The Old Rectory and surrounds

DAY 6 – August 8th

It was a great morning for a sleep in. The travelling and activity is taking its toll and, after all, we’re on holiday. We awoke a bit later than usual and found that our host had departed somewhat earlier (as he had a drive to Dublin ahead of him), leaving us a note hoping that the “ghost” hadn’t disturbed our sleep. A wander about the house convinced us that, while it hadn’t lost it’s charm, it had aged in the past four years and while such a place would be lovely to have, we didn’t envy our hosts the monumental sum of money that must and would be required to maintain the huge three-storey house, numerous outbuildings and thirteen acres of property. It was a beautiful day and once we got ourselves oriented, we headed for Croom, the closest village and then Adare – a location famous for their little row of thatched cottages which appear to be used equally for shops, residences, and restaurants, as well as old structures that date back hundreds of years. Mom's main focus was watching the photographing of a wedding that was just finishing (with an open carriage and two grey horses standing nearby waiting to transport the newly married couple) and ………. more shopping (apparently determined to ensure she reached both her weight and duty free limits for her return to Canada and in the process, providing a single-handed boost to Southern Ireland’s economy). We found the butcher shop and treated ourselves to three nice cuts of Irish beef and headed home to The Old Rectory. George grilled the beef, while I made mashed potatoes, carrots, and grilled half tomatoes with goat cheese as the sides. Dessert was fresh strawberries we’d purchased at the roadside and ice cream. It’s hard to feel hard done by when we’d had such a nice day and dinner. :-)