Cows in the yard…Today’s the day…Questioning medical science once again

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This appears to be an angry bull who doesn’t want us looking at him.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”
“The story of Dracula is said to have been inspired by the Irish legend of Abhartach. Bram Stoker was Irish born and raised and learned the legend of Abhartach when he was young.”

We’re so excited!  Our friends, Lisa and Barry, will be here in a few hours.  This morning I made a lemon cake, crab salad made with fresh crab brought to us by John, the fish guy, and have everything ready for the Rueben sandwiches we’ll be making for lunch.

We have Irish-made potato chips, dill pickles, carrot slices, and pre-strung (by me) sugar snap peas to go along with the sandwiches. We have plenty of red wine, Pelligrino sparkling water, bottled still water, and soda.  

We don’t have placemats or linen napkins this time, and I forgot to purchase paper napkins. We’ll have to use the solid large-sized paper towels I’ll fold nicely and we’ll be good to go.

As we drive down the shared driveway between us and the owner’s house, we now have cattle on both sides.

Standing on my feet for any length of time preparing food or other tasks is still a challenge. My legs tire easily, although I can walk each day, now up to 8000 or 9000 steps daily. A dear friend and reader sent me an article she spotted regarding my goal of accomplishing 10,000 steps a day. It reads as follows from this site:

“I-Min Lee, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard University T. H. Chan School of Public Health and the lead author of a new study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, began looking into the step rule because she was curious about where it came from. “It turns out the original basis for this 10,000-step guideline was a marketing strategy,” she explains. “In 1965, a Japanese company was selling pedometers, and they gave it a name that, in Japanese, means ‘the 10,000-step meter.'”

Based on conversations she’s had with Japanese researchers, Lee believes that name was chosen for the product because the character for “10,000” looks sort of like a man walking. As far as she knows, the actual health merits of that number have never been validated by research.

Cows are intelligent and curious. “According to research, cows are generally quite intelligent animals who can remember things for a long time. Animal behaviorists have found that they interact in socially complex ways, developing friendships over time and sometimes holding grudges against other cows who mistreat them.”
Scientific or not, this bit of branding ingenuity transmogrified into a pearl of wisdom that traveled around the globe over the next half-century, and eventually found its way onto the wrists and into the pockets of millions of Americans. In her research, Lee put it to the test by observing the step totals and mortality rates of more than 16,000 elderly American women. The study’s results paint a more nuanced picture of the value of physical activity.

“The basic finding was that at 4,400 steps per day, these women had significantly lower mortality rates compared to the least active women,” Lee explains. If they did more, their mortality rates continued to drop until they reached about 7,500 steps, at which point the rates leveled out. Ultimately, increasing daily physical activity by as little as 2,000 steps—less than a mile of walking—was associated with positive health outcomes for elderly women.”

Please click on the link for the balance of this article.
From this site: “If an animal is left on its own in a pasture, it will spend a third of its time gathering food, a third of its time eating, and a third of it sleeping. If they’re lying down, it probably doesn’t signal much beyond the fact that it’s sleeping time.”

I deliberated over this study carefully, wondering if I should lower the number of steps I’m striving to accomplish each day. The reason I chose to continue with the goal of 10,000 steps daily is in regard to the recovery of my heart and arteries after the recent cardiac bypass surgery. But even there, the science isn’t precisely how much exercise protects the heart and arteries from future problems.

The question and answers remain ambiguous, such as: 
  • How much exercise should a cardiac patient do post-surgery? Is it the 10,000 steps?  Are they to be done consecutively, or are small spurts better?  No one seems to know, nor is there consistent evidence on the 10,000 steps shown in the above article. “They,” say 30-minutes a day but is that enough?
  • How much fat in the diet is suggested after bypass surgery?  We know the obvious foods to avoid. Transfats, fried foods, and chemical-laden foods. But as a low-carb dieter, how can I make this fit into my way of eating?  Eating a low carb, low-fat diet is unhealthy, according to several studies. No one, including my four doctors, a cardiologist, a cardiothoracic surgeon, a plastic surgeon, and a family practitioner, has a definitive answer. 
  • Is drinking red wine beneficial? Or, is avoiding alcohol altogether better over the long run? There are no definitive answers here either.
Thus, I trudge along, striving for as many steps a day as I can do.  I consume a high protein diet (recommended by the plastic surgeon particularly while the wounds are still healing), still avoiding excess “carbage,” and eating fish, chicken, seafood, and tons of a variety of colorful fresh organic vegetables each day. Now I am drinking a glass and a half of quality red wine each day. It’s quite a treat.
From this site: “Cattle can experience “Eureka” moments. In research published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, researchers observed cattle given a reward after completing a task and gave the same reward to other cattle which had no control over their rewards. By measuring heart rate, they determined that the cattle who could control their fate got more excited than those rewarded passively. This could be interpreted as cattle having an emotional reaction to finishing a puzzle, not just getting food.”
Each day I prepare the protein smoothie recommended by the plastic surgeon. I add organic unsweetened cocoa powder and a scoop of high-quality protein powder with water and ice for a tasty smoothie drink. (Tom used to make it for me each day, but now I can do this myself.

