot up and everyone started complaining about how hot it is. Sunflowers opened. Fields that looked like lush green carpets are now bright yellow canvases. And they are everywhere you look - in all directions. The sunflowers have "turned on" and now it is definitely Summer in the Loire Valley.

DÉGUSTATION

2011-06-27T17:47:00.004+01:00

Chateau de Petit Thouars

We went wine tasting. We drove over to the Chateau of Petit Thouars which is above the town of Saint Germain along the road that goes to Chinon. We met with the owner's son, Sebastian, who gave us a tasting tour of their rosés and reds. All of their wines are Chinons. We sampled their 2005 Reserve and 2008 and 2009 reds. We likeded them.
Sebastian told us about a recent trip he made to the US to promote the family's wines. He said he went to a big food and wine expo in Los Angeles but there wasn't much interest in the product in California. However, he did sell 2500 cases in Colorado.

FAUNA

2011-06-26T21:30:00.002+01:00

Our well-stocked fish pond.

We have been seeing some interesting wildlife in and around our village.
We walked up through the vineyards for our evening walk, several nights ago. We saw lots of rabbits running through the fields.
When we went to visit Christelle and her new man, Yannick we walked around her village of Chaintres after dinner. We saw lots of glow-worms casting a strange green light out their rear ends.
There are always swallows and bats everywhere but no sightings yet of hedgehogs, frogs or boar.

CLAFOUTIS TIME AGAIN

2011-06-26T21:00:00.004+01:00

We spent the morning at Karen's house. We had breakfast with Sarah and Vincent from Paris by way of Idaho. They are interested in buying the house next door to us. In the afternoon they came over to Montsoreau to see the house. I also got to see it for the first time.
The house is very small. There are two rooms above the garage and another big space in the grenier. There is a toilet and a shower but no kitchen. The cave is pretty big and is connected to our garage. Vincent the Frenchman was very hesitant about the amount of work that would need to be done. He wanted to get estimates for how much it would cost to replace the roof and rebuild the chimney stack. Sarah the Idahoan was far more enthusiastic. She was ready to buy it on the spot. It will be interesting to see if they go ahead and buy the house and what they will make of it.

FRESH OFF THE BOAT

2011-06-26T12:37:00.001+01:00

Fruits de mer

Phil invited us over for Sunday lunch. He ordered a boatload of seafood from the market and went to pick it up when we came by. Everything came arranged on a bed of seaweed on the polystyrene boat - shucked oysters, shrimp with heads and legs, crawdads with pincers, sea snails (boulot) and tiny krill-like shrimp you think are more trouble than they are worth (but they aren't). He served a chilled Sancerre with the seafood.

After lunch, he took us on a tour of the neighborhood. Above his cave is a nice walk with more troglodyte caves. We met some of his neighbors and took in the views across the valley. A very pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

HERO OF ABOUKIR

2011-06-25T16:51:00.006+01:00

Quoted from the website of the Chateau de Petit Thouars:

Aristide Aubert du Petit Thouars (or Dupetit Thouars as it was spelled during the Revolution) fought in the Independence war of America, sailed the seas seeking La Pérouse and died heroically in Aboukir during Bonaparte's campaign in Egypt ; captain of the Tonnant, he had his right arm shot away, then the left and finally one of his legs was taken off by a cannonball. Refusing to give up command, he insisted on being put in a tub of bran that was on deck and led his men until he collapsed from blood loss. One of his final orders was to nail the Tricolour to the mast so it could not be taken down in surrender.

Bran will never seem the same!

WALK TO CANDES

2011-06-23T17:31:00.000+01:00

We took a morning stroll up to the tea shop and bookstore and antique shop in Càndes. Eric was pleased to see us. We were the first customers of the day. We had coffee and chatted. Eric told us that his old shop in the middle of the town has been sold again. Last year it was a tea shop and bookstore but that closed at the end of the season. Eric says it is going to be a lamp and lampshade store - like the world needs that.

We walked the long way back to Montsoreau. We crossed the bridge to take a look at the toll the drought is having on the Loire. The level of the river is very low. There are sand bank islands in the middle and wide sandy beaches where there should be water. We even saw some fish in the river, something I've never seen before when the water level has been higher.

