Criss and Mac (A)
My cousin Carissa arrived at our house in Galway on Wednesday the 6th of November, around 5pm. I made a quick dinner and then Carissa, Matt and I caught a taxi to basketball. I was meant to have a game, but the other team couldn't make it. So, I was naughty and flagged practice and the three of us walked home through the town and went to the supermarket and bought some wine and went home and drank it instead.
On Thursday Matt and I went to work bright and early and Criss went into town and discovered the shops, in particular Penny’s. I think it was love at first sight. On Friday after work, Criss, Matt and I went out on the town for the purpose of Criss experiencing her first Irish Guinness in a real Irish pub. We then went and listened to a live rock covers band. Criss has had to listen to a lot of her friend’s doff doff music so was pretty stoked about having some real music. About 2.30am we completed the traditional Irish experience, and took her to SuperMacs for a feed. SuperMac’s is the Irish version of MacDonald’s, but much better than MacDonald’s.
In the morning, Matt went and picked up the hire car and some potato waffles and I cooked us up a huge breakfast. We then did a trip around the Burren on our way to pick up Macca (Amy Jane McGrannachan) from the Shannon airport. Our first stop was the Aillee Caves. I promised Kerre that I would go to them, but €12 to get in was a bit of a put-off so we looked at the postcards of them and toddled on.
On Thursday Matt and I went to work bright and early and Criss went into town and discovered the shops, in particular Penny’s. I think it was love at first sight. On Friday after work, Criss, Matt and I went out on the town for the purpose of Criss experiencing her first Irish Guinness in a real Irish pub. We then went and listened to a live rock covers band. Criss has had to listen to a lot of her friend’s doff doff music so was pretty stoked about having some real music. About 2.30am we completed the traditional Irish experience, and took her to SuperMacs for a feed. SuperMac’s is the Irish version of MacDonald’s, but much better than MacDonald’s.
In the morning, Matt went and picked up the hire car and some potato waffles and I cooked us up a huge breakfast. We then did a trip around the Burren on our way to pick up Macca (Amy Jane McGrannachan) from the Shannon airport. Our first stop was the Aillee Caves. I promised Kerre that I would go to them, but €12 to get in was a bit of a put-off so we looked at the postcards of them and toddled on.
A portal tomb out in the Burren. And Abby's cousin Carissa.
From there we went to the Neolithic tombs and made various hypotheses about what they were actually thinking when they built them. Our theories and the respected scienctific ones weren't really related. The last tomb that we went to, we had to walk along a bit of a goat track. Well, it is a goat trek normally but we didn't cross the fence in the right place and took a pretty scenic route which involved having to quickly recover our feet from the bog.
We went to Doolin for lunch. Doolin is reportedly the traditional music capital of the west and a lot of traditional music is recorded here. Criss had her second Guinness and tried the Irish stew. The conclusion was that the second Guinness was better than the first, and the Guinness does in fact taste better in Ireland. We have decided that doesn't have the bitter taste here that it does at home. We went and checked out one of Ireland's premier surf beaches. Criss took photos to send to her friends at home. By surf beach it just means that there are some waves.
From there we went to the Neolithic tombs and made various hypotheses about what they were actually thinking when they built them. Our theories and the respected scienctific ones weren't really related. The last tomb that we went to, we had to walk along a bit of a goat track. Well, it is a goat trek normally but we didn't cross the fence in the right place and took a pretty scenic route which involved having to quickly recover our feet from the bog.
We went to Doolin for lunch. Doolin is reportedly the traditional music capital of the west and a lot of traditional music is recorded here. Criss had her second Guinness and tried the Irish stew. The conclusion was that the second Guinness was better than the first, and the Guinness does in fact taste better in Ireland. We have decided that doesn't have the bitter taste here that it does at home. We went and checked out one of Ireland's premier surf beaches. Criss took photos to send to her friends at home. By surf beach it just means that there are some waves.
Abby and Criss in a Doolin pub.
We made our way down to the Cliffs of Moher. It is free to go into, but you have to pay €8 for the car park. We saw a few other cars sneaky parking, so we also sneaky parked. Matt's knee has been a bit bung so he stayed and guarded the car/looked at his eyelids. We took some photos and then ran back to the warmth of the car.
We made our way down to the Cliffs of Moher. It is free to go into, but you have to pay €8 for the car park. We saw a few other cars sneaky parking, so we also sneaky parked. Matt's knee has been a bit bung so he stayed and guarded the car/looked at his eyelids. We took some photos and then ran back to the warmth of the car.
