This morning’s catch when John stopped by with fresh-caught Atlantic salmon, a container of crabmeat, and another container of prawns. The cost for the above was Euro 25, US $27.85. There’s enough salmon for three meals and a fourth meal with the crab and prawns on a lettuce salad. The average cost per serving is Euro 6.26, US $6.97. We paid John the Euro 14, US $15.60. We owed him from last week’s fish. I asked if he could bring salmon each week. Tom doesn’t care for fish, so I’ll happily enjoy every morsel.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland” 
“Northern Ireland is governed by the United Kingdom, while the rest of Ireland is an
independent nation.”

Living in Ireland is very different from anywhere we’ve lived after over 6½ years of world travel. The environment, the people, the chosen pace of peace, calm and good humor is present in every situation we encounter.

Today’s mist and clouds over the sea.

This is appealing. Thank goodness we have this website requiring new photos daily and a goal to research Tom’s ancestry. Otherwise, we’d be so content. We’d hardly go out other than to shop and dine out on occasion.

We’re far from many restaurants, but we’ll go out to dinner more often now that I’m beginning to feel better. Since our arrival on May 12th, we’ve only dined out once.

A gate to a private drive or boat launch.

We’ve so enjoyed the wide array of fantastic food products from the SuperValu supermarket in Clifden that cooking has become such a treat. We can now find ingredients we like to use that we never could find in the Spar Market in Komatipoort.

Now that I can cook again, we’re making a few more interesting dishes I didn’t burden Tom with when cooking all the meals by himself. That’s not to say he’s not helping.  

Many homes in the countryside have a similar look and are very old.

He’s right beside me in the kitchen doing all the “heavy lifting,” including washing dishes, hauling food and pots back and forth to the laundry room where the second refrigerator and another bigger sink are located.

This morning feels like a typical Irish day. Ann, the lovely house cleaner, arrived at 9:30 am informing me that she’d lit a candle at her church for my continuing recovery. How sweet is that?

Fishing boat in the bay.

Moments later, Eileen, the house owner who lives in the house next door, also stopped by. They both possess a wealth of fascinating information about Connemara and Ireland in general. We love their accents, warmth, easy smiles, and enthusiasm.

We’d planned to head out today, but it’s raining, not uncommon for Ireland. Also, Eileen called the fish guy, John, to determine if he was coming by today. He stopped by before noon. Note the above photo and caption for further explanation.

We paid John the Euro 14, US $15.59, from last week when he’d insisted we took some fish when the package had yet to arrive containing our new debit cards, leaving us with no cash (euros in Ireland).

A boat at the organic salmon station.

After the ATM cards had arrived, we immediately drove to Clifden to an ATM to get enough cash to last for quite a while. Weekly, we pay Ann Euro 60, US $66.82 for three hours of housecleaning, the highest we’ve ever paid. That’s not to say she isn’t worth it. She does a meticulous job.  

We’ve been spoiled. Housekeeping wasn’t included in the rent as it was in South Africa, where we had two cleaners, Zef and Vusi, each day of the week. But, knowing we have a cleaner only once a week, we’re diligent about keeping the house tidy and organized between Ann’s visits.

No, we don’t have a social life here yet and may not be able to make lifelong friends here as we did in Marloth Park, many of whom we are staying in touch, particularly Kathy and Don, Linda, and Ken (we spoke on the phone yesterday) and Louise and Danie.

Now that I’m beginning to feel better, we’re planning on getting out more. In the interim, this simple life is suiting us just fine.

Happy day!

                            Photo from one year ago today, May 23, 2018:

This was our first sighting of a good-sized herd of cape buffalo we spotted from Marloth Park yesterday on the banks of the Crocodile River. There were from 24 to 30 in the herd. For more photos, please click here.

At every turn, the scenery is breathtaking.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland” 
“Most Irish people believe that fairies exist. In their culture, fairies have magical
powers and bring happiness and great things to families.”

The scenery from every turn in the road, let alone the views from the windows in our holiday home, are nothing short of spectacular. This morning overcast and cloudy with rain predicted, is still gorgeous as the clouds gather around the mountains known as the “Twelve Bens.”

Wildflowers are often found blooming on the side of the road, especially this time of year as summer nears.