GENNES

2011-06-23T11:03:00.003+01:00

Homo Sapiens checks out a property he might like to buy.

Gennes was delightful. Rich had been there several weeks earlier to pay our water bill. Our small town water company was acquired by Veolia, a giant multinational corporation. Their regional headquarters are in Gennes so Rich had to go there to set up the automatic payment.. He was very excited to discover a dolmen that he wanted me to see.

Gennes was a Gallo-Roman settlement in the day. There is a Roman amphitheatre just outside the village but we could not get to see it. There is also a Rue de Nymphée that runs up a hill to a small church that probably was built on the foundations of a temple dedicated to water spirits.

Gennes is notable for another reason. The bridge over the Loire was defended by a group of cadets from the Cavalry School during the Battle of France. Their task was simply to slow the advance of the Germans which they did. Their sacrifice is commemerated in the churchyard of St. Eusebe (The Moroccan soldiers who also participated are barely mentioned, however).

CUNAULT

2011-06-22T07:59:00.007+01:00

Cunault is such a beautiful place. The high arches and tall columns direct your eye and mind upwards. The tuffeau fills the space with light making the whole building seem like an enclosure for the spirit.

The statue of St. Catherine is a special place of pilgrimmage for young woman hoping to find a husband. St. Catherine is depicted with the instruments of her torture and martyrdom - the wheel and the sword.

WEEKLY MARKET

2011-06-20T06:55:00.006+01:00

Mon petit chou

Up early to visit the market. Checked in at the bakery first for some fresh pains au chocolate and bread. Madame wasn't there but her assistant was tres jolie as ever. A handwritten sign about a temporary closure for a change of ownership was a sad reminder that things are about to change.

I walked through the market with Rich. We bought fruit and vegetables from his favorite vendor. We had ripe pears for breakfast. We sampled a selection of goat cheeses before deciding on a creamy, a hard and an ashy. The little round cheeses are called crottins, I think (wordreference.com says that crottin can also mean "horse dung").

THROUGH AN OPEN WINDOW

2011-06-19T09:34:00.001+01:00

The view through our window.

Directly opposite is the entrance to the chateau.

TROGLO DAYS IN TURQUANT

2011-06-19T08:46:00.005+01:00

Local color at the Bistroglo.

This weekend is big on the Loire. The Fête du Velo is rolling through the countryside all along the Loire. The Rockrider is ready to join the fun.

In our village, and in the neighboring villages it is Open Caves Days. The village of Turquant is a troglodyte arts and crafts center. There are pottery and glass studios in the the caves as well as restaurants and cafes. We stopped in at Bistroglo for coffee and a glass of wine. With a glass of red wine in front of me and my man beside me I really felt that I had arrived in France.

We walked around the village visiting each of the open studios. We tried the freshly baked fouée (one stuffed with rillette, the other lavished with chocolate) as we walked around.

When we got back home Troglo Phil came by. We walked up the village to the open cave of Bertignolle. We walked through the huge underground warehouse. The grapes are produced in the village of Bertignolle in the Véron region but they have no caves on that side of the river so they make and store the wine in our village. It is a Chinon wine that is barreled for a year then bottled for a year before being released. We sampled the 2006, 2008, and the 2009 as well as a rosé. I liked the 2006 the best.

IN TRANSIT

2011-06-18T09:28:00.005+01:00

A mighty Airbus

I was up bright and early at 3am for my flight to France. Unfortunately, my flight wasn't until 9:25 so I had a couple of hours to kill before the rest of the household was up. Jetlag - it's an ugly thing.

Timmy got up at about 7am and we were on the way to the airport by 7:15. It was lashing down rain - the Summer Monsoon, I suppose - but there wasn't much traffic at that time of the morning so we made good time.

Ryanair had only one line, a very long line, for check-in. I had already checked-in online (along with everybody else, I suppose) but that didn't mean I could skip the bag-drop queue. When I got to the desk, finally, the agent had never heard of a CPAP machine. I was diverted to the ticket counter for further investigation. That agent waved me on without much fuss though he seemed a little surprised that I was even asking about it.