The famed Cliffs of Moher
We meandered our way to Ennis where we embarked on a Bailey's cheesecake hunt. Ennis is where Matt and I stayed when we missed our flight to Paris. So we were pretty sure that we had the place sorted. Well, we discovered that it is a deceptively big place and our short cuts turned out to be not so short at all. Eventually we found Bailey's cheesecake and a cider. The barman asked Criss and I if we were from NZ. ‘Yes’ we said. ‘Where from’ he asked. I said ‘top of the north and bottom of the south’. ‘Which towns though, I've been there’. Not to Gore or Whangarei it would seem. But he had heard of Dunedin.
We then went and meet Macca from the airport. It took a while for her to emerge through the arrival gates with a large, black suitcase. But since all her stuff got destroyed in a fire in Canada the week before she left (which was started by a squirrel eating the wiring. Ok the squirrel was electrocuted and caught fire), I thought that she would only have carry on luggage. Somehow in three days she had accumulated a full suitcase and has a pack on its way. Her friends in Canada had chipped and rallied around and she ended up with heaps of stuff. Then there was lots of chattering in the car ride home to bed.
Sunday we had a wee sleep-in and eventually got out the door about 11am. We headed to Aughnanure Castle. Matt and I went there on our first motorbike trip together. It was so cool to see Clarissa and Amy reactions, as it’s really a nice wee castle. We had a good look around the castle and then headed off through the bog to Clifden where we had lunch.
We meandered our way to Ennis where we embarked on a Bailey's cheesecake hunt. Ennis is where Matt and I stayed when we missed our flight to Paris. So we were pretty sure that we had the place sorted. Well, we discovered that it is a deceptively big place and our short cuts turned out to be not so short at all. Eventually we found Bailey's cheesecake and a cider. The barman asked Criss and I if we were from NZ. ‘Yes’ we said. ‘Where from’ he asked. I said ‘top of the north and bottom of the south’. ‘Which towns though, I've been there’. Not to Gore or Whangarei it would seem. But he had heard of Dunedin.
We then went and meet Macca from the airport. It took a while for her to emerge through the arrival gates with a large, black suitcase. But since all her stuff got destroyed in a fire in Canada the week before she left (which was started by a squirrel eating the wiring. Ok the squirrel was electrocuted and caught fire), I thought that she would only have carry on luggage. Somehow in three days she had accumulated a full suitcase and has a pack on its way. Her friends in Canada had chipped and rallied around and she ended up with heaps of stuff. Then there was lots of chattering in the car ride home to bed.
Sunday we had a wee sleep-in and eventually got out the door about 11am. We headed to Aughnanure Castle. Matt and I went there on our first motorbike trip together. It was so cool to see Clarissa and Amy reactions, as it’s really a nice wee castle. We had a good look around the castle and then headed off through the bog to Clifden where we had lunch.
Abby, Criss and Amy at Augnanure Castle, our local tourist spot of choice.
The last time we were in Clifden it was the middle of summer and the place was pumping with people. Sunday in November though is a good bit quieter, and we had to hunt for somewhere to eat lunch. But, we succeeded in our mission and Macca, Criss and I had open sandwiches. Somehow we were meant to be able to make a sandwich with a soda bread muffin. I am buggered if I know how though. Macca had her first Guinness and tried the Irish cidar and decided that they both tasted dangerously good.
The last time we were in Clifden it was the middle of summer and the place was pumping with people. Sunday in November though is a good bit quieter, and we had to hunt for somewhere to eat lunch. But, we succeeded in our mission and Macca, Criss and I had open sandwiches. Somehow we were meant to be able to make a sandwich with a soda bread muffin. I am buggered if I know how though. Macca had her first Guinness and tried the Irish cidar and decided that they both tasted dangerously good.
Ah, Guinness!
We drove home through the Bog and visited what I consider to be the nicest beach that I have seen in Ireland. Macca and Criss thought that it was pretty funny that there were so many life rings on the beach when there weren't even any waves.
We drove home through the Bog and visited what I consider to be the nicest beach that I have seen in Ireland. Macca and Criss thought that it was pretty funny that there were so many life rings on the beach when there weren't even any waves.
Lifebouys on the coastline. A lot of Irish can't swim, at all.
We were going to go home a different way, but somehow we ended up back on the road that we came in on. We went to the supermarket to do a big shop while we had the car. I think three girls in a supermarket together were a bit much for Matt and he made excuses about needing to go to the sport shop for something.
