Only friends you have not met yet. Kate reminded me of this today, and it is so true.

The day started with breakfast by Geraldine,  our lovely hostess at the B & B.  Wonderful food, lively conversation and helpful suggestions. I’m going to miss ‘so what’s going on today’ and ‘so what did you see/do today’.

I’m going to miss Leo picking me up, my question ‘so what time tomorrow? ‘ and him being 20-30 minutes later! No bother! !

We started with meeting Leo to go to the farm. Since I think he gets it that I can be directionally challenged, he meets us at a store, you cannot miss….oh yes you can!  We do see him, we were close enough! Off to the farm where all the cows are RIGHT THERE! Mooing so loud and incessantly, wanting to go get some fresh grass. 70 cows and about 40 calves! Just amazing how he knows what they want and need. He let’s them out and we take a ride in the fields, with Rory….

A selfie with Rory! So sweet and laid back!  Just like his master!

After visiting, he has us follow him to the main road, for tea and coffee.  Oh, by the way I left my money at home, he says! Shoot no crows Leo! ! You owe me a cuppa tea!

So we say goodbye, a wee bit tearful leaving this friend who so generously gave his time, knowledge and shared his love of this land. He gave us directions and off we go.

An easy, rainy, misty drive to Omagh and a genealogy research center. We gained lots of insight on the history of emigration. We have learned that the Irish love to share information,  so ask. We talk to complete strangers. Even if they don’t have information to share,  we find things in common, and  wish each other a lovely day.

Now we head to Buncrana.

A beach town with amazing views.

Kate outside O’ Doherty castle, that was part of the McDevitt history in Buncrana!  It was amazing to be walking down an old path, that our ancestors may have walked.  Looking out at the ocean to the same views. I feel so fortunate to have set foot on this peninsula. There are a few McDevitt’s still living here and we are going to see what we can find out about them and their history tomorrow.

Kate treated me to a birthday dinner and drinks, no better way to spend the day.  Off to bed to get ready for our last full day here in paradise.

Has to do his own barking!

Oh tonight was such fun, traditional irish music in a traditional irish pub! Downtown Sligo until almost 12:30 AM!  After dinner with Leo. This was Wednesday night, posting has been extremely difficult with the wifi down almost everywhere!  We made a date for tomorrow morning to meet Leo so Kate can meet Rory and see his farm.

Then we will leave to go to Buncrana, and see where the McDevitt’s are from. Til tomorrow. …

With great guidance from Leo in the former of directions and a phone call for reassurance,  we made the trek to Kathleen ‘ s for another cuppa tea.  Just as lovely as the first one! We enjoyed some treats and a nice conversation with Kathleen. One of her sheepdogs stayed under the table by me, and she also enjoyed some treats, I guess dogs have a sixth sense for the humans that cannot say ‘no’.

Here is Kathleen outside her home. New friends planning when we will see each other again….not too long, maybe next year! The sheep are still lambing and driving her crazy with work.  By the way, Leo called her to tell her to look for us!

After saying so long,  not good bye, we drove about 50 yards to the beach, just outside her home.

The beach, just down the road.

Kate searching for shells and rocks.

Our wee little car (sorry Brian, it’s a Ford). It may have a little less clutch when it’s returned!

Out on a stroll with a beautiful lass (my Kate), oh and the waterfall in the background!

Off to dinner tonight with Leo, and then a pub, Leo offering another drive, to be the designated driver…..

Tomorrow, one more trip to his farm and then off to Buncrana.  Just being there will be amazing.

Kate and I made the trip from Dublin to Sligo….In a rented car, driving on the ‘wrong side’ of the road (ha ha)!! She handled it fairly well, me driving that is! She did quite often remind me I did not need to ‘hug’ the passenger side of the road. Also, she was good at reminding me to look RIGHT!!!!  I took her to some of the sites nearby, got lost in Ireland trying to find Leo’s farm! But such a lovely place to get lost.

We checked back into our home away from home, Geraldine ‘s B & B.  She is a wonderful person, wanting to hear what we did all day, and making suggestions, but mostly for making us feel at home. Oh, and there are lambs and sheep in the backyard!

Tomorrow we are off to meet up with some old friends hopefully, Leo and Joe. Maybe even have a cuppa tea.

Thursday morning off to Buncrana,  to see where we came from. Here’s hoping there’s a bar called ‘McDevitt’s’!!

A day in the big city. I cannot wait to go back tomorrow, to the lovely views and the sheep!

Kate will be here soon, then off to dinner at the Hairy Lemon. Interesting name, nice place we frequented on the last trip here. The best bread pudding in all of Ireland,  good beer too!