As for what I can and can’t do at this point…I can walk, but I get extremely tired in the grocery store.  I have trouble bending to the ground to pick something up (due to my chest hurting) and have difficulty getting up from the low-slung sofas and chairs.  

Why do I have trouble getting up from a low sofa or stuffed chair?  Usually, a person uses their legs to provide the traction needed to arise from low furniture. It’s only been two months since I had two separate surgeries on both of my legs. I realized this could take a while to recover.  

Also, my arms are still painful when used to support my body upon arising. This is due to the trauma to my chest and surrounding nerves and muscles. The scar on my chest is still painful, and now the skin is stretching and itchy.  I am doing some arm exercises, using bottles of Pellegrino as weights, and performing some lunges at the kitchen sink every other day.

As for the healing of the severe wound on my left leg, which many have inquired about, it is slowly improving, although it’s still open.  Every other day, Tom removes the compression socks and bandages, cleans the wound with a special antibacterial liquid, covers it with a special cream Dr. Theo provided, and then with “Jelonet,” a sterile moist wound gauze. He then bandages it all once again.  

After this process, he helps me put on a clean pair of compression stockings that are tough to put on while I still wear them day and night.  Again, there was no definitive answer as to how long compression stocking should be modeled after leg surgery and infection. We decided I’d wear them until the wound completely closes, hopefully in the next 60 days.

So there is our story for today, dear readers. Thank you for your love and ongoing support and concern. Not a day goes by that we don’t think of all of you and smile.

We hope you’ll have an enjoyable day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 6, 2018:
This is a Bovine Tuberculosis infected kudu we spotted only the day after being educated on this dreadful disease impacting mainly kudus in Marloth Park. For more photos and information on Bovine TB, please click here.

Bookings for England completed…Monmouthshire, Wales…Lowest rent of the four properties…

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Street view of the Monmouthshire, Wales, holiday home. We’ll be staying there from October 11, 2019, to October 22, 2019, for a total of 11 nights. The total cost for this period is Euro 664.30, US $749.41, averaging at Euro 60.39, US $68.13.The tremendous cost of this fine, tiny house enabled us to book a few more expensive properties, balancing our budget. For more details on this list, please click here.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”
Ireland is one of the best countries in the world for gender equality. They have had two female presidents.”

This morning, we drove to Clifden to shop. We needed to purchase wine for our guests arriving tomorrow, both red wine enthusiasts.  Whatever is left won’t be lost on me.  

When driving on the winding roads, Lisa and Barry will be staying in a nearby holiday home, no more than 10 minutes from us. We’ll spend two days and two evenings together.  
The design is pleasing to the eye with its excellent affordability.

We’d offered to have them stay with us in this three-bedroom house, but they insisted they wanted their visit to be easy for me, knowing how much fussing I could do. Instead, we’ll make lunch when they arrive.

We met them on a cruise in November 2017 and have stayed in close touch since that time. We spent most days and nights together after completing the Rendezvous Bar for the Captain’s Club complimentary cocktails between 1700 and 1900 hours, 5:00 and 7:00 pm. We had such fun together and built quite a bond.

Tom and I and Lisa and Barry, friends we look forward to seeing tomorrow at noon.  For the link from the day this photo was taken, please click here.

While in South Africa, we had the most opportunity to see old friends than anywhere else in the world. We feel so fortunate to have met such lovely people in our travels. The excitement we feel about seeing our friends again is indescribable.  