I had plenty of time for breakfast in the new terminal.

A DAY IN BRAY

2011-06-17T08:50:00.007+01:00

I spent the day in Bray catching up with my brother John and his family.
I took the LUAS to Connolly Station (Dubliners still refer to it as Amiens Street Station) then rode the DART along the edge of Dublin Bay to Bray.

John picked me up in Bray. He had Ilir and Radu with him but Ilir hopped out to take the train into Dublin.

It was spitting rain. We went back to John's house to have lunch. Radu chatted the whole way back. He is such a neat kid. The last time I saw him was two years ago when he was up and walking but still very much a baby. Now, he has completed junior infants and will be going into senior infants in the Fall. He attends a Montessori school in Bray. Whatever they are doing there it is definitely working. He is bright and inquisitive.

We ate our lunch then headed back downtown to meet with Ligia at the clinic. Business has slowed a bit but they have maintained a solid client base that is helping to keep them going through the crisis. John showed me his new office space that he has built from a prefab garden shed. This space will free up floor space in the clinic and give him a place to do freelance work in his own profession while still keeping an eye on the backroom operations of a busy dental practice.

HAPPY BLOOMSDAY

2011-06-16T06:45:00.000+01:00

I found this gem when I was wandering around Mary Street. The building is now a Penney's.

CAFE BELL

2011-06-15T19:12:00.000+01:00

Olde Worlde Cafe Bell

I ventured out for the first time today. I have been dealing with serious jetlag for the last three days. On Monday when I arrived I had breakfast then went to bed for about seven hours. On Tuesday, I woke up at 3 am but I was back in bed by midday for another 6 hours. Today, I vowed to stay up the whole day.
I took the bus into town. The 150 route has changed dramatically. It no longer goes down the Crumlin Road like it has for the past 50 years. Now it goes down Kildare Road and then through Sundrive on Clogher Road. It crosses the canal at Donore Avenue then heads down the Coomb and into Town along its old route. It was nice to see a different part of the city but I missed the view of our old house on Crumlin Road.

I had lunch at the Cafe Bell. I started out at Cornucopia but the line was so long I couldn't see the menu board. I walked over in the direction of George's Market. In the laneway behind BrwonThomas I saw a sign for Cafe Bell through the archway. I decided to check it out.

The archway led into a small courtyard behind St. Theresa's Carmalite Church. The cafe looked like it was part of the monastery. Inside, there was a single room with chandaliers and tables. It was probably the priests' front room originally.

ALREADY WATCHING JEREMY KYLE

2011-06-13T09:49:00.000+01:00

STORMY WEATHER

2011-06-13T09:47:00.000+01:00

The skyscrappers of Charlotte under the gathering storm

We taxied out to the runway and sat there as the sky darkened. The pilot came on the intercom and told us there was a storm coming through. He said the airport had been closed and we would have to wait on the ground until the storm passed. We waited for more than an hour. Buckets of rain lashed the plane. It looked like we were going to go back to the terminal. But as suddenly as it started it was all over. We took off and never looked back.

CLT, NORTH CAROLINA

2011-06-12T21:55:00.001+01:00

My plane.

There's not much here except USAir

It is 93°F here and the humidity is high too. The check-in lady said my curls will drop as soon as I walk down the boarding ramp. I can tell the humidity is high because my underwear is chaffing.

I wandered about the airport looking for a place to eat. I passed up the fried chicken places and settled on TJ's Carolina Smokehouse. I had pulled pork smothered in barbeque sauce with sides of fried okra and collard greens. The collard greens were macrobiotic (maybe). The hush puppies looked good until the server described them.

The last time I was in this airport we had Vladimir with us. We had just flown in from London on our way back home. There was a lightning storm and the power went out while we were in the elevator. We were stuck for over an hour and missed our flight. We stayed overnight at an airport hotel and flew out early next morning. It looks like a whole new airport since then. And no elevators to get stuck in.

