We got off to a leisurely start since we weren't going far today. First to the Piece of Cake bakery around the corner to pick up some scones for a lunch snack while John and Sheila went to the victualers to get some meat for beef stew in the evening.
We drove back to Glendalough via the Wicklow Gap - the road seemed much shorter
this time. At Glendalough, there were large groups of students from Spain, Italy
and elsewhere everywhere we turned. But we set out for the waterfall trail and
quickly left the crowds behind. It was a rather steep uphill route but not that
long - the entire route took only a bit over an hour and took us up through
some lovely heather-covered hills.
On the pleasant downhill return we passed a pretty, but not spectacular, waterfall.
Pat and Patrick had gone to the a/v presentation in the visitors center so they were about 1/2 hour behind us - we saw them across the creek as we were coming down and they were going up.
We all caught up with each other as we were waiting out a bit of rain under
a large tree - until we were driven out by the arrival of 30 Spanish teenagers.
So we walked to the monastic village which had an ancient church, a round tower
and a large graveyard. (see www.glendalough.com).
There is still a bit of room in the graveyard but your family name must already be in the burial ground. WE'RE IN! The were several Farrells already in place.
On the way back, we stopped at the Hollywood Inn - in the village of Hollywood.
A great pub. Classic with lots of wood and a large beergarden in back. Had beverages all around and shared a few limericks in the near-empty pub.
John got some stew cooking tips - and some corn starch from the cook.
Back at Dunlavin we sat out on the bench in the sun -
watching the cows being herded by someone in a red pickup truck.
John and Sheila were building the beef stew - improvising as they went along
since the houses didn't have such niceties as cast-iron fry pans or big cooking
pots.
It was so tasty. We all squeezed into the dining room in the big house for dinner.
A warm meal with warm company.
John proposed a 'boys night out' for an after dinner Guinness so he, Just Patrick
and I went to check out the Dunlavin/Grace's pub. There were only a few people
in their and we sat at the bar a few stools down from an older man sitting quietly
at the bar. A mistake. He was joined shortly by a friend - Val - who was even
drunker than the first old man. Val was almost incomprehensible - a combination
of a thick brogue and intoxication. But he persisted with singing bits of songs
interspersed with toasts to Kin and Country! A young man towards the other end
of the bar made frequent gestures of spinning his fingers in circles at his
temple and mouthing the word 'crazy'. We finished our drinks and left as soon
as possible to the safety of our inn. So much for boys night out.
Three gents went out one night
You know they’re usually quite bright
So they steered clear of Tutty’s
But encountered some nuttys
Like Val, who took odor to a new height
........................Kit