I had time today to remember some of the sites I did not share before. One of the days last week Leo took me to his farm. It has been in his family for generations. First we meet his dog Rory. I find his name difficult to pronounce,  but it rolls off his tongue easily. Then the swans that talk as soon as they hear him! Then the few chickens, that lay eggs somewhere, but he has no idea where they are roosting!

Offspring have been arriving on a daily basis it seems. The cows have been calfing, most going well, but loss is apparently not unusual.  In the barn are two cows who’s calves did not survive. Leo put two baby’s with them, but they did nit take to them. The truly look forlorn. Then we get in his truck with Rory, he is so happy to ride with his master. Out to the pasture we go.

Theses cows have an ocean view, I doubt they appreciate it the way people do. He drives around checking the herd and the new babies, all looks good.

Here is one of the many, just being curious. We stayed in the truck,  because they know leo, but not me, and there could be chaos. (I think that’s what he said!)

Here is one of the brand new babies…..so cute!

Here is the most fascinating scene of all. It all makes sense why Leo loves this land. It makes sense also, why the history of this land draws him to it.
Here is a side view of the tomb left by people thousands of years ago. They had such a respect for the surrounding mountains, somehow they arranged these huge stones to resemble the mountain in the background.  It was breathtaking.  Not that the cows are being disrespectful, but, they use this as a scratching/rubbing post!  This is on his land and archeologists will be excavating, without disturbing this site this summer.

There ya go, a day in Dublin, and I’m reminiscing about last week.

A real Irish farmer, tilling the soil the pre – famine way. It actually looked and was just as good as the tractors, just slower and on a much smaller scale.
He was so kind to take me aside and actually show me the how’s and whys you would do this. I was asked ‘what kind of accent is that?’ I may look irish, but, the states comes through!

No horses at this one, but donkeys, just look at the man facing me. There truly is an art to ploughing. Also, very messy shoes, and jeans from all the muck!

From the plowing we went to the Ulster American folk park. There was a genealogy library there that Leo wanted me to look into. The women that work there were very helpful with good ideas for tracing family roots.  We were late getting to the park, but we did manage to go from rural Ireland to the American brick house, brought over from the USA (Pennsylvania) and put back together. It actually had a white picket fence! Not something
you see much of in Ireland.

Back to the hotel after a long ride, I feel like Leo must be thinking, if this was a movie it would be Driving Ms Aine (Anne)!  Back to Dublin tomorrow morning. I will be sad to leave, but happy to know I get to see Kate on Monday and head back on Tuesday.  I will be driving miss Kate, look out Ireland!

So this is my view…..a roof and wall. If you look closely you can see that it is raining again!

After breakfast we are going to a local yearly event, The Annual Sligo Ploughing Competition! It’s the ‘real Ireland’. Old Time farmers, daughters and youth compete for ploughing excellence. ….more to follow!

I’m sure Leo was not tired of me, but he suggested a spa and I thought, well I’m on vacation…..The name of the spa was Voya, specializing in seaweed baths. I’m adventurous, so with a creepy feeling I make an appointment. People are going in and out like crazy. It must be FABULOUS. Leo did tell me what to expect, because apparently men do this too.

I go. A sweet Irish lass asked if I ever had a seaweed bath before and then went into what to do. In the room is a private steam, with shower, which you need to do.steam for 5 minutes and then step into the tub. Picture a tidal pool covered with seaweed…..nice, huh? I step in, sit down and try to relax. Leo told me to squeeze the puffs on the seaweed, the gel is the best moisturizer. I found myself squeezing them like they were bubble wrap, just to get my mind off the fact I was in a tub, with weeds, with a sign that says….Enjoy your bath, rest assured it is sanitized after each bath……God I hope so!

So, my skin feels lovely! Worth the creepy feeling, ummmmm. ..I think I may buy my weed on the street!!!!

I moved from the B & B today(sadly), to what the tour guy from Virginia said was : “a wonderful hotel in the town of Bundoran”. Well, my guess is he has never stayed here. Fortunately, Leo stayed to help me with my bags. At the check in, she asked if I would be paying now or when I leave. Leo tells her about the tour and she’s says, yes there is a note t b at he would call back, but he never did. Yep, that’s the guy. Same as he was prior to the trip. I would never use this tour guy again, but other than this hotel, he has wonderful connections here that believe in what they do and just love ireland.

It’s a smoking floor, with a large ashtray in the room, lovely! To get to the room, was like a maze, going up and down at least four steps at a time. Around many corners, until I get to my rroo, which is down four more steps. Poor Leo,  my bag has gotten heavier since getting here! The bathroom in my tiny room is UP four steps!

I am not lying! Kudos to Leo during my tiny breakdown!  Tomorrow I will be moved to a non smoking room……we’ll see. Oh, and tomorrow when the sun is out, I will take a pic of the view…..not magical!