Another Week In Review

It's been almost a week since I last blogged. It doesn't seem that long when your days are not bursting at the seams with excitement. I haven't done much this past week. Just did some praying and drinking of tea and helping Johanna and Eva with stuff for camp. Both Johanna and Eva have been preoccupied with camp stuff so I've pretty much kept out of the way except to do the odd project. The biggest project for me has probably been the paint job. Johanna asked me to sand and paint this stick she was going to use in the "circus" this week at camp. I really don't like painting. I can't say I've ever liked painting, not even finger painting as a kid. But I said I would do it to help her out. I did manage to do the whole project without getting paint on myself or on anything permanent so I was very proud of that and found enjoyment in the process. Suffice to say I won't be signing up to be a painter's assistant any time soon. I also did a few other things to help them out but the weren't picture worthy.

On Thursday we went to Waterford for some business and afterword met up with Eva's niece and nephew. I have now met more family of my friend Rachel (who introduced me to Ireland in the first place) than she has. It saddens me, but next time she'll have to come with me so she can catch up.

Waterford is indeed where Waterford Crystal comes from. We didn't stop at the visitor center as it looked super busy and it was too hot to stand around in a queue all day but we drove by the building. I did take a picture of Waterford from the car.

It was a nice day although sticky and hot. While Eva was visiting with her family at the coffee shop I went next door to TK Maxx (it's like a TJ Maxx but this isn't a great store. The ones in Dublin and Belfast are better.) and was amused by this sign.

You will note the sign on the left that says jumpers. A jumper is what they call sweatshirts here but I guess they couldn't rely on people figuring it out on their own so they put the jumper sign on as well so people could know where to look. I mean the jumpers hanging on the rack under the heading Sweatshirts wouldn't be a dead give away that they were actually jumpers? After perusing the whole shop twice I didn't find anything I had to put back. (I usually gather an handful of items I'd like to have and have to talk myself out of buying them but not in this store) I then went and joined the others for coffee. Then we went to a second hand shop and I again didn't find anything except a child's atlas which I would have liked but figured in the interest of not having an overweight piece of luggage I returned it to the shelf from whence it came.

I went to town a couple times this week but nothing exciting to report. Sometimes I bought something for someone back home and sometimes I didn't.

Camp started on Sunday so on Saturday I rode up to the camp facility in Durrow with Liz and Johanna who were each bringing a car load of camp stuff. I came long for the moral support and to be the muscle. It took two hours to get there because I rode with Liz and her car was making a funny noise so she drove slowly. On the way back I rode with Johanna. We went through a town called Inistioge (pronounced inishteeg). It is an old town and very cute. I found this posted on a building and thought it was interesting.

 

 

This is the building it was posted on.

It's so cute. I could totally see a Methodist meeting being held here once a fort-night on a mid-week evening.

More pictures of Inistioge

There were some flowers around town.

People were swimming in this river as it was a pretty hot day. The movie Circle Of Friends with Chris O'Donnell and Minnie Driver was filmed in Inistioge and this bridge is easily recognized in the movie.

This Church and Clock Tower have an incredible feel in real life. *sigh* Pictures never compare.

I would have loved to see inside this clock tower because this building looks really old. Maybe next time.





Front View


                                                          Rear View

Two different views of the same ruined bridge. It was just a little piece of wall with a bridge crossing this waterway to the river. Undoubtedly all that  remains of a beautiful  ancient castle which overlooked the valley that was destroyed in some battle between the ancient tribes due to a desire for domination.

                                                                                                                      

That was an overview of my past week with the pictures being the highlight of said week. Inistioge is one of those places I'd love to go back to and just sit and enjoy for hours.

FYI: Chris O'Donnell does a terrible Irish accent. It was painful to watch.