DAY OF DEPARTURE

2011-06-12T14:51:00.002+01:00

Self-portrait with Highland eyebrows at Gate 28, SFO.

It was a bit of an adventure getting to the airport.
I woke at about 4 am and got out of bed at 4:30 so I had plenty of time to get ready.

By 5 am I was on the road over to Forest’s house in Redwood City. He was going to take me to the airport but when I got to his house there was no sign of life. I knocked on the door and waited. I knocked some more. I rang the bell and waited. I rang the bell again. Finally, Forest appeared in his pyjamas with Buddy (the dog).
I drove my own car to the airport with Buddy as back seat driver.

At the airport there was a long line snaking away from the USAir counter. Some of the check in machines weren’t working and at least one family had to rearrange their baggage to lighten the load by 3 pounds. I was called to a postion where there was a real person doing the check in stuff. It didn’t take me long to be out of that line and in another long line to go through security.

Security was a breeze. The CPAP machine went in a tray and through the machine without anyone asking to open it up and inspect it. At the other side of security I had plenty of time to get in the long Peet’s line for a latte and a (rubber) scone. While I was settling in with my breakfast there was a call for passengers willing to take a later flight because my flight was oversold. They offered $500. If they make that offer in Dublin on the way back I will take it and try to stay a few days in Philadelphia.

GETTY MUSEUM

2010-12-25T00:55:00.000Z

We decided on a mass transit vacation: we stashed the car in the hotel parking lot ($15 per night) and took the bus to the Getty Museum. It was very easy. We stopped in at the Big Blue Bus Transit Store and got the directions and info about transfers. We took the Santa Monica Number 1 all the way down Santa Monica Avenue then transferred to the Metro 761 line at Westwood Village. We snaked through some pretty interesting neighborhoods and were greatly amused by local transit culture.
It was beautiful at the Getty. Big blue skies and temperatures around 60°F - it was hard to go into the galleries when nature provided a stunning art show on the outside. But we did venture inside to explore the photos of Felice Beato who we had first seen at the Lucknow exhibit. In the same gallery there was an exhibit of photos from the New China, some of which were a little disturbing. The New China looks a whole lot like the Old China and the Very Old China.
My favorite, though was an exhibit entitled Obsidian Mirror-Travels Explores Myths and Truths about Ancient Mexico that tried to show how Mexico has been portrayed since the European incursion.

LACMA

2010-12-24T00:00:00.000Z

SELF-PORTRAIT WITH FLARED NOSTRILS AND SCOTTISH EYEBROWS.

SANTA MONICA CHRISTMAS

2010-12-23T04:34:00.000Z

Our hotel: the OceanView

We arrived here late on Thursday. We had stayed one night at RVR's house in Highland Park/Eagle Rock but decided we needed a less cramped experience for the rest of the vacation (I think he appreciated having his home to himself for the holidays).
We did spend a wonderful day getting reacquainted with LACMA. We saw two visually powerful shows there: Olmec: Colossal Masterworks of Ancient Mexico and India's Fabled City: The Art of Courtly Lucknow. What a joy to be immersed in art for a few hours.

MY NEW SCHOOL

2010-08-17T04:28:00.000+01:00

I spent the day schlepping my things from Longwood to my new school. The District "forgot" to move my things so I took matters into my own hands. It gave me a chance to process being done with Longwood. It also gave me an opportunity to get to know my new school.
My school is Treeview Elementary but it has two distinct campuses that are not even close. The main campus houses the older students in grades 2 through 6. The campus where I will be - Bidwell - is about four blocks away on the other side of Mission. It is much closer to Union City than it is to Downtown Hayward.
I will have my own classroom and right outside my door is the school garden. Things are looking up already.

MENLO PARK OR MONTSOREAU?

2010-08-16T04:17:00.000+01:00

This car is a fixture around Menlo Park. It is exactly the kind of car I would like to have in France. I could throw my bicycle in the back and tool around the backroads looking for dolmens. I wonder could I wear my Basque boína or would that be too much.

