belgianwaffle

Ireland

Snow!


Posted in: Dublin, Ireland, Middle Child, Mr. Waffle, Princess, Twins, Youngest Child

I woke up on Friday morning to snow. The excitement. The boys had already cycled to school. “Didn’t you offer them a lift?” I said to Mr. Waffle. He pointed out that I was in bed (not typical though I would very much like it to be) and it was only “heavy frost”, not snow.

I cycled into the park to have a look at the “heavy frost”. You be the judge here.

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Between my sore knee and the icy conditions, being in the park was really reminiscent of skiing.

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That afternoon, I took the car out to collect post from the local sorting office. It was cold and I wanted to get turf on the way home so I felt somewhat less bad about taking the car. My local sorting office is in a black hole and I always get lost on the way there. I inadvertently went up a cul de sac where a small child was playing in the snow (heavy frost whatever you’re having yourself) in front of his gate. I turned extremely slowly and carefully. But as I turned my enormous monstrosity which did not slip in the snow, everyone will be glad to hear, I couldn’t help thinking that there would be no danger of my taking out a small child if I had just taken the bike. But then how would I have brought home my turf? Is it madness to think of buying one of those electric cargo bikes?

If you’re thinking it would be more environmentally friendly not to have a turf powered open fire you would be completely right but as someone who finally turned on the Aga the same day, I’m probably beyond reason. God, it is nice and cozy in the cold weather.

Over the weekend we had the lighting up ceremony on the road. We all put out lights in the gardens and then turn them on. Kind humanitarians supply mulled wine and mince pies. It was very pleasant though cold. I used to hate outdoor Christmas decorations but now I love them. Driving to collect the children from school (they got a lift in yesterday, do you think I’m a monster?) , I truly enjoyed some of the more exuberant offerings of our neighbours.

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And then we put up our tree last night.

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And herself is coming home tomorrow after her trip to Berlin to visit a school friend. Hurrah! Here she is in the Alexanderplatz last night channelling her inner babushka.

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Knee Progress


Posted in: Dublin, Ireland

Still quite sore. I am finding my home made weights a bit inconvenient but not ineffective. I thought you would like to know.

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Outraged etc


Posted in: Ireland, Travel

There were two very young women sitting opposite me on the train back from Galway yesterday. One of them worked diligently on her laptop but her friend perused the internet at full volume without headphones. Who does that? I was very tempted to say something but the train was crowded and I would still be sitting opposite her for the remainder of the journey. I didn’t feel able for it so I sat and seethed until they both got off in Clara. Another young woman got on and took the seat opposite me. To my horror she did exactly the same thing. Is this ok now?

I was quite pleased to see this innovation as I got off the train. I will be investigating.

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Elderly curmudgeon over and out.

Final Galway Installment


Posted in: Ireland, Travel

I thought we were going to the theatre last night but it was actually contemporary dance. Amazingly talented dancers and excitingly choreographed but 90 minutes is a lot of contemporary dance.

Non-stop rain continued into the night.

I got the 9.30 train back to Dublin. It didn’t rain on me on my way to the station and my friend assures me that it is a beautiful day in Galway today. Notwithstanding the climactic conditions, I had a lovely time and am keen to visit again. There’s something v appealing about the atmosphere in Galway. I can’t put my finger on what exactly it is but it’s appealing. Recommended.

View this morning

More Galway


Posted in: Ireland, Travel

I went into town to get my bike fixed. It was very windy but beautiful on my cycle in (I know I should have walked with my back tyre as flat as a pancake but who among us is perfect?)

However, no sooner had I turned away from the coast road than it started to hail again. I mean I was a bit less exposed than yesterday at least. I had nearly left the house without my waterproof trousers but, happily, had not taken that reckless choice.

After dropping off my bike I found a cafe in town that looked like the pain quotidien. In I ducked – out of the hail – and ordered a pain au chocolat. All the staff were French. The inside was v close to the PQ possibly franchise breachingly close. But how was my pain au chocolat? Poor I fear.

I trekked out to the university in the rain – of course – to meet my friend for lunch. I passed this school.

They seem to like abbreviations in Galway. The Jesuit school is known universally as the Jes but I hadn’t realised that it extended to other establishments.

They were having conferrings at the university.

This is literally the only blue sky I saw all day. V exciting.

After lunch I was back into town for a wander around (lashing rain again).

I went to the local museum. It did not disappoint. A good local offering. With the added benefit of being indoors. There was quite a lot about the War of Independence and Civil War locally which was interesting. There’s a lot of Irish in Galway. I only heard the expression Cogadh na gCarad recently as the Irish for civil war (literally- the war of the friends) but there it was all over the place. A bit tougher for commemoration than the War of Independence.

I looked out the window at 4.30 and the rain was bouncing off the stones.

Here is the view from under Spanish Arch as I am screwing up my courage to walk to the bike shop.

And then I had to cycle back to the house. I got wet notwithstanding my rain gear (when it’s v wet it always seems to leak at the joints). I deeply regret only bringing one pair of trousers and one pair of shoes. Oh well, I am drip drying as I type and I can only hope that the theatre this evening will be so amazing that it will take my mind off the dampness.

Galway


Posted in: Ireland

I am in the West staying with a friend. I took my bike and it hailed on me as I cycled from the station to her house. As I pulled up the zip of my coat over my face to shield myself from stinging hail I caught it in my lip. And then I got a puncture in my back tyre.

The pictures don’t really convey the driving wind and hail. But look at that palm tree in the distance regretting its choices.

So far I’ve been impressed by the slower pace and friendliness of Galway after my time in the big smoke. I rang a bike repair shop to see when I could book in for a repair and the (Polish, I think) man said to drop in whenever. This compares favourably with my local bike shop in Dublin where you will be laughed at if you even try to drop in without appointment. On the minus side I appeared to be the only person on a bike in Galway. The weather was terrifying though.

I spent the afternoon cowering in my friend’s apartment looking at the rain and the waves. Then, after she finished work, we took a taxi into town. The Christmas lights were very pretty and somehow more romantic in the lashing rain with the wind from the sea blowing hard. Like defiance against the elements.

We went into a restaurant in a stone cottage right beside Spanish Arch and the sea spat beside us. Galway city is right on the sea in a way that Cork and Dublin aren’t. When we finished our (delicious) dinner, there were gangs of teenagers out and about celebrating their junior cert results in the rain. I couldn’t help worrying that some of them might fall in to the water as they partied at the unprotected quayside. Living on the edge here.

More Galway tomorrow.