But, here in Ireland, we didn’t expect to see anyone. In this remote location, it’s not easy to make new friends, especially when we haven’t been out much due to my recovery and the recent inclement weather.  

Also, a 90 day period in a remote location doesn’t allow enough time to build relationships, although South Africa was a rare location.

We’ll only stay at this property for 11 nights, and thus, the smaller size is okay for us for this short period.

We’ve arranged with Ann, our excellent cleaner whom we ran into at the grocery store today with her husband Michael, to come tomorrow at 8:30 am instead of the usual 9:00 am. By noon she’ll be done, and the house will look spotless and ready for guests.

It will be so enjoyable to catch up with Lisa and Barry. A lot has happened for both couples in the past few years, and no doubt, we’ll have plenty of stories to tell. They, too, are avid travelers. Barry is an airline pilot, which provides them with plenty of opportunities to fly worldwide.  

They are 20 years younger than me (not so much Tom, who is five years younger than I am), which is often the case with friends we’ve made. But, those 20 years are negligible and unnoticed in conversation and interactions.

In many properties we’ve booked, the bedrooms are located upstairs.

Today’s photos of the property in Monmouthshire, Wales is the last of the four-holiday homes we booked for the 62-nights upcoming in the UK beginning on August 23, 2019, and ending on October 24, 2019, when we’ll board Celebrity Silouhette in Southhampton for a 15-night transatlantic cruise, ending in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

John, the fish guy, stopped by yesterday with his truckful of freshly caught fish. We purchased Euro $50, US $56.47 of a variety of fish, including two types of smoked fish, which need to be reheated.  

Tom’s not much of a fan of eating fish, except for lobster or fish and chips, so I’ll be eating this on my own for several meals. We had to freeze multiple portions, which I’ll have at a later date since we’ll be dining out with Lisa and Barry both Thursday and Friday evening.

That’s it for today, folks. Thank you for all of your readership and for all of the kind and caring messages we’ve received for my health and recovery. It’s meant the world to me.

Cheers!

Photo from one year ago today, June 5, 2018:

One of two barn owls in an outdoor cage. Deidre from Wild & free released this own into the wild last night. Here is the video from the release. For more details, please click here.

Bookings for England completed…Falmouth, on the south coast of Cornwall with fantastic views…

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A gorgeous view from the front door of the house. We booked this property from August 23, 2019, to September 6, 2019.  The cost for 14 nights is Euro 2125, US $2395.96, which averages to Euro 151.75, US $171.14. This amount is higher than we’d usually pay, but we’ve balanced the budget by choosing varying prices on all four properties. For the listing on this cottage, please click here.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”

“The average family size in Ireland is four, two kids with two adults.”

When booking holiday rentals throughout the world, particularly in or near busy cities, it’s often difficult to find houses or cottages. Generally, the most affordable properties are apartments, condos, and townhouses.

As we perused available countryside properties in England, we found many were a part of a grouping of converted buildings, including houses, barns, and other outbuildings. We have no problem with these types of properties.

The living room/lounge in the Falmouth cottage.

Avoiding apartments prevents or reduces being subject to the sounds of loud footsteps, doors opening and closing, and cabinets being slammed shut. Also, we avoid the noise of parties, loud talking, and a general lack of privacy.
Then, you may ask…why in the world would we like cruising when it feels as if we’re staying in a floating apartment? For us, cruising is a multi-faceted experience resulting in spending little time in the cabin.  

The social life we enjoy aboard a ship is outstanding! Some passengers order room service and spend a portion of their day in their cabin. Not us. As soon as we’re up and showered, we are out the door, only returning if we require a short nap or get ready for dinner.

The kitchen appears to be modern and fully equipped.

In most cases, on cruises, we spend most of our days (when not on tours) in the barista/coffee area, comingling with other guests, working on our posts handling any business or financial matters on hand.

Why would we work on the financial details of our lives while on a cruise? Based on the fact we don’t have a home or apartment anywhere in the world, these critical “business-type” details must be handled wherever we may be.  
It’s a short walk to the town of Falmouth for shopping and restaurants.

With a great VPN (a virtual private network) such as ExpressVPN, we can avoid other Wi-Fi users having access to any of our details and information. We feel entirely safe and protected logging in to any of our financial accounts and bank.

