Watertown, SD Home again...

Spent a day and a half with Christopher and his parents on our return trip. Lovely way to spend the time. I got to hold his cuddly form while he slept and Mike and Jill worked outside in the garden on Thursday morning. Then in the afternoon, Mike and I had an excursion to St. Paul, for Cafe Latté and the cooks on Crocus shop, along with the Mississippi market. Lovely treats for dinner - German chocolate 4 layer cake, dark choc. truffles, and a raspberry cream torte, along with Canada bread (wild rice and onion) and a very soft, spreadable sheep cheese. Nothing like the one in Ireland. Very hard to leave Bloomington yesterday, but here is where we live and do our thing, and there is where they are. We'll just have to go visit.

The drive home included lunch in Hutchinson at Zellas -- marvelous place on the main street. Lamb burger (as good as Ireland's- probably lamb from the Lamb Shoppe west of there) and Mike a Texas brisket with sweet potato fries. Fun and very busy place -- good timing. We got there before the lunch hour rush.

Feels good to be home. Most of the stuff in suitcases and backpacks cleaned out yesterday evening. Hot here - had to open windows in the house. Probably 75. Most of the time in Ireland it was around 50, with a couple cooler nights. Today it's already 80 here. Today is sorting through charge tickets and balancing finances. Never a fun thing to do, but it is done. I don't know if the Irish coffee helped or hindered the process, but made it more enjoyable. Mike's bottled Guinness kinda' flat after the tap stuff. Life is like that. We certainly enjoyed it while we had it! I found I even drank some (half a pint :) Before I found it too bitter. Either they've changed the formula (not likely) or I've developed a taste. Still prefer Irish whiskey, or hard cider, or Irish coffee :)

The music, the faces, the people, the food, the gardens, the roads and bridges and coastlines, the variety of B&Bs - priceless. Completely different experience than the first time, mostly because of the different encounters and events. Wonderful! Better believe I bought CDs - 8, actually. Never going to say I wish I had...

Grocery shopping done, now to sort pile of dirty clothes. Except that they are comfortable clothes, I would give some thought to tossing them out and starting over as we travel. That doesn't seem very practical to me, though. thanks for traveling with us!

Thurs. April 30

We're @Christopher's house. Oh yea, his folks are here too :) The 2 flights back to US were just fine. We had seats on the long one, across the aisle from each other. At first I didn't think that was too cool. But it actually was great. Still close enough to communicate and not have to climb in and out, for lavatory or putting shoes back on etc. Highly recommend it!

Some gardening outside w/ Jill  this a.m.(my job will be Christopher :) Then a little wander in St Paul for shops. The drive home tomorrow will be a wander too, via the Lambe Shop and Lou's gardens. (P.S. We didn't go to the gardens -- that has to be another trip)

Wed. April 29 USA

Continental breakfast @ hotel, brief walk to terminal. Not raining. Two aisles seats. Worked really well. Still seated near each other, more room (open aisle). Less room under seat. Although plane full (tour group) room overhead. Easy to get to toilets, backpacks. I forgot I don't like Chardonnay :( No Jamesons on flight!!!) M's syrah better. Flight not terrible - short nap & reading. United kept apologizing 'cause video system wasn't working. Oh darn. No flickering lights. Not as interesting approach this time either :(

Couple hours 'till flight; good book to read. Earlier post will not publish :( Always at least one...

Later...

Wed. April 29

Good morning world. Walk to airport and off we go. Spending day on planes and in airports. Weather in Mpls looks fine. Slight mist in Shannon. Later :)

Tuesday, Shannon airport, Park Hotel.

Car is successfully returned, w/ a day's credit. Checked into Park Radisson. 2 minute walk was actually only 8 minutes from terminal **grin**

Lovely breakfast of fresh fruit bowl, yogurt, wheat flake & dried fruit cereal & beans on toast. Should have said no when Eileen said they come from a tin. Didn't eat much of the bean toast. Plenty other stuff. M lovely Irish bacon and poached eggs.

