IRISH ODYSSEY - DAY 8

IRISH ODYSSEY ... DAY 8 ... JULY 04 2012...

Another hot day.  No rain here, but there was rain in other areas.  Guess we will just dry up and blow away.  Pleasant thought.

Today bossman and I have the place to ourselves.  No cook-out.  No guests.  Just us and the dogs.  But that doesn't mean we will be loafing.

Major house-cleaning to be done today.  Friends from Senecaville Ohio arriving Friday morning to spend the weekend.  Another friend's youngest daughter getting married Friday evening.  Russ (the father of the bride) informed me there would be an 'ARTISTS TABLE' at the reception for all of our artist friends to sit at.  Does that make us special?  Or just weird?

But for now will share Day 8 with you.  Only 4 more to go.

We checked out of our hotel in Galway, and drove north to Castlebar and the Museum of Country Life.  It was interesting, but the best part of all was finding the thatch-roof cottage, showing the three different types of thatching, and the actual work being done.   Next best thing was the big tree where Nancy and I had our picture taken.  I also took pictures of several of the other couples on our tour at the same tree.

From there we continued north to County Sligo and visited the Drumcliffe Churchyard to see the grave of the writer W. B. Yates. 

I love to visit these old cemeteries.  They are so very unique.

Our last stop of the day before checking into our hotel in Derry, Northern Ireland, was the Belleek Pottery Factory.

Our tour took us from the wet clay through the final steps for the finished product.  Of course most of us brought a piece of Belleek Pottery home with us, my purchase was a candy dish.

As Northern Ireland was getting ready to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 60th Jubilee, they were in the process of finishing 60 pottery basket bowls to be given when the Queen arrived.  How neat!

From there we continued to Derry.  It kind of gave me a strange feeling, knowing we were in Northern Ireland, what with all the fighting between the Catholics and Protestants.  They are at peace now, but still, you wondered.

Bob, our driver, told us just to relax, we would not be there if there were any danger, just DO NOT TALK POLITICS OR RELIGION. Needless to say we were very aware of what we were saying.

Everyone in Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, treated us as very special guests.  Bob had told us that if it were not for the tourists (American tourists being the majority), that both Irelands, experiencing hard financial times, would probably sink.  Hence, the 'royal' treatment.

I loved the country, the history, the ruins, the scenery, and the people.  Everywhere we went Nancy and I tried to talk to some of the locals, it was fascinating to compare life styles.

And, so, enough of my rambling for today.  Enjoy your 4th, and the fireworks, stay safe, and God Bless.