December 2019

The short days were occupied with painting and packing for Ireland. I did not dress much for pictures. On the 17th we left for Holyhead, visiting Doris and then Barbara's grave on the way, and arrived at Pamela and Mary's on the 18th after stopping in the rain at Monasterboice on the way. Pauline had a cough which she gave to me. We realised that a headlamp bulb had failed and on the 19th drove to the local Renault dealership where they replaced not one but three lamps! We then went down the coast to Annagassan and back via Dromiskin.


On the 20th Pauline and I drove up into the Mournes to the Spelga Reservoir and then had a walk at the Silent Valley Reservoir.

It is somewhere to go to for a long walk. In the evening I dressed and we went to the Crowne Plaza which was quite crowded which affected the ambience. My little camera decided to play up and we just got the one picture:
On the 21st, Pauline and I drove to see the Proleek Dolmen and then visited 'my' bridge at Ravensdale before heading back via the River Big valley between Carrabane and Slieve Foye. By the 22nd Pamela had finished work and we took some pictures by the Christmas tree after she had returned from a quick shopping trip to Newry. The 23rd was our time to 'nip off', to Drogheda for shopping and visiting St Peter's Church to see St Oliver Plunkett's shrine and head! (At Aachen, earlier in the year we had seen Charlemagne's arm!) On the way back we stopped again at Monasterboice as the weather was much better. The high cross is a marvel. Later, reading about how the sculptors were quite likely to have come from the Mediterranean, I considered the 'cat-headed' snakes (Ireland never had snakes) and concluded that they were probably horned vipers, reinforcing the Mediterranean connection. This was conveyed to a writer who had made a good study of such symbology and he did not disagree.
 
On the 24th we stayed in and the fun began with photos and a Christmas Interview. The maids were ready on Christmas Day

More pictures were taken on the 26th and on the 27th I drove Pamela into Dundalk for her photos, before the inevitable drive to Dublin and the ferry.

The description above ignores the visits to Kennedys, the Windsor, the Roma, shopping for the ham and the turkey, as well as the all the fine cooking by Mary. The trip did not finish then, however, as we stayed overnight at Holyhead before driving to Wrexham and Rhianna's. Although Rhianna and I have been commenting on each others pictures for a time and have emailed each other, it was a lovely opportunity to meet, even though we were both in male mode. It was also very pleasing that Pauline was so positive in meeting someone who to her was a complete stranger. Rhianna gave us lunch and we met two of her dogs. They are sweet little terriers. We then drove to Wheatley where we stopped overnight before going to Sydenham to visit Dad's grave. Not much has changed at the west end of the village even after nearly 40 years.

The New Year was seen in quietly as we were both suffering slightly with a cough. Did this presage the time of Corona?