Part 8
It’s Saturday & we have a busy day & night planned!
On the road again, we’re off driving through Sally Gap. Getting into the countryside, it’s very foggy today & I love fog! We’re on a quiet, mountainous road & I think hey everyone… let’s just stop, get out & enjoy the fresh crips air!
Everyone’s keen & soon we’re all having fun again. Taking photos in the middle of the road, being silly, a couple of cyclists pass us & give us a friendly wave.
Another bit of driving, another spot to stop and this time Newton attempted to fly his drone, but suddenly the wind picked up & “Dronie” was struggling (yes, I have a pet name for the Drone😉)
More winding roads, more countryside, more stops to make, pictures to take, memories to make.
And then we arrive at… Guinness Lake! Wow!
Imagine a body of water, lake/dam/river completely black. If you can’t imagine, take a look at some of the pics, I hope I did it justice! 😉
Nestled between the sweeping mountains of Wicklow, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
Nicknamed by the former owners of Guinness estate. Not named because its actual Guinness beer flowing through haha!
It’s official name is Lough Tay, or correctly Irish; Loch Té meaning “tea lake”.
Another opportunity for flying Dronie, this time with much more success. We explored the downward hill (carefully) and when I sat down, I felt so many emotions.
Gratitude, awe, personal achievement, etc. When Carmen came to sit with me, I was explaining to her how I was feeling & suddenly I was crying. Too many emotions to handle at once I guess. I remember thanking her for inviting & welcoming us, affording me this opportunity to experience this beautiful part of the world. How special is this?! Imagine how special this friendship feels to me, now more than ever.
Next stop? A bakery! You may remember I confessed we’re carb addicts? Well, this bakery we saw on Paul Hollywood’s City Bakes. Firehouse Bakery. A cosy yet buzzing little café in the quaint little town of Delgany, Wicklow
Known for their award-winning Batch bread, by the time we arrived, they were sold out! Newton & I struck up a conversation about where we’re from, how we knew about their bakery, giggling about how the ladies were star struck by Paul Hollywood visiting. And it must have been our genuine love of bakes (and friendliness 😉) that made this kind lady offer up her own bread – the actual last of the “batch of the day”! Such a warm & fond memory of Irish kindness.
They have a window seat looking into their baking prep area. We could have sat & watched them for hours (with plenty coffees & probably too many pastries) but we had more places to be! Instead, we bought some goodies to take home.
We needed time to freshen up & dress up for an evening out!
And make time for antics, of course 😉
Dinner and a show, we had no idea what was waiting for us 😀 Another little road trip, this time at night to Johnnie Fox’s
A traditional pub up in the Dublin mountains of Glencullen. Some narrow, winding, uphill roads, which made us nervous about coming back after midnight… haha we’re probably getting old 😉
Couple different spots inside & a covered outdoor area with outdoor heaters.
Our spot… was the main dining hall where we’d get to watch some traditional Irish dancing! It’s called the Hooley Show.
There was a band playing live Irish music, interacting with the crowd.
We were graced with the exceptionally talented performer – Aimee Farrell Courtney, one of the world’s leading female Bodhran players. Google that, trust me it’s worth it. Or wait, just click on this LINK 😉 You’re welcome!
The service was great, attentive & friendly. Drinks flowed easily, my starter arrived & I nearly died! It was the biggest portion of fresh mussels I’ve ever received… and as a starter! But, mussels was a must while in Ireland & boy did I polish them off… long after everyone else 😐
In fact, mains were arriving & I had to make space for my second course while finishing my first! And I call myself a foodie… shame. But I was distracted. The ambience, the sounds, chatter, hustle & bustle from the bar, the laughter, the accents. Which leads me to another highlight of this night.
Carmen & I decide to visit the ladies room & I get up from the table, I motion to Newton to watch my bag I was leaving on my seat.
To our surprise, a guest at the table next to us pipes up in Afrikaans, our 2nd language back home …
“Julle hoef nie dit hier te doen nie” And it had us all in stitches because we all knew what he meant.
Translated; You don’t have to do that here!
Back home, we worry about leaving our personal belongings unattended & always ask someone to “watch our stuff”.
We broke into a fun conversation, exchanging pleasing familiarity, laughing about how different life is in Ireland, discussing how we all ended up in the same space. It was a special surprise.
Oh… spotted in the bathroom… haha…
But the best was up next.
The dancers have arrived & the lights are being dimmed. As I sat watching & cheering, I again felt that overwhelming sense of gratitude & joy. To be here, to be experiencing this beautiful culture and to be doing so with people I love 😊
The young girl dancing with the adults was simply adorable, her little attitude on stage was hugely entertaining. Everyone knew she was the star!
The adults though, were just as impressive. Phew, the amount of stamina they have… talent, grace, energy all rolled into a package to entertain us with traditional feet kicking, knee bending, spinning, twirling dancing! What a hoot!
Plenty of good ‘aul’ Irish craic 😀
lots happening up there 