HORACE AND LILY'S WEDDING RECEPTION, 1954

2010-08-15T23:54:00.000+01:00

This was my Uncle Horace's wedding reception. He married Lily McFall and the wedding reception was held in the apartment of her aunt and uncle. Her aunt was agoraphobic and hadn't left the apartment in 30 years. The aunt and uncle were Little People, brother and sister who lived together. Lily's parents lived in the same building on a lower floor.
My mother and father are in this picture along with my Uncle Eddie and his wife and child, my Uncle Victor, and my older sister and brother. My grandfather Fogarty is also in this picture.
This photo is a real reminder of what it was like to live in the "Buildings" of the Liberties. This was real tenament living - small quarters crowded with lots of people. This is where my mother grew up. Even though my father's experience wasn't very different in terms of living space he grew up in the country surrounded by dairy farms. Now it is hard to believe that Crumlin was ever in the sticks.

RICK

2010-08-15T16:47:00.001+01:00

I spent the day in San Francisco. I started with BookClub in the morning. All the girls were there, including Greta with her "relooking", but the boys were mostly absent. It was a tough book, Amos Oz's A Tale of Love and Darkness about his grandmother's suicide. I didn't read it because I was in France and I don't like his writing. Everybody else thought that it was too long and too detailed but that it did have some beautifully written passages.
After book club I walked to the Ferry Building with AMG. We got all caught up on vacation stuff as we walked. I like this après BookClub tradition that we have developed.
After a quick visit to the library I drove up to Rick's neighborhood. It took me a while to navigate around the new Octavia Street but as I got closer to Lily Street I saw Rick on the corner talking with a neighbor. He showed me where to park on his street. We walked straight down Laguna to Momi Toby's coffee house. Rick had to walk very slowly - this was his first outing on the new hip so he had to take it very slowly and carefully. I didn't mind at all. It gave us a chance to catch up on our Summer.

MARRIAGE EQUALITY

2010-08-14T17:14:00.000+01:00

THE COLLEEN BAWN

2010-08-08T04:22:00.000+01:00

Dion Boucicault

Movie treatments:
1911 The Colleen Bawn
1918 Willy Reilly and His Colleen Bawn
2007 Fuil agus dúch

ALL THE GRANDMOTHERS

2010-08-06T05:14:00.001+01:00

My sister Mary, My Aunt Dympna, My sister Anne

THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS

2010-08-05T03:27:00.000+01:00

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

2010-08-05T00:55:00.000+01:00

HUGUENOT CEMETERY

2010-08-04T22:33:00.000+01:00

This little postage-stamp sized piece of green on Merrion Row is the final resting place of the Huguenot community in Ireland. The Huguenots were the big losers of the Wars of Religion. For a time they were tolerated in France but after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes many were expelled and others fled.

GREENTREES

2010-08-04T10:36:00.000+01:00

A view over the washing to the Dublin Mountains.

THE QUARE FELLOW

2010-08-03T22:11:00.001+01:00

I went to see "The Quare Fellow" at the New Theatre in Dublin. The theater is located behind the Communist Party bookstore in Dublin's Temple Bar area. It is a small 66 seat theater, similar to the 50 seater where the play was premiered in 1954.
I'm afraid I was very disappointed with both the theater and the performance. The theater is small but I think it could have been better designed both for comfort and for viewing. For instance, the seats are laid out in rows that are not offset to provide a gap between the heads. I spent the evening peeking around the large head directly in front of me.
As for the performance it was lacklustre at best. Like the scenery it was very one-dimensional. None of the themes of repressed sexuality, politics or religion were well developed. I only knew there was a gay character by reading the Wikipaedia entry. I'm not sure if this is the fault of Behan's writing or Ronan Wilmot's directing. Either way, I was left with the sense that I need to see another production to really appreciate Behan's genius.
I wonder if the movie was any better?

ANDREW, THE ARTIST

2010-08-03T13:57:00.001+01:00

Nephew Andrew has been busy with his artwork during his career break.

