Tummy-ache at Waterworks, Ireland

Unfortunately, throughout this Ireland trip I had a badly-sprained back that kept me in excruciating pain. Even though I hate them, I had 4 different prescription drugs I was on - which, incidentally, I had just thrown up right before this video - heheheh you can see I am pale and green - but what a trooper, eh??? he he he

Ireland Summer 2009

Yes, I am back-logged - - or shall I say 'back-blogged' on here. We've been having technical difficulties at home and very busy so I am barely getting up my Ireland 2009 pics (and more) on here!

Ireland this year was vastly different than my first trip there in May of 2007. This time around, we had P's daughter Ciara with us which kept us home-bound a lot more than our last trip (see previous blogs by scrolling through year 2007). Also, the 2 biggest reasons for this trip was 1). to visit and spend time with Patrick's aging 84 year-old mum and 2) to have a small Catholic Wedding blessing ceremony there that his parents could partake in as Patrick's mom won't be able to travel to the USA for our bigger ceremony later this year. Of course it was the wettest summer in decades. So wet that Patrick's folks commented that even Father (the priest) was in a grumpy and blue mood due to all the rain.

Finally, I had sprained my back badly the week before at work and was in intense pain - the flight over almost killed me sitting cramped up for hours. So, I was the entire time doped up on muscle relaxers and painkillers - not that it stopped me from doing any activity when possible(!)

Thus we spent the majority of time at their beautiful home in Warrenpoint, shooting photography and taking long, long serene walks around town, through P's old neighborhoods and where he road his Arabian pony. I loved the stories as I am an avid story-listener as much as a story-teller myself :)
Ciara had more of a blast than any of us. She goes every year there and is a superstar of sorts, being from America. She commented to me, "it's the few times she is really the coolest kid there" - as the children are enamoured of her accent, clothes, her dancing, etc etc. Also, it is relatively safe there so she can just go out and play in the park and walk into the town for an ice cream with the kids until dark - sadly, she can't do that here in San Diego. It's wonderful to see her enjoy her freedom and independence there.

Lastly I wish to point out for my family that it was hard not having them present for the Catholic Blessing - - although I am very grateful to have done it there for P's mother. She held my hand through the prayers and I felt (of COURSE) the tears of happiness and gratefulness welling up in my big eyes and then plop! fall down onto my silk skirt. After all was done she waved my hand in hers, scolding me in her brogue, "You're a big Softie, Elsa -- that's what you are!"

Click below on the slideshow for more!

Ireland09

Sitting Ducks, Northern Ireland

A gorgeous early summer morning at the stunning Silent Valley, County Down, Northern Ireland... August 2009

A Walk Through Irish Neighborhoods

Taking a walk through the neighborhood, Clonallon Road, Warrenpoint, County Down.

Ireland - Day 2 - Rostrevor

We awoke our second day very, very early due to jet lag. In fact, I have NEVER seen Patrick - notorious for NOT being a morning person - get up so early and encourage ME to hurry up!

First we had breakfast. I need to talk about Irish Cuisine. Well, this was not going to be like my trips to Italy where I eat my way through the Mediterranean. Que Va! First of all: the Irish aren't known for their cuisine. Second of all: I do not eat meat which cancels out the stuff that supposedly IS good. Patrick daily made himself a "fry" - I've never heard it put in that term but so it was. His parents knowingly stocked up on Irish bacon (thicker than the USA), ham, sausage and fresh eggs and baked bread for his stay. He fried himself a huge plate of...meat - I could barely stand to just look at it much less sit next to him eating it. He'd down it with a big cup of tea. Such a heavy, artery-clogging meal...yikes! That said the Irish eat it everyday and aren't overweight like Americans. I just know that our food here is stocked up on sodium and preservatives while in Europe everything is so fresh. Nonetheless, can I just say by day 3 I was sick of tea? I also understand better why the Irish and Brits have horrible, brown teeth - drinking tea and Guinness daily will do quite a bit of staining. In fact, one morning Patrick's mother commented upon my laughing out loud that my "teeth were like white pearls.."!!! She really said that!!! I replied that I do take good care of them. I don't understand something so easy to do is so neglected over there. (Right, P?)

Back to the food: I survived on tea, fresh bread, cheese melt sandwiches,flax seed, yogurt and cereal with fresh berries in the morning (they bought me Special K since they heard I have to watch my girlish figure) heheheh. So thoughtful.

That early morning was full of sunshine - although the air was bitingly fresh and nippy. But it was a beautiful morning and we knew better than to waste it since it could rain at any moment. Thus, on the road at 7:15 Patrick drove me to some of his old haunts from when he was a teen. We first drove to the nearby coastal town of Rostrevor and stopped at a small lake called "Waterworks". It was so early that there was an eerie, thick fog that moved quickly across the water. It was very beautiful but my camera definitely couldn't capture its haunting beauty. Then we drove further and took a long, peaceful walk in a large park with trails - appropriately named, "Fairy Glen". This was definitely one of the most picturesque and beautiful places I've ever traversed. I was absolutely charmed and perfectly happy exploring some of the trails and taking pictures of the gorgeous, huge trees (I LOVE trees) and the bubbling spring that ran parallel with the main trail. It was so early a Sunday morning that we pretty much had it to ourselves save a couple folks with their dogs :). One thing worth noting about the Irish is how they greet everyone (American is sadly too self-absorbed for this) and if there is nice weather they will comment, "Good morning to you, and what a nice one it is!" Isn't that just charming?


There are many forests as well in Ireland when there aren't the grassy fields I previously posted about. P drove me to a very beautiful forest spot called Yellowstone Park that had a fresh river gurgling through it and several picnic benches. He used to hang out there with the boys or bring girls there when "courting".:) It was also a spot where some of his stories of being surrounded and interrogated at gunpoint by Brit soldiers had occurred just because they were a group of lads hanging out there. I guess anything looked suspicious in those days and needed to be investigated. "It's just the way it was..." he mused. But, to me, it all sounded horrific as I pictured how it used to be only years before in that exact same peaceful spot of nature which now charmed me as a tourist. Just mind-boggling. And sad... If that weren't a lot of walking and exploring already (and before most had even risen yet to go to Sunday Mass), we then did a steep, half-mile hike up the slopes of Slievemartin to Cloghmore Stone. At the top of the grassy and tree-filled hills sits a very large misplaced boulder that was supposedly hurled by the Irish Giant Fion MacCool at the rival Scotts. I love good folklore! This gave a wonderful view of the waters of Carlingford Lough and the towns of Warrenpoint and Rostrevor that sit upon its shores far below. After a nice lunch with Patricks parents and their friends Ingmar and her husband Brendan ("A Protestant", his Dad felt I needed to be informed) at the "Whistlestop" in downtown Warrenpoint we later that afternoon then took another very steep hike up the Cooly Mountains that also overlooked Carlingford Lough - but opposite from the Mourne Mountains and rock where we were earlier that morning. The Cooley Mountains were more foreboding than the tourist and hiker-friendly Cloghmore Stone, that's for sure. For one, there wasn't even a trail to follow. We just walked straight up as best we could. Also, it was cold and extremely windy and full of rock and heather (making me think of my beloved classic novel, "Wuthering Heights" written by the Northern Irish novelist Emily Bronte).

It was quite a day with much hiking and exploring, thus when we had had enough sight-seeing we retired early that evening as we had a very long drive the next day to the western coast of Ireland.
Click on photo album below and watch slideshow!

Ireland Day 2