Advertisement
Published: September 23rd 2010
Edit Blog Post
Monday 13th September to Sunday 19th September 2010.
Monday 13th Sept 2010
Up at 6.30am and waited for the motorhome dealers to arrive. They get to work at 8.30am. It was raining and gale winds.
Told them what we wanted serviced on the motorhome. They lent us a Focus while it was being done so into town we went. Back to motor dealer - needed new alternator and air bags for suspension. They ordered them, so off to movies to pass the night away. We told them we had keys to the van and they left it outside in the carpark for us to sleep in for the night again. When we got back from the movies, we realized we had the key for deadlock and they had locked the other one. Oh SHIT !!. What do we do now - sleep in the car !!! We laughed, oh well, if we have to. Then we thought about the bottom side load area door - was it still unlocked? - YES so we unloaded all the gear onto the car park and had to push the seat out and Tom climbed in thru there. Sometimes it pays to be short
and small build.
Tuesday 14th Sept 2010.
Up at 6.30am , the sun came out so Tom started to work on scooter rack as nearly finished - but once again it started to rain - Tom is OVER THE RAIN (there was some language that came with the rain). So packed up all the gear and waited another 15 minutes as usual and the sun came back out - seems to be what the day ahead held for us - rain/sun/gale winds.
Off to town to pass the time away, do some shopping. Tom needed another jacket, Gaye for a haircut.
Drove back to motorhome dealer and got all excited as the motorhome was outside, all washed. We went in and they said the air bags still had not arrived - felt deflated as we were hoping to move on. Another night outside dealers.
Wednesday 15th Sept 2010
Up at 8am and Tom finished off the bike rack for motor scooter. (see photo) - marvelous what you can do with a battery drill, vice grips, file and bits and pieces. Airbags did not turn up for motorhome, so we left Letterkenny at 2pm and now in Foxford Mills
car park free camping for the night.
Thursday 16th Sept 2010
Went into Admiral William Brown’s memorial site. He was born in Foxford and he was the founder of the Argentine Navy. He helped free Argentina from the Spanish rule. We met the guy last night who works there so had a good talk to him. Then into the Foxford Woollen Mills which is based on the River Moy. There was a 35 minute audio visual guided tour - was very good and informative. It also helped us understand better the devastating effects of the great potato blight that ravaged Ireland in approx 1870’s. The mill was started by the Sisters of Charity, Mother Agnes Morrogh-Bernard, who founded it, and shows that tenacity will overcome all obstacles (they called it divine intervention). We had a great time talking to the staff and looking at some looms working.
Then off to the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life . It is based in Turlough Park, Castlebar, County Mayo. An excellent exhibition which showed how they lived in the past. The island of Aran, was still using these methods up to 1960’s. Someone had some wisdom by deciding to go
to the Aran island and take movies of the people doing these tasks and getting them to make some of the items on exhibit as the skills and culture of the Irish and the history was being lost over time.
Drove to Westport House and Caravan/fun park for the night. Very touristy town on the coast.
Took a couple of hours to get facilities unlocked. Showers were terrible as the push button only stayed on for 10 seconds. Tom used the handicapped shower as it had a proper shower head and no push button.
There was only one other van there along with us.
Yes, into the cheese and wine to relax into the night.
Friday 17th Sept 2010
Tom went to pay for last night - €28 - any wonder they had free showers and electricity - most sites have been €20 - Tom not happy Jan.
He went for a 50 minute bicycle ride - first in weeks due to the rain and had shower and then we left.
Then drove towards Clifden. Stopped at a potter - not much good - but wife’s pictures made of felt were OK. He told us about a 2 week long Clifden Community Arts Festival - this covered painting, poetry, music - all sorts - artists from other countries come in for this Festival . So into Clifden we go to Tourist Information office for maps etc. We then did a coastal drive to Roundstone to look at a Drudhon workshop/manufacturer - it was very touristy. But the drive was one we will never forget - narrow, windy, but so scienic - took movies.
Then back to Clifden for another music/pub night. We went to 2 pubs and the bands were OK. Went to another one, these guys were Ireland Junior champions at their instruments, and they were fantastic. We bought one of their CD’s , by the banjo/guitar player, then home to bed. Camping in Council car park with one other van.
Saturday 18th Sept 2010
Off towards Galway with a few stops along the way. We see sign for a candle maker so head up another very narrow lane. The candles were OK but not outstanding, but it was good to chat to the couple.
Drove to Spiddle to visit the craft village. There was some great talent in the crafts. Gaye spied a candle holder made with leadlight glass similar to the lampshade she made that’s at home. It was sold but the lady is making another one for her to be collected on Tuesday.
Headed to Galway and found a campsite right on the beach. It is very blustery/gale force winds and raining. Went to pub for a drink. Settled in for the night, cosy with heater on and reading our books.
Sunday 19th Sept 2010 (Happy Birthday to Gaye)
Up and walked for the 45 minutes into Galway. Walked around and did some sight seeing. Went into ‘3’ store and now have a dongal for internet access for Ireland. Each country has it's own contract,so need to buy a dongal in each country (why nobody in the shop told us that earlier I don't know). Took a bit to get it to work but in the end all OK. Tom talked to a busker and he said ‘The Crane’ pub was good for music, so of we went for a drink. There was a banjo player named Tom and chatted to him and his wife Denise. We watched on TV, Cork play in the grand finals and win in Gaelic football - remembering we watched them play in and win in the semi finals when we were at Trim a few weeks ago.
Tom asked the banjo player, Tom, to play Happy Birthday to Gaye, which he did. He told us a good place to have dinner , the Italian restaurant in Shop Street .
So off we all went to dinner - good food and good company. We exchanged emails etc, and then we took the bus home. A great day in all.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.296s; Tpl: 0.017s; cc: 9; qc: 46; dbt: 0.0717s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb