Loving the countryside…Ruins…The Belted Galloway…

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From this site:  “In 1842, a German writer and geographer called Johann Georg Kohl traveled around Ireland, publishing an account of his journey the following year. “Of all the countries in the world,” he observed, “Ireland is the country for ruins. Here you have ruins of every period of history, from the time of the Phoenicians down to the present day… each century has marked its progress by the ruins it has left. Nay, every decade, one might almost say, has set its sign up on Ireland, for in all directions, you see several dilapidated buildings, ruins of yesterday’s erection.”

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland” 
“Ireland has made many trading partners over the last few decades. Today, the United States accounts for 20% of Ireland’s exports, while the United Kingdom accounts for 38% of the country’s imports.”

We’ve been out each day since we arrived in awe of the wonders surrounding us.  From the ruins of various buildings to cattle, sheep, donkeys, and horses along the road in our “neighborhood” (so to speak), any drive on which we embark provides a plethora of photo-worthy scenes.

This area of Connemara is not necessarily a hot summer vacation/holiday spot compared to many other European locations. We’ve seen several B & Bs and a few hotels, resorts, and holiday designated areas. Based on its online booking calendar, this holiday home is almost totally booked for the remainder of the year.  

A Belted Galloway cow. From this site:  “Belted Galloway cattle originated from western Scotland, a region whose weather is strikingly similar to Ireland’s damp climate! This makes Belted Galloways perfectly suitable for the wet, cold winters and the soft boggy terrain of Irish farms. Their long, curly outer coat is ideal for rainy weather, as its coarseness deflects moisture from the animal’s skin. They also have a soft undercoat to keep them warm in colder temperatures. The head of the Belted Galloway has long hair around its ears, preventing frostbite in a case of an extreme Irish freeze. Common nicknames for these cattle are ‘Belties’ or even ‘Oreo Cows’ due to their peculiar resemblance to the popular treat!”

Whether tourists have come here to do something comparable to our plans, sightseeing or visiting relatives, they come to this area and love it.

The rough and uneven terrain and the boggy landscape aren’t ideal for walks on the beach or gaining access to the ocean for swimming or snorkeling.  However, several beaches are within a two-hour drive for swimming and enjoying the ocean-related activities, although the cool weather may easily be a deterrent.  

We spotted several Belted Galloway cattle in the country.  The last time we’d seen this breed of cattle was while living in New Zealand in March 2016.  See our link here.

Perhaps when it’s officially summer here in June, it will warm up a bit.  The average summer temperature is between 17.7 C, 64F and 20C, 68F, still very cool. This morning upon awakening, it was only 9.4C, 49F, and now at 10:00 am, it’s a paltry 12.7C, 55F, not necessarily good weather for swimming, snorkeling, or boating.

For us, this isn’t an issue. I must admit I am thoroughly enjoying the cool weather after the heat during our 15 months in Africa. We’re more interested in the historical aspects, researching Tom’s ancestry, and, as typical for us, immersing ourselves in local culture while we make every effort to blend in.

As we drove through the countryside in Connemara, we were amazed by the number of ruins.

The kindly people we’ve met thus far seem delighted with the fact that Tom is almost 100% Irish based on a DNA test he did a few years ago through Ancestry.com, where he’ll spend hours each week in research and building his family tree.

In US records, he hit a wall. His ancestors immigrated to the US from Ireland from the 1830s, and he’s updated his family tree to the best of his ability and the availability of records available to him.  

To go further back to continue building the family tree, it’s necessary to research records from right here in Ireland that may not have been uploaded to the Internet and stay as paper files in churches, governmental buildings, and public record-keeping facilities.

From this site:  “In Ireland, large-scale domestic and industrial peat usage is widespread. In the Republic of Ireland, a state-owned company called Bord na Móna is responsible for managing peat extraction. It processes the extracted peat into milled peat used in power stations and sells processed peat fuel in peat briquettes used for domestic heating. These are oblong bars of densely compressed, dried, and shredded peat. Peat moss is a manufactured product for use in garden cultivation. Turf (dried out peat sods) is also commonly used in rural areas.”

Fortunately, through years of research, he’s been able to determine many of the towns and counties where his ancestors lived and worked. It is some of these locations we’ll visit in our time here. 

He’s beginning to research the possible locations where such records may be found. We hope to travel to one new place each week, giving us a further opportunity to explore this scenic country while stopping along the way to go through various records at specific facilities.

Depending on the weather and how I’m feeling, we plan to go on our first exploration next week, having left this week to get settled, grocery shopping, and get into a somewhat familiar and comfortable routine.

A handsome horse at a pasture with other horses a few doors from our house.

A part of the joy of living in various countries throughout the world is when the time comes that we feel we fit in, especially when we have the opportunity to socialize with locals. As always, it’s entirely up to us to create a social life of some semblance.

There are numerous popular pubs we’ll visit in the town of Clifden, where we grocery shopped at the fabulous SuperValu market, purchased SIM cards, and walked up and down the busy streets. There were numerous pubs and restaurants we’d visit during our time here.

