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Published: June 29th 2013
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County Louth
John and Max at Mellifont Abbey. Well hello again!
Yes, we have been bad bloggers for quite a while now and to answer the question "where have you been?" the answer is simple. We have been home since May 31st--sort of. It seems that we have terminal jetlag and really do not exist in any known time zone. However, we do seem to be functioning a little bit better the past few days, so hold onto your ales, we are travelling across Ireland today!
After yet another lovely breakfast in the sunroom at Lawcus Farm, we pack up and, amidst a trail of hugs, kisses, and promises to return soon, we are on the move. Today we are heading north from County Kilkenny to Drogheda in County Louth. Our friends Niamh and Pierce, along with their fine family of little boys, are expecting us and have saved their lovely guest room for us. We are travelling M-1, a freeway, and the drive is very quick. As with all busy families with two working parents, and grandparents who live next door, we are soon involved in plans to pick up the boys, get them out for some SUN and fresh air leaving Niamh time
Mellifont Abbey
It is hard to show how huge this abbey once was.
to go shopping and get ready for dinner.
Pierce take us out to Mellifont Abbey, an old Cisterian Monastery, where we can walk, talk, and catch up on news while the boys run, climb, jump, and generally wear themselves out-a little. It is glorious! The sun is out, the sky is clear....time to go to the pub! But first, we make a stop at St. Peter's Church in downtown Drogheda, the steps of the church filled with sun worshippers, to visit the head of St. Oliver Plunkett. Yep, that is a head in that jar. The church itself is lovely, but our walk downtown has made us thirsty... on to the pub!
Back at our new home for the next two nights, we are joined by Niamh's parents, Mary and Noel, and there is a good time had by all, followed by a lovely home-cooked dinner, visiting, and a not-that-late departure for a wonderful comfortable bed.
We are awake early on Saturday because, again, the sun is shining and it is warm outside! Niamh and Pierce insist that we have a Full Irish Breakfast--oh, twist my arm--and we eat it on the back patio wearing
our sunglasses. Lovely. At some point it is decided that John and Niamh will cook sushi together for dinner and the rest of the morning is spent trying to find the necessary ingredients in downtown Drogheda. It is fun to be going to all the shops and wandering around downtown without an itinerary. We then head out to the River Boyne and its museum and amazing walled garden. Again, it is so very, very nice to have warm, sunny, and dry weather. So nice that, once we are back home, I find myself extremely tired and go upstairs to take a nap--and also to begin the necessary re-packing for tomorrow's early flight.
Coming back downstairs, in a much better frame of mind, I find Sushi underway, Irish football on the telly, and a couple of bottles of French wine, along with the local County Kilkenny cheeses that we brought as a hostess gift, are under attack....Travelling is so much fun!
Bedtime is early; we have to make sure that our baggage will pass Aer Lingus's erratic rules as well as being up early to drive to the Dublin airport. Our time in Ireland is almost to an end.
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Niamh
non-member comment
Fab!!
Hi guys, Great to hear that you are settling in back in CA. What a fun travel blog! We are en route to France for a couple of weeks and will be in touch when we get back. Love Niamh, Pierce & Boys