What a guy! So sweet and generous with his time, I think, I know, I will miss him most of all.
He picked me up this morning, for the last time, to take me back to Dublin. He was certainly not done sharing his vast knowledge of all things Ireland with me. We saw more passage tombs on top of the mountains as  we headed east. Left a part of the rim of Ireland to the vast bowl like midlands.  On the way we stopped at sculptures along the way. The most poignant stop was a true step back in time.

A Franciscan Abbey that was founded in 1270. It the only church in the midlands that still functions as a Catholic church for more than 700 years.

There are four windows in the chapel that depict the story of the Children of Lir. Leo told me this story a few days ago, and I feel fortunate to have seen the friars built near the lake where the story is based. The story is about the four children who were changed into swans by their cruel stepmother, jealous of their father’s love for his children. The only way to break the spell was for the swans to hear a bell. According to the legend, the four swans  spent 900 years on three waters; near the friary, waters between Ireland and Scotland and waters off Mayo in the Atlantic ocean. Here the children were rescued after hearing the bells calling all to mass.

So, funny note, just outside the abbey, I found these….barrels (kegs?) of Holy water!

Now we end up in dublin, with Leo going over the easy way back to the western part of Ireland. He decided to stay in Dublin to go to the natural history museum and roam about. Again, not part of the tour, but fascinating listening to my private tour guide, making sense of all there was to see.

We parted after having another lovely meal.

Things I learned about Leo:
1. Great eater! There is no doubt if he enjoys a meal.
2. Lost in Ireland was not a bad description of my blog. At random times on our rides, he would say, ‘I don’t have any idea where the feck we are’.
3. All roads lead somewhere, and who cares if you are lost, it’s a lovely view.
4. Rhubarb pie is lovely.
5. He is a very kind, intelligent, interesting, understanding and nothing is a bother, man.
6. He can talk up a stranger that they forget they were going somewhere.
7. He can talk!

Safe traveling Leo, thanks for the lovely rides.
See you soon!