Thursday 13 September 2018

Ireland Part 2...

All jewellery charity shopped. Blue earrings bought in Co. Sligo charity shop for 99 cents
Hello again. Thank you for the lovely welcome back comments; I really appreciated them. It's such a fabulous supportive community blogland. Mostly, anyway....

I can't say it hasn't been strange since I came back. I did very little for nearly eight weeks and now I'm back to rushing around but first let me tell you a little more about my time in Ireland.


I wasn't aware OH had taken this photo outside the church at the funeral of my cousin.  Here I'm checking with my cousin Gillian who is reading which bit at the service. Behind me is cousin Irma and of course, cousin Doirin in black and white. Everything I'm wearing is charity shopped and the kimono is the first one I ever bought. I'm wearing a black shirt underneath it which I bought in a charity shop in Donegal for 2 euros and the black and white trousers are 1 of 8 pairs that I had. I left this pair in Ireland.

 Whilst out walking in Mountcharles, Co. Donegal, I spied one of these:


Do you know what is?
It's a robot lawnmower. I saw it moving from a distance and found it a little bit scary but it was doing a great job mowing neat, even strips of lawn, then turning around doing another one.....

When my daughter came out to stay we spent a couple of days in Belfast. We stayed overnight and did some sightseeing on both days. The second day we did an open top bus tour and one of the most interesting things we saw were the murals on the 'peace' walls dividing the Protestant areas from the Catholic areas. I took many more photos but my phone ran out of memory and in the effort to free up some space many were accidentally deleted. These are all I have.


Daughter in front of a Peace Wall







I hung out with my cousins; Gillian, Doirin and Irma in Irma's new house. The red striped top was charity shopped in Donegal for 3.00 euros.


I went to a summer festival in Sligo with Martina and saw Paddy Casey;


And Mundy


Of course it rained but we were prepared with folding chairs and umbrellas... Martina danced her socks off - she did, honestly!


When OH came out we went to visit Lissadell House in Co. Sligo. We first visited it 19 years ago. It was the home of the Gore-Booth's; of whom Constance Gore Booth, better known as Countess Markievitz, was one of the prominent and the only female leader of the 1916 Easter Uprising in Dublin.


This is the only photo I had left on my phone. Lissadell Bay seen from the Alpine Garden of Lissadell House.

In the walled garden  of Lissadell House, there were several signs asking us not to pick the fruit and vegetables.  I posed for a photo where I was pretending to pick a pear. As I reached up, a drone suddenly appeared and hovered above until it was sure I was only pretending! 21st century security....

We also took this ferry from Burtonport to Aranmore Island, population 400!





You can see from the photos that it was misty, drizzly day. We didn't see the island at its best but it was a beautiful, peaceful place. We'll definitely be paying a return visit and will hope for better weather!




I didn't get much crocheting done on holiday. I just wasn't in the mood very often. I've crocheted the equivalent of two rows of my latest blanket so there's only seven rows or 63 squares left! I'll be getting back in to it now I'm  getting back into my usual routine.

When I got back from Ireland, I had the grandsons for two days as they didn't return to school until Wednesday. On Tuesday we went to Woburn Safari Park. Some of my photos didn't get saved because of the memory problem so a giraffe and some lorikeets is all you're getting...


Everything I'm wearing is charity shopped including my African print bag.
I don't know why youngest grandson is pulling such a weird face...


Lorikeets drinking nectar....

We saw lions, tigers, bears, camels, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, eland and other deer, spider monkeys, lemurs, capybaras, sea lions, wallabies, emus and water buffalo. Middle grandson did a high ropes course called 'The Giraffe Climb'.  We had a lovely day.

On Wednesday, OH and I went to Leighton Buzzard for a much needed rummage. Leighton Buzzard which is in Bedfordshire was home to Mary Norton' author of 'The Borrowers,' one of my favourite children's books of all times.


This is now a school.



We had never been  to Leighton Buzzard before and there were 7 charity shops including one for Breast Cancer. - that was a first for me.  I bought  a pair of trousers for 2.00 and a tea cup for 49p! We stopped in Ampthill on the way home where in Barnardos they had a 49p bin for men and women's clothes; getting rid of summer stock, I suppose. I bought quite a few bits -  not all at 49p!


These leggings were one of the 49p bin buys. Everything else charity shopped; the turquoise cardigan is an old faithful wardrobe staple. Pink shoes charity shopped in Donegal.


There are some Irish shortbread biscuits and jam under the hall table for my friend Ann...


The navy top by Wallis was another 49p bin buy! The kimono was also bought in Barnardo's for 2.99. Navy trousers from Primarni about three years ago. Shoes as before.

All jewellery charity shopped.

I bought this necklace in Donegal for 2.00 euros.


I also went to visit my son at the weekend and wore this:


All jewellery charity shopped.


I bought this coat by M&S for 7.00 in the Cat's Protection League; either earlier this year or late last year. Either way the weather was not right for it, so since I've come back I'm wearing it as much as possible. Black sandals charity shopped locally just before I went to Ireland.


Green trousers, Next; patterned top, Next; lace shirt unknown label; all charity shopped.

Yellow scarf charity shopped.

Finally, I ended my first week back at home with a 9.5 mile walk with my friend from the food bank.