FARMLEIGH OF A SUNDAY

2010-08-01T22:05:00.000+01:00

Helen and Timmy took Grandma to mass. I was up but still in my PJs when they left. We had breakfast when they got back and read the Sunday papers.
The farmers' market at Farmleigh is always on the first Sunday of the month. It looked good outside - not sunny but not raining either - so we got in the car to ride over there for a stroll around the grounds.
As soon as we got out of the car it started spitting rain. We scuttled to the shelter of the market but it had already stopped raining when we got there. We rooted around the market. An 8 year old Chinese goat cheese seller talked me into buying "the stinkiest cheese" she had. She was very funny but also very business-like - no haggling over price. I tasted several cheeses but held back from buying.
We walked around the grounds. There was noisy noisome music echoing across the great lawn. We took refuge in the sunken garden before checking out the art exhibition in the stables.
Just about when we had had enough it started to rain again. We raced to the car as the heavens opened and put an end to my annual visit to Farmleigh.

MY CLASS

2010-07-31T09:42:00.000+01:00

Eithne, the teacher is in the middle in the front.

CÉILÍ MÓR

2010-07-31T06:25:00.000+01:00

CEOLTÓIRÍ CEANN DUBHRANN

2010-07-31T05:00:00.000+01:00

TRÁ GEAL

2010-07-31T03:05:00.000+01:00

Stiofán, Marcas, Rita, Bríd on the Silver Strand.

RANG SEAN-NÓS

2010-07-30T11:43:00.000+01:00

The songs we’ve learned so far are:
Coinleach Glás an Fhomhair,
Ní Fheicfear Níos Mó Thú a Mhuirnín,
Róisín Dubh,
Gárdaí an Rí,
Cailín a tSléibhe Ruaidh,
Na Francaigh Bána,
Lá Breá Te Sa tSamhradh

OÍCHE DEN SCOTH

2010-07-30T04:32:00.000+01:00

Máirtín Ó Dugáin
Brian Ó Baoill
Cití Sheáin
Treasa Ní Clafartaigh
Brian Ó Domhnaill
Neilí Ó Baoill
Gearoidín Bhreathnach

MÁLAINN MHÓR

2010-07-30T02:15:00.000+01:00

We have taken to walking together Marcas, Stiofáin and me. We drove out to the area where the portal tombs are located all in a row along the road. We parked the car at the National School and started walking thinking that it might be a few kilometers. After about twenty minutes we saw a car about to go into a driveway. The car had a Kerry registration but we greeted the driver in Irish and she answered us back with a beautiful Donegal accent. She told us that we were very close to the first monument. We would have to go past the knitting factory and we would see it on the right. We walked for another 10 minutes before we saw the stones.
We found the entrance to the path across the bog. There was a small sign warning us that the monument was under the care of the government and we should not damage it. But there was no other information about the age of the monument or who might have built it. So much for encouraging cultural tourism!

BIG SESSION IN BIDDY'S

2010-07-29T06:01:00.000+01:00

FIDIL 3

2010-07-29T05:16:00.000+01:00

Fidil

AMACH AG SIÚL

2010-07-29T02:20:00.000+01:00

RABELAIS

2010-07-28T09:53:00.000+01:00

Andrew is a man who knows his way around Burgandy.
Rabelais

GLEANN PORTRAITS

2010-07-28T09:51:00.000+01:00

Liam, Micheál, Andrew

SÉAMAS MAC ANNAIDH

2010-07-28T04:50:00.000+01:00

Séamas Mac Annaidh
Cuaifeach Mo Londubh Buí

AG CASADH AN tSÚGÁIN

2010-07-27T13:15:00.000+01:00

Stiofán "ag casadh an tsúgáin"
(It's a song).

AN RÓN DALL

2010-07-27T11:24:00.001+01:00

TWO SISTERS

2010-07-27T09:52:00.001+01:00

Róisín and Betty: which one is Mary and which one is Martha?

A LA DONEGALOISE

2010-07-27T09:49:00.000+01:00

I got my hair cut in Donegal Town at Denis The Barber just off the Diamond. Denis himself cut my hair and did his best to rein in my eyebrows. We chatted about life in the United States. Denis is really interested in the history of the Civil War but he has never been to the States.