When off the ocean or river, we always prefer to live in houses where we can enjoy privacy and our routine, unencumbered by the needs of others.  

While searching in England recently, we encountered a few properties, but that included a shared laundry. This is highly undesirable for us. With our small inventory of clothing, we often wash every second or third day.  

Fantastic view from the cottage’s veranda.  

We don’t want the hassle of waiting for an available washing machine and hanging clothing outside in a busy area. As we read details on the properties we selected, we entirely avoided these scenarios for which we paid a deposit.

We’re comfortably situated here in Ireland in a lovely private home, a distance from the owner’s home, with gorgeous green vegetation and ocean views. We’re reminded how important a secluded environment is to us.

As our regular readers know, we love having friends visit, either staying with us or dropping by for a short visit. We’re enthusiastically looking forward to Thursday this week when friends Lisa and Barry will come for a day’s visit at 1300 hours (1:00 pm) for the afternoon and evening when we’ll head out to a pub/restaurant for drinks and dinner.

Soon, we’re on our way to Carna for a few items we need for tonight’s dinner, and then tomorrow, we’ll do our extensive grocery shopping and a visit to the pharmacy for more bandages for my leg.

Have a pleasant day and evening. 

Photo from one year ago today, June 4, 2018:

Soon, there were nine until the tenth arrived. At this point, the three warthogs were on the scene; a mom, an auntie, and a tiny baby. For more photos, please click here.

Bookings for England completed…Devon property…Our cup of tea…

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A glowing nighttime photo of the Devon, England property we rented. We booked this house from September 20, 2019, to October 11, 2019, for three weeks.  The total cost, including fees and taxes, is Euro 2102.55, US $2348.95, which averages Euro 101.12,  US $111.85.  We felt this property is reasonably priced, fitting well into our budget.

“F Full details may be found here. fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland.”

“Ireland has been inhabited for approximately 7,000 years.”

When we asked friends Linda and Ken for a great place to stay in England, their home country, they suggested Devon.  After searching online for several hours, we couldn’t find anything suitable for our needs and budget.

A few days later, on Saturday, we decided to try the search for Devon one more time. Whether the house suddenly became available for our dates or missed it the first time we searched was of little relevance.  

We may not use the pool due to the cool weather in England in October.

What mattered to us is that we found it and, after reading through all the details at this link, we went ahead and booked it.  Summer is short in England, with inclement weather on both ends. Based on September/October dates as listed above under the main photo, we are thrilled.

This was a tie with another property we found to be ideal is listed in yesterday’s post, as you can see from those photos.  The two properties are only 90 minutes apart but possess the opportunity to see entirely different villages and sightseeing venues in each area.

The comfortable living room/lounge.

Of course, both properties are situated on farmland, and each has several adorable animals in residence. It always was a dream of mine to stay in the English countryside and here, once again, a travel dream will be fulfilled.

With these short-term bookings, we didn’t ask for special pricing. We don’t hesitate to make offers on properties where we’ll stay for two or three months. Over the past years, we’ve been able to negotiate some excellent prices on our long-term rentals.

The kitchen looks perfect for our needs.

But, the owners of short-term rentals from one to three weeks aren’t willing to negotiate when they’ve learned that if they wait, they’ll eventually rent their property for their preferred listed prices during their busy season.

How does the cost compare when renting these four properties and the hotel near the port for the two nights in Southampton? Due to the above without discounts, we’ve been able to stay within the parameters of our monthly budget.

What an adorable Poll Dorset lamb on the property!

The total cost for the four rentals, including the two nights at the hotel (for which we used some accrued points from our account at Expedia.com), is Euro 7412.68, US $8381.40 for the 62 nights averaging Euro 121.00, US $135.18 per night.

Add in the cost of the rental cars (pricy in Europe) plus groceries, dining out, and sightseeing. We’re still within the bounds of our monthly budget. It was through careful research and planning we arrived at these numbers and conclusions. 

More Poll Dorset sheep on the farm.

The last property, booked for 11 nights, is the least expensive of the four but appears to be surprisingly lovely considering the low price. Tomorrow, we’ll share those photos and financial details.

We’re counting down the days until our friends Lisa and Barry visit on Thursday for the day and evening. 