From this site:
The Twelve Bens or Twelve Pins (Irish: Na Beanna Beola; the peaks of Beola) is a mountain range of sharp-peaked quartzite summits and ridges located in the Connemara National Park in County Galway, in the west of Ireland.

Topographically, the range is partnered with the Maumturks range on the other side of the Glen Inagh valley (a Western Way route). The highest point is Benbaun at 729 meters (2,392 ft). The range is popular with hill walkers, rock climbers, and fell runners. The 15–kilometer “Glencoaghan Horseshoe” (Irish: Gleann Chóchan) is noted as providing some of the “most exhilarating mountaineering in Ireland” and “a true classic.” A more severe undertaking is the 28–kilometer “Twelve Bens Challenge,” climbing all bens in a single day.”

The plural word for a group of sheep is flock, dove, or herd.  An extensive group of sheep is a band of the mob.

Now, as I write here, I can see the “Twelve Bens” from the house as we gaze across the Bertraghboy Bay. On any cloudy day, we can peer out the window to see the fluffy clouds leaving trails of mist over the mountains.

Views are even more spectacular on sunny days as soon as in a few of today’s photos.  We often choose to take a drive when it’s a sunny day to enhance the quality of our photos. But, still, there remains the magic and mystery of clouds filling the skies on days of predicted rain, such as today.

An abandoned boat in part covered in vegetation creates this classic scene.

Tomorrow, when lovely Ann, our house cleaner, arrives at 9:00 am, we’ll let her inside and take off to explore areas of Connemara we’ve yet to see, of which there are many. Connemara is described as follows:

From this site: “Connemara (Irish: Conamara; pronounced [ˈkʊnˠəmˠəɾˠə]) is a cultural region in County Galway, Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture. It contains a major part of the Connacht Irish-speaking Gaeltacht, which is a key part of the region’s identity and the country’s largest Gaeltacht.”

Rocks are seen everywhere in Ireland.  From this site:  “The geological map of Ireland displays a wide variety of rock types which have originated at different periods of geological time. The oldest rocks are metamorphic gneisses which are to be found on Inishtrahull, several miles off Malin Head in Co. Donegal, and elsewhere in the north-west. They originally formed as igneous rocks 1750-1780 million years ago.”

“One common definition of the area is that it consists of most of West Galway, that is to say, the part of the county west of Lough Corrib and Galway city, contained by Killary Harbour, Galway Bay and, the Atlantic Ocean. 

Some more restrictive definitions of Connemara define it as the historical territory of Conmhaícne Mara, i.e., just the far northwest of County Galway, bordering County Mayo. The name is also used to describe the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking areas) of western County Galway. However, it is argued that this too is inaccurate as some of these areas lie outside of the traditional boundary of Connemara.”

Ireland consists of many boggy areas, which are prevalent here in Connemara.

There are arguments about where Connemara ends as it approaches Galway city, which is not in Connemara — some argue for Barna, on the outskirts of Galway City, some for a line from Oughterard to Maam Cross, and then diagonally down to the coast, all within rural lands.

The broader area of what is today known as Connemara was previously a sovereign kingdom known as Iar Connacht, under the kingship of the Ó Flaithbertaigh, until it became part of the English-administered Kingdom of Ireland in the 16th century.”

Clouds reflecting on a lake.

The population of Connemara is 32,000. There are between 20,000–24,000 native Irish speakers in the region, making it the largest Irish-speaking Gaeltacht. The Enumeration Districts with the most Irish speakers in Ireland as a percentage of the population can be seen in the South Connemara area. Most Irish speakers are of school age (5–19 years old).”

Today, we’ll stay in.  We’re making mozzarella-ball stuffed meatballs with a red sauce and sprinkled with parmesan cheese, along with grilled vegetables on the side.  Lately, both of us have become tired of eating side salads and are taking a break for a while, having more cooked or raw vegetables as an alternative.

We hope each of you has a peaceful and pleasant day!             

Photo from one year ago today, May 22, 2018:

Although it’s impossible to conquer all of the alien plants in Marloth Park to protect wildlife and humans, the dedicated Marloth Park Honorary Rangers spend considerable time (their own free time) pulling out invasive plants. In the case of “Mother of Thousands,” every last bit must be pulled since it will regrow from even the most minuscule portion left behind. This morning, we met friends Uschi and Evan (not in this photo), with whom we’ve since become great friends. They are leaders in Honorary Rangers in Marloth Park. For more details, please click here.