FÍBÍN - ÉIST LE DO CHROÍ

2010-07-26T09:43:00.000+01:00

There is always something special in the Gleann for Summer School. This year, Fíbín – a theater group from Galway – performed the story of the Rón Dall, or the blind seal. As one performer read the story another played live music while a third painted scenes from the story on large panels. At the end of the story they put the four individual panels together and bound them together in one large picture of the blind seal. It was a truly magical experience.
The story of the play was taken from the work of William Maxwell and his book Wild Sports of the West.

ÉIRE AGUS ALBA: IRELAND AND SCOTLAND

2010-07-26T05:56:00.000+01:00

Doiminic Mac Giolla Bhríde
Griogair Labhraidh

BLÁITHÍN BHEAG

2010-07-25T14:26:00.001+01:00

DASHA, THE RUSSIAN

2010-07-25T14:25:00.001+01:00

THE KINGDOM. THE POWER. THE GLORY.

2010-07-25T14:19:00.001+01:00

FOLK DAY AT THE FOLK VILLAGE

2010-07-25T13:04:00.000+01:00

Today was Folk Day at the Folk Village. There were exhibitions of thatching, traditional cooking of boxty, spinning, cross making, rope weaving, basket weaving and various other related skills from the past.
The ardrang had a guided tour by Paddy Beag but there were a lot of people there so the class dissolved into the village.
The folk village was created by Fr. McDyer as a tourist attraction that would give people pride in their heritage and provide a steady income to the community. The parish is celebrating the 100th anniversary of his birth this year.
I also saw the big pot that was used to make soup to feed the hungry during the Famine. I learned that the Gleann was not initially much affected by the potato blight but as the crisis became worse more people depended on the soup kitchens for sustenance. By 1849 more than half the population of Donegal were relying on the soup kitchens for their suvival.

DONEGAL TOWN

2010-07-24T20:28:00.000+01:00

I waited in the rain outside Roarty's for Seán. He had told me the night before in the pub that he would give me a ride to Donegal Town on his way home. I'm afraid Seán stayed too long in the pub and couldn't get up in the morning. It didn't matter though because Nancy picked me up as she was leaving to go back home to Athlone. She had two others in the car with her, Christine and a woman from Ohio.
It was still raining lightly when we reached Donegal Town. We decided to have coffee together before we all went our separate ways.
After we got Christine safely on the bus to Dublin Nancy offered to take me to the Lidl store on the outskirts of the town. I was glad of the offer because I wanted to explore the meagre alternatives to the SuperValu. We did our shopping then Nancy took me back into town. I probably could have walked the 2km but by that stage I did have a big Lidl bag to work with.
Nancy left me back at the Diamond and took off down the road to Sligo. I headed for the castle to see the changes that have taken place since last year.
The castle has changed a lot in the years that I have been visiting it. This year’s big change is the removal of the rope railing that led up the tripping stairs. That has been replaced with a very standard uncastle-like wooden hand rail. “Health and safety requirements”, chirped the guide when I asked about it. Everything has been painted and gussied up and looks nothing like how you would imagine it must have looked in the time of Red Hugh. The displays are still there in the exhibition hall including the reproduction of the Cathach but the guide made no reference to it in her account of daily life in the castle.
After the castle I walked down through the town again to the Famine Graveyard. I always like to visit this forgotten corner of our history. There are new signs that show the way. I wondered how many people were buried here. How badly affected was Donegal by the famine? Did the people come from the countryside around the town or were there large numbers of townspeople who died from famine related disease?
Later in the day I met Marcas at the Blueberry Café for dinner. Brian, the owner greeted me warmly. We only see each other once a year but he always remembers me and is glad to see me. I had a very good confit du canard with lentils. The new potatoes were fried in duck fat à la sarladaise. Delicious.
We hooked up with Mary and Sandy for the ride home in Mary’s car.

MADELEINE THE SWEDE

2010-07-24T05:24:00.000+01:00

CHRISTINE AND THE PIRATE

2010-07-24T04:20:00.000+01:00

Every class had to do something for the variety show on Friday night. Rang 4 did a skit about the Leaving Cert. oral Irish test. Christine has been trying to catch the eye of the Pirate all week. She calls him The Pirate because he is so swarthy and manly (judge for yourself). She finally got her chance to be face to face with him but she never got his telephone number. She is gone away back to Dublin but he will be here for another week so I have to get them hooked up in absentia.