We’re looking forward to sharing more and more with our loyal readers, again, whom we thank again for staying with us during the trying past three months. May your lives be filled with exceptional experiences. 

Photo from one year ago today, May 17, 2019

It was surprising how many boats were on the Zambezi River at sunset.  For more photos of the river cruise, please click here.

A meaningful and heartbreaking story from a loyal reader…Tomorrow, Tom’s birthday, a special but scary story with photos…

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All of today’s photos were taken yesterday on a drive to the countryside surrounding Penguin, Tasmania.

After a lazy start of the day, finally I opened my laptop to begin today’s post. Each morning, before starting I check my email for comments that we may have received overnight. 

At times, there are many email messages from readers and some comments posted on the site. Rarely is there a day when we don’t hear from our readers. With the commitment to respond to all email messages and comments within a day, on most occasions we respond within 12 hours

Poppies, Permethrin flowers and the hills.

This morning, there was only one message and it read as follows with this word in the subject line:

“Inspiration

Dear Jess,  I came to your talks on Radiance (of the Seas)and now follow with great interest your blog. I wish both you and Tom continuing health and happiness. You are both so inspirational. Happy holidays!”

Immediately, I wrote back thanking the thoughtful sender for writing to us. Each message we receive, short or detailed, is truly a gift.  As Christmas approaches we’re reminded that we have no need for decorations, a tree, presents to unwrap, cards to open, cookies to bake and yet… the gifts keep coming and coming.

What are those gifts? Simply put, the gifts of words, written by readers, family and friends when they share their love, their experiences and their heartfelt expressions over the holiday season and throughout the year. 

Beautiful farm land with hay rolls (bales) at a distance.

Sometimes, we receive a comment or message that touches us in immeasurable ways; with compassion, empathy and appreciation for a reader opening their heart to reveal their innermost struggles and losses. 

Today, I share this story that came to us via a comment at the end of a post of a few days ago. Had the reader chosen to be anonymous, he could easily have done so. Instead, he used his name and location both of which we’re excluding today with the utmost of appreciation for his privacy. 

We share his story with respect and sympathy over his tragic loss.  Had it not been the holiday season, which inspired our story of a few days ago of the sorrow and loss many suffer over the holidays, our dear reader may not have been inspired to write. 

Bordering trees.

Perhaps in doing so, it may have provided him with a moment of relief from the grief which some of us may feel when we put thoughts into the written word. “They” (whomever “they” are) often say expressing ourselves in writing may provide clarity. 

His message had a powerful and lingering effect, one we’ll carry with us long after the holiday season comes to a close. As sad as his experience, he so kindly wrote to us to share his life changing experience. 

For us, in a way, his message became a gift, one we’ll always treasure. Not all gifts in life bring a smile to our faces. Some are a message from which we learn and grow. Isn’t that the message of Christmas, after all? And, long after a “happy” gift has worn out and withered away, the gift of learning and growing lingers with us for the remainder of our lives.

Thank you, dear reader, for sharing this sorrowful, yet powerful story, for being a part of our lives in your own special way as you work  through the grief and healing you’ll experience for many years to come.

A creek running through farmland.

Here’s his story as written to us in a comment a few days ago:

“Hi Jessica and Tom. I have written you a couple of times during your travels and my wife and I have followed you since you left Minnesota, where we lived nearby.  I love your adventure and we were using you as inspiration to perhaps do something similar. I had to write today because your words of grief are so true and enlightened. I lost my wonderful companion and wife in July this year. Without going into details she hid her depression from everyone and developed psychosis late in life, very unusual (age 66). She took her own life. And it has been very daunting. But myself and our daughters are forging ahead and I treasure your wise words about filling our hearts with the blessings we’ve been gifted (I feel very fortunate for the 33 amazing and wonderful years my  wife and I had together) and this Christmas time we will tell joyful stories about her. So just wanted to say I find your words many times inspiring and wise, always interesting, and look forward to reading every post. Thank You. You and Tom have a wonderful Christmas.”

We wrote the following response to his comment:

“Dear Reader, we hesitated in responding to your comment on our site as quickly as usual. We were at a loss for words, our hearts aching so, for the loss of your beloved wife. Its kind and generous of you to share the story of your devastating loss of your love and companion of 33 years.

No words we or anyone can express can lighten the load of the sorrow you must carry with you each and every day. The typical, “I’m sorry for your loss” is meaningless and shallow, an easy attempt to deflect the responsibility of saying something more revealing and heartfelt when we try to imagine the depth of your loss. None of us who haven’t experienced such a loss can even comprehend.

We are grateful to hear your daughters have rallied at your side while together you try to make some sense of it all. We commend you and admire you for your determination and hope for the future.  (Continued below).

A peek between the trees to the sea.

Reading your comment has had a profound effect on both Tom and I, especially in light of our discussion of loss in the prior post. We are honored and grateful to know you have found even a morsel of distraction in reading our posts and thank you with all of our hearts for reaching out to us.

If you don’t mind, we’d like to make mention of your comment on tomorrow’s post. We will do so anonymously, using no names, no city or any specific identifying references. We all have a lot to learn from you which is all the more vital during the holiday season and year end, as we all reflect upon our own lives.