Toured Bunratty Castle for a couple hours. I thought castles were bigger. M says difficult to heat if big. Tons of very narrow cement spiral stairs. Some cool furnishings & rooms. 2 banquet halls (one for peon soldiers) and 2 chapels. M went to the crenellated top. I made it to the 3rd floor! Of course he always says what I didn't see was the best. Was very interesting. Short wander around the village before we left. A man was replacing a grass thatch. Said the grass lasts about 5 yrs. Reed thatch about 25. No one doing demos. Just couple shops w/ stuff for sale. Drove on to Shannon town near airport for ravioli (me) & one last fish & chips for M. Pretty good.

Hotel has pub and restaurant. Not near personality of previous pub stay but easy to walk to :)

Time to organize stuff for return flight. Shouldn't be too bad.

Later :)

Last day to wander...Tues. April 28.

Good morning! The sun is shining gloriously this morning. Birds are happily singing. Beautiful big window to look out. Every place we have had that, except the pub **grin** Slept very well after walking 1km. back from restaurant. Mike convinced me I could do that. I hate it when he is right! Knees didn't bother me all night, and just think of calories burned :)

Things to remember: the variety of duvets (aka comforters) and pillow covers on the beds. The first night in Skibboreen, the comforter was lead-lined, I swear. Had to pull it down off the body. Beautiful patterns on them. Today's is covered in flowers - very appropriate for the location. Once again we are located in a garden spot. Eileen & Paul - hosts. His avocation is gardening. Gorgeous grounds. When we returned last night we got a tour. 2 greenhouses, one he calls a tunnel. Just a small plastic covered hoop barn :) He starts seeds; has a 200 yr. old grape his father passed on to him. Roots outside greenhouse, branches inside. Already has grapes. Lots of tomato plants (grilled cherry tomatoes part of full Irish breakfast :) He raises them for his wife. He works in vet lab. Was telling us how many more animal diseases there have been since EU opened borders.

Dinner spectacular. M had seafood pie and I, scallops w/ ratatouille. Colcanon mashed potatoes (w/ cabbage & spinach - thought of you, Jill!) and rhubarb crumble w/ honeycomb ice cream and Irish coffee. Very good we walked back :)

Young Polish couple sitting by us. I had to ask what language - no clue. Lovely chat. She has been here 10 yrs. Said it's hard to go home to visit - things are hard there. People closed up, economy and politics bad. She asked what we enjoyed most about Ireland... Thought of the beauty and fantastic food... but most of all, individual faces of all the people we interacted with. That has been the most memorable! From bartenders to hosts to people in the street. Perhaps THAT is the benefit of travel.

Today we head toward Shannon - maybe an hour or so away. Banratty castle, w/ reenactors and period trades, etc. along the way. Not to mention how we seem to just wander. We'll take all day getting there :)

Later! Jan

Monday, April 27

Still in County Clare. Ah, out of the car again. Carramore Lodge B&B, on the hill overlooking the Shannon River. And gorgeous gardens with pond, camelias, etc. Lovely room w/ porcelaine China cups for tea in room, and sun-filled sunroom downstairs off the dining room. We have been in rain, hail, and almost snow today. Forecast is for 0 Celsius (freezing). Poor flowers and blooming trees. The pansies will be ok. Not so sure about primroses or camellias.

Lunch @ Derg House in Killaloe (Lough Derg parallel to the Shannon River.) Lovely goat cheese & spinach quiche, w/ apple tarte for afters. French proprietress. Earlier we stopped @ a roadside grocer w/ homemade carrot cake & triple choc muffin. I think we've both decided to eat whatever at this point **grin** although we are sharing portions. We shan't come this way again. Lovely old-fashioned pub just down the hill for dinner. Michael seems to think the day is not complete w/o a Guinness. Goosers Bar & Eating House.

Time to refresh w/ a cuppa and maybe a short nap. Our last night wandering the countryside. Tomorrow we will be at hotel across from airport. Been interesting using a diesel auto. Diesel is about 10 cents cheaper than regular per litre. We've driven over 900 km. The sun is shining now :)

Porrich for breakfast. Runny oatlets (bag) Flahavans. Tasty w/ fresh fruit & scones. I have Joan's scone recipe and a website for Irish recipes: odlums.ie/recipes/scones

Enough for now. Later!