SIÚLÓID TRÁTHNÓNA

2010-07-23T10:01:00.000+01:00

Paddy Beag took us on a walk through the stations of the Turas CholmCille. We met at the Protestant church. Paddy opened the souterrain for all and sundry. Now there is a ladder to get you down into it – a big change from the past when you had to clamber up and down with the help of strong arms. Even though I have been in the souterrain many times before I never miss an opportunity to go into it again.
After the souterrain we walked the short distance to the first station, an iron-age cromlech that has been repurposed as a religious monument. Paddy started off in Irish but soon switched to English for the crowd who couldn’t understand him. He told us that at each station there were specific prayers said but three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys were said at every station. He also told us that at the first station each person decided their intention for doing the pilgrimmage – they made up their mind why they were doing it or for whom they were doing it.
We continued to the second station. This station is know as “Alt na nGlún” because you kneel down on a special flat rock. Here is where you publicly state your intention. There is another rock that you must use to bless yourself and kiss before passing it around your body three times. Then you have to walk around the station three times, which I did.
The larger group carried on, heading for Leaba CholmCille and the holy well. But I have seen those before and heard the stories that go with them so I headed back to Roarty’s to enjoy Christine’s chicken curry.

NANCY

2010-07-22T15:00:00.000+01:00

PUB PORTRAITS

2010-07-22T09:59:00.001+01:00

DERMY, KEVIN, RÍONA, SEÁN, SORCHA

VIEW FROM MY HOTEL (RAIN AND WIND HOWLING)

2010-07-22T03:14:00.000+01:00

SODA BREAD

2010-07-22T02:49:00.000+01:00

2 cups coarse wholemeal flour
2 cups cream flour
1 teaspoon bread soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 – 2 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375ºF/200ºC
Sift the dry ingredients together through your fingers. Try to get as much air into the mixture as possible.
Add the buttermilk a little at a time until a sticky dough forms. Use a wooden spoon to mix everything together gently.
Use your hands to form a ball of dough then gently flatten the dough into a round disc.
Place the dough on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
Place the cookie sheet in the middle of the oven.
Bake for about 40 minutes.
Check for a hollow sound then place the bread on a rack to cool.

SORCHA AGUS DARINA

2010-07-21T15:04:00.000+01:00

Two people from my class (Madeleine the Swede didn't want to be in the picture).

I’ve been attending school every day. School starts at 10 in the morning. There is a break at around 11:30 then lunch from 1 to 3. In the afternoon we go until 5 in the afternoon. Usually there is some activity in the evening before everyone goes to the pub for a session. Last night there was a poetry evening with readings and discussion of prominent Irish-language poets (Áine Ní Ghlinn, Cathal Ó Searcaigh, Aodh Ó Domhnaill, Máirtín Ó Direáin). On Monday night there was community singing of well-known traditional songs. Tonight, a pair of brothers from the Blue Stack Mountains played the fiddle together and told stories.
Class has been really good. There is a good group of people, about 16, from all over but mostly Irish. There are several Americans and some Irish people who live in the States, and a Swedish woman.
Every morning we start with conversation starters in small groups. Topics like “Body piercings”, “Worst gift you ever received”, “Gossip in the workplace” encourage lots of chatter and lots of laughter. Things can get serious, though. Today the older Irish woman from New York got very hot under the collar about the anti-christ pope – it seems she is a Tridentist.
After the conversation period we focus on some grammar. Today, for instance, we worked on the Tuiseal Ginideach (the genitive case). In the afternoon we usually do something lighter. Today we played 20 Questions in groups to guess what “job” people had.
Sometimes our teacher, Eithne is not at her peak. On Monday night she stayed in Biddy’s until 4 in the morning playing the fiddle with the other teachers.

MARCAS AND HIS MOM

2010-07-20T13:03:00.001+01:00

Marcas with his mom Deirdre (no sorrows).