Travel Log Ireland

 Jet lag. 

Awake at midnight. So I started digging around on 'find a grave site' website to see if I can locate Grandpa Walker's cousin, Nina somewhere in Belfast. No luck, even if I am part Irish. Mom's cousin, Aunt Barbara, helped quite a bit with pics of documents etc.

Finally got tired around 5 a.m. Slept 'til 10. Didn't want to sleep the day away, and it was sunny. Sam took me to Scrabo tower.






Sun was bright and happy, like us. Maybe a rarity for me. Ireland suits my personality. I feel at home here. I wish I could grow a garden here. Rain most days feels needed. Like window washing for the soul. Verdant life abounds everywhere. 


The tight roads and winding curves fry my nerves...I learn to trust. The locals drive here every day and they don't crash! Amazing!


After the tower we came home and had leftover Indian food for lunch. We had gone out for that last night.


Then we headed out to see Shannon, Sam's cousin's daughter. She was home with her two little ones so we had tea, read 'goodnight moon' and took an excursion to the local charity shops and had an ice cream nearby. I'm fairly certain every dairy or cream product in Ireland is infused with extra rich *something* from the cows getting such green, abundant grass to graze on. The butter is richer, the ice cream creamier. Could this be why many locals don't seem to ever want to leave, even for a short time? Who could live without Irish butter?!


We didn't come to Ireland to specifically see Sam's relatives. But it's quite an added bonus.





In the town square I met Joanie, out for an afternoon stroll. 


We left there to go to get groceries and visit Sam's cousin who would get home from work soon. We got to their place and took a short walk around the harbour called Groomsport. 





Way in the distance we could make out a foggy bump that is Scotland.


We went up to Rosie's place (Sam's cousin) and got to work making a nice meal - salmon with a balsamic red wine reduction, pesto pasta, Asian coleslaw, sauteed mushrooms in white wine cream sauce, and honey-gingered carrots. We wanted to serve them since they so warmly welcomed us. 


I kept stepping out to take pictures of the rainbow out their living room window.










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