I've been enjoying the warm, pleasant and sometimes sunny weather  since I came back from Ireland and it was so good to wear my summer clothes and sandals. I wore sandals only on maybe three occasions in Ireland because it just wasn't sandals weather. But there is a definite autumnal feeling in the air now The evenings have drawn in, the trees are changing colour and it may be time to start checking out what summer clothing needs to be swapped over...

Until next time, cheers!














21 comments:

  1. A robot lawnmower and a security drone! We live in the future! But surrounded by so much of the past...

    Your photos are gorgeous - I must make it to Ireland one day. I wasn't expecting to see a giraffe on your blog, Vronni! I think the grandson is just trying to be cool, ha ha!

    Love that green coat - so chic! Take care, my dear!

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  2. Oh, and I LOVED "The Borrowers" when I was a kid! I searched our house for evidence of our own family (no luck).

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    1. Me too, Sheila! It gave me a love for all things miniature which I still have today....
      xxx

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  3. So much lovely stuff for the eye and the brain, Vronni. I had no idea there were security drones around, and using them to control "don't pick the daisies" rules seems a bit overkill! And I'm going to surprise you here but my favourite outfit is that little snippet of red stripe and headscarf at your cousin's table, fresh and parisienne, I wish I could have seen the whole ensemble. Happy weekend hugs to you my lovely, x.

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    1. Thank you, Mary. Yes, it was definitely overkill it was only a flippin' pear AND I was pretending!

      xxxx

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  4. That was such an entertaining read! But also informative and I'll keep this bit of the comment short, but we cannot back to how it was in Belfast (the murals - gosh) so a hard Brexit is just not on (any politician listening????)

    And great you hung out with your cousins. I too have many cousins but we're scattered far and wide and not very close.

    Anyway, as you know, I think you are the queen of accessorising! You just have the gift for it. And I love that M&S coat with other green items - that's the best for me. Prices are good - they're getting expensive in Brighton. Your blog is full of lovely clothes and beautiful jewellery. Have lovely w/e x

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    1. Oh yes, the Brexit thing is soul destroying - I simply can't believe we are walking wide eyed into what is going to be a total unmitigated disaster.
      xxxxx

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  5. Those peace wall murals are impressive. We've got a local DIY shop which is regularly giving robot lawnmower demonstrations. If we had a lawn (which we don't) I'd be tempted. That drone in the garden, however, must have been pretty scary! I'm loving all your colourful outfits and amazing jewellery, but my favourite by far is the one with the green trousers and coat, which is utterly fabulous! That's exactly the kind of green coat I've been dreaming of. xxx

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    1. I'm glad you like the coat, Ann, but of course you would - it's green!! Ha ha! If I see anything similar I'll grab it for you...,
      xxxx

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  6. Could have used that robot lawnmower on the farm but I suspect it wouldn't have been a match for the thick ironweed growing in the grass. There aren't many chores I despise but mowing the lawn...

    Those green trousers are wonderful-all your outfits are, but I am especially impressed with those. I've stopped wondering why young people pull faces when being photographed as it must be some sort of involuntary reaction to the sight of a camera;)

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    1. Yes, I'd love to see how a robot lawn mower tackles weeds and thistles. I bet it would just keel over....

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  7. You are looking lovely, Veronica. So chilled and tanned, it must have been a great summer. Certainly sounded like one. Ireland looks such a beautiful and tranquil place. Thank you for your shots of the "Peace Walls". I have never seen any of them before. They look very imposing and a bit dystopian if truth be told but the graffiti looks very well done. I am sure that they were (are?) not nice for the people that live there. I had a good laugh about you with the pear. I wonder what they would have done if you had actually picked it?

    Your outfits are lovely but I am going to second that the green one is fantastic. Woburn looks fab. I am glad that you had such a nice time there. Have a fantastic weekend! Xx

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    1. Thank you, Kelly. Belfast and the murals were such an eye opener - everything or at least may things divided on sectarian grounds. Very hard to get your head around...
      xxxx

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  8. Gosh Ireland looks beautiful! I haven't seenn the sea in like 5 yrs.
    Love your thrifted outfits & the mixing & matching of patterns * prints! xox

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    1. Thank you, Bibi. I have to see the sea at least once a year otherwise I pine for it!
      xx

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  9. You've found some great things in your charity shop rummages.

    Sounds like Ireland is now a land of robots! My husband could do with one of those lawnmower ones...

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    1. Mr Crinoline Robot's Christmas present sorted then! I have no idea what they cost...

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  10. Hopped over from Frugal Fashion Shopper and so glad I did, your charity shop finds are amazing and I wish I could find such gems! Interesting to see the robot lawn mower and the security drone....!! Technology turns up everywhere.

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    1. Thank you, Gail.

      I saw more technology in action in Ireland strangely...

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  11. You look absolutely wonderful in all of your outfits, my favourite has to be that lovely green ensemble topped off with that super cool mac.
    What a stylish bunch you looked at the funeral. Your cousin Doirin has the most gorgeous hair.
    Jon worked in Belfast for a while and was drawn to the peace walls,too. The whole Brexit thing is a complete nightmare. Coming back from Greece on Friday morning we were wondering how easy it will be next year...visas, maybe? absolute nightmare. xxx

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  12. Thank you, Vix!

    I am so worried about Brexit; my only saving grace is that I now have my Irish passport....
    xxxx

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A weekend visitor and an exhibition

 Hello!  I'll soon be off to Ireland  so let me tell you what I've been up to over the last two weeks.  I'll start with a whinge...