Amy and Criss went shopping together in Galway, well Criss showed her around the town, and then they went off to the Aran Islands for three nights. There was a variety of stories that they came home with. They were chased by a donkey, biked for miles and then could barely move, and taught the locals a thing or two about kiwi drinking games.
We were going to go home a different way, but somehow we ended up back on the road that we came in on. We went to the supermarket to do a big shop while we had the car. I think three girls in a supermarket together were a bit much for Matt and he made excuses about needing to go to the sport shop for something.
Amy and Criss went shopping together in Galway, well Criss showed her around the town, and then they went off to the Aran Islands for three nights. There was a variety of stories that they came home with. They were chased by a donkey, biked for miles and then could barely move, and taught the locals a thing or two about kiwi drinking games.
Mac over on the Arann Islands with a couple of "friendly" donkeys.
Another of Criss's photos from the Arann Islands. More donkeys, and JC as well.
After visiting us, Criss spent a couple of days exploring Dublin and then went up to Belfast to visit some friends. She is now in Edinburgh. When she left Galway she was planning to catch the Ferry to Scotland as she was pretty sure that she would have far too much stuff to be flying with, by the time she had been shopping in Dublin and Belfast she might have needed a whole container ship.
As for Amy, after a couple of false starts, she is now living a 5-10 minute walk from our house. The flat and the flatmate’s are really nice and she’s pretty happy. Amy is working in a shop to tide her over till after Christmas, when companies start rehiring.
Matt is still busy with Rugby and I am still playing basketball. I played a game out in the Gealteach (Irish speaking area) a week or so ago. They played the whole game in Irish, which for me was a pretty novel experience. I understood not a single work they were saying.
It is now the silly season here and I have been at Christmas parties the last two Friday’s and I have another one this week and another one the week after. They have all been ‘good Craic’ as they say here. Our plans for Christmas are quite quiet, it will only be Matt and I, Amy and my friend from work Monika, a bit of an Orphans Christmas really. We are going to have a Christmas eve meal at Monika’s, as it’s a Polish tradition, then a champagne breakfast and a Christmas dinner. Matt doesn’t think this is very quiet at all, but Amy and I are really excited about it. He can sit in the corner and eat cold weet-bix if he wants.
Our plans for next year are starting to come together. We are planning to move to China, but there is a lot of things to organize first. Matt is searching for jobs there now, and we are both trying to learn a bit of Chinese. And at the end of January we are going to Italy for a week skiing in the Alps, which is really exciting. There is a big group of Irish people going along, organized through Matt’s work, so that should be good craic and a good start to the year.
Merry Christmas!
After visiting us, Criss spent a couple of days exploring Dublin and then went up to Belfast to visit some friends. She is now in Edinburgh. When she left Galway she was planning to catch the Ferry to Scotland as she was pretty sure that she would have far too much stuff to be flying with, by the time she had been shopping in Dublin and Belfast she might have needed a whole container ship.
As for Amy, after a couple of false starts, she is now living a 5-10 minute walk from our house. The flat and the flatmate’s are really nice and she’s pretty happy. Amy is working in a shop to tide her over till after Christmas, when companies start rehiring.
Matt is still busy with Rugby and I am still playing basketball. I played a game out in the Gealteach (Irish speaking area) a week or so ago. They played the whole game in Irish, which for me was a pretty novel experience. I understood not a single work they were saying.
It is now the silly season here and I have been at Christmas parties the last two Friday’s and I have another one this week and another one the week after. They have all been ‘good Craic’ as they say here. Our plans for Christmas are quite quiet, it will only be Matt and I, Amy and my friend from work Monika, a bit of an Orphans Christmas really. We are going to have a Christmas eve meal at Monika’s, as it’s a Polish tradition, then a champagne breakfast and a Christmas dinner. Matt doesn’t think this is very quiet at all, but Amy and I are really excited about it. He can sit in the corner and eat cold weet-bix if he wants.
Our plans for next year are starting to come together. We are planning to move to China, but there is a lot of things to organize first. Matt is searching for jobs there now, and we are both trying to learn a bit of Chinese. And at the end of January we are going to Italy for a week skiing in the Alps, which is really exciting. There is a big group of Irish people going along, organized through Matt’s work, so that should be good craic and a good start to the year.
Merry Christmas!
posted by Abby at 1:26 AM