May healing and comfort find their way into your hearts as you work your way through the painful grieving process.

Much love and blessings always,
Jess & Tom”

One of Mother Nature’s bountiful gifts.

Photo from one year ago today, December 22, 2015:

One year ago in Fiji, we noticed there were no poinsettias or Christmas cactus plants in the stores, only colorful flowers blooming year round.  For more in Fiji, please click here.

Another busy day in Tasmania…This region keeps giving and giving…

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Upside down Christmas tree exhibited at the Makers Workshop.

Yesterday morning, after uploading the post, we took advantage of a beautiful sunny day and headed on foot to the local IGA market down the road, a pleasant 15 minutes leisurely walk.

Papermaking display area. What’s that Christmas tree on the right doing upside down? Check today’s main photo for details.

I say “leisurely walk” since it’s impossible for us to walk down the cheerful and interesting Main Road in Penguin without stopping to window shop, talking to passing locals and gazing out at the crystal blue sea.

Beach view on the way to Burnie, Tasmania on the cloudy day we visited Makers Workshop.

Along the way, we stopped at the Madsen Hotel, a popular spot for tourists to stay in the center of town and met the owner, a former prince of Laos, to arrange a future get together for a tour of his charming boutique hotel after the busy holidays have ended.

Upon entering the Makers Workshop, a tractor, and hand carved figures above.

From there, we meandered down the road to the five (or six) aisle market for a few items we needed before embarking on our next weekly shopping trip to Ulverstone. We needed baking soda to use when brushing our teeth, but after checking two markets in town we weren’t able to find any in Penguin. Most likely we’ll find it at Woolies in the next few days.

Custom made paper rolls at least two meters tall.

We took a few photos, we checked out the baked goods at the bakery (Tom didn’t buy anything) and we stopped at the pharmacy for a few toiletries. Each stop we made, left us walking out the door, smiling over the friendly and kind shopkeepers and other shoppers, always quick with a genuine hello and words of welcome.

Paper Mache displays.

Once back “home,” realizing that Tom does like some downtime, I hesitated to ask if we could jump in the car and drive around the Penguin area to explore  neighborhoods we’d yet to see. I gingerly mentioned the prospect anyway and he was thrilled to do so. 

Woodworking… Making musical instruments.

Moments later, we were perusing neighborhoods, admiring the variety of styles of homes, rarely two looking alike. As charming as Penguin is, there’s nothing “cookie cutter” about it, not its buildings in the center of town, not its homes, and most of all, not in its people.

Custom made costume jewelry display.

The only commonalities they share is their pleasing Aussie accents, their inborn friendly personas and their mutual love of their state and town, qualities that couldn’t be more appealing. 

Exquisite handmade violins.

Ah, would that all citizens of the world felt such innate passion for their homeland and one another.  What a world this would be! No doubt, living in Tasmania is far removed from the education we’ve gleaned living in undeveloped countries with a plethora of cultural differences.

This appeared to be a giant roll of toilet paper when in fact, it was a thick paper.

However, these resourceful, practical and earth friendly people can teach us so much about their gentle ways. And, its this varied knowledge and experience that rounds out the vast opportunities in ways we never imagined for our continuing personal growth as we carry on in our world travels.

Potatoes made of wood on display.

In no time at all, we found ourselves driving into the countryside where one farm after another dotted the landscape of rolling hills, mountain and sea views. We even stopped to take a video of tall grass “rolling” in the wind. We’d never done this in the past. Soon, we’ll post that video.

A bell, the lower half of a clock.

Moving grass? Video worthy? Yes! It’s all a part of the adventure of embracing Mother Nature in every way possible. She has so much to offer and we only need stop, take a deep breath, tune our ears to the sounds, our sense of smell to the wafting aromas of the countryside and the never ending sights so pleasing to the eye.

Attire from another era made in Paper Mache.

Back later in the afternoon, armed with loads of photos and stories piling up that we’re anxious to share, we attempt to complete where we left off in yesterday’s post with the final photos of our visit to Makers Workshop.

Gingerbread houses and supplies for sale.

In the evening, Terry picked us up to take us to Burnie where we collected his sweet mother-in-law Marge and the four of us headed to the Burnie Civic Center where Terry was playing saxophone with the Burnie Concert Band. 

We aren’t sure what these are.  Any comments?

It was a delightful day and evening for which we look forward to sharing many photos of the details along the way; beautiful horses, buying walnuts from a nut farm, sheep munching on trees, homes decorated for Christmas and a concert we’ll always remember.

Lumber mill on the return drive from Burnie to Penguin.

A special thank you to all of our new readers from the recent cruise and, all of our new readers from Australia, Tasmania, and Penguin as we see our numbers grow to record breaking heights.

We appreciate each and every one of YOU!

Photo from one year ago today, December 11, 2015:

The market in the Arts Village in Pacific Harbour, Fiji had only a few items suitable for our diet, but could be ideal for others with lots of “western” snacks, chips, soda and other processed and packaged items. They didn’t sell real butter, only tub margarine, which we don’t eat. For more details, please click here.