Geese on a walk on the grounds.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 3, 2018:

While at the fence between Kruger National Park and Marloth Park, we counted 30 to 35 elephants. For more photos, please click here.

Bookings for England completed…Cornwall property…Four exciting properties over 60 days…Sharing photos over the next few days…

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There are a few different cottages on the property. Of course, our favorite was the most expensive, but we couldn’t resist. It’s located in Cornwall, near Port Isaac, where Doc Martin, one of our favorite shows, was filmed! We selected this property from September 6 to September 20, 2019. Our cost for the two weeks is Euro 2498.51, US $2707.94, an average daily rate of Euro 172.72, US $193.42, which is much higher than we typically pay. We’ve selected other properties at lower prices to compensate for this higher rent to balance the budget. To see details on the listing, please click here.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”
“Leprechauns are a huge part of Irish tradition. In Irish folklore, they are tiny men who can fit on top of your shoulder. They are completely harmless and are believed to have buried numerous pots of gold throughout Ireland.”

It’s been a busy morning, and I got a late start on today’s post. This morning we were busy with our continuing bookings for England for 62 nights on August 23, 2019.  

Also, this morning Tom made his favorite coconut banana bread recipe while I made my favorite low-carb coffee cake which I’ll wait to savor until after dinner tonight with tea. Tom’s already dug into his banana bread.

With the date coming up quickly, we knew we’d better get the show on the road. Yes, we did book four different properties, two for two weeks and one for three weeks (our favorite, of course), and another for 11 nights, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.

This lounge/living room looks very comfortable with pleasant furnishing and a fireplace. It’s almost summer here in Ireland, and we’ve used the fireplace. It may be cool in England while we’re there, and we’ll use this fireplace.

In the interim, now that we knew we’d be flying into Exeter, England from Amsterdam instead of Southhampton as initially planned, we had to cancel and re-do our rental cars. There are no cancellation fees for rentalcars.com.

We booked a rental car for 30 days and then another for the additional 30 days to receive the benefit of insurance coverage provided by our credit cards, but only if rented for a maximum of 31 days.  

Thus, we’ll return to Exeter one month later and get another car, or we may be able to renew it over the phone. We’ll play that by ear. We’ll spend the last two nights of the 62 nights in a hotel in Southampton, which we’ve already booked.

Booking the four separate properties and getting the dates to be strictly sequential was tricky and time-consuming. We love the idea of moving every two to three weeks to experience new areas of Cornwall and the English countryside.  

This roomy kitchen will be ideal for our needs, especially with what appears to be a refrigerator and freezer.

However, it took way more time than we usually spend in arranging bookings. Many properties were already booked for some of our dates, so we had to figure out how each of the four would work. We did it and have paid deposits for each property.

Today, I’ll enter all the information on our spreadsheet and in our free online Cozi calendar. As soon as I enter the bookings, Tom can immediately see the bookings on his phone or laptop. This app has been beneficial for us over the past few years since we began using it.

Initially, we downloaded this app for the time we spent in Minnesota visiting our kids and grandkids for them to be able to see when we were available.  

We can already see ourselves sitting on this outdoor furniture enjoying coffee and tea in the morning and cocktails and wine in the evenings.

We gave them our user name and password, and they could enter information at their leisure. We’d then receive an email that a new entry had been made and the general information about the booking.

Alas, they seldom used the app, if at all, calling or texting to see when we were available. It was the first time in Tom’s life he used texting when he wasn’t allowed to use it while working on the railroad.

Once we left Minnesota to travel the world, we found we could only text using Facebook Messenger, which is free. Any other means was costly. I stay in touch with friends and family through Messenger, more than by Skype or phone.

We’ll have an opportunity to engage with pygmy goats and other barnyard animals on the farm.  To watch these little goats jumping around is hysterical. We can’t wait to share videos of their funny antics. 

Here we are now, “old-timers,” and we prefer to use technology instead of phones. Of course, once we arrive in the US in November, we’ll purchase US SIM cards from such providers as Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T, which will enable the kids to contact us by text. During that period, we’ll need to pay more attention to our phones than we do now.

The SIM cards will work anywhere we travel in the US since once we leave Minnesota, we’ll be on our way to Nevada and Arizona for several more weeks. We plan to purchase two new phones to have them waiting for us at our hotel in Minnesota. The next day, we’ll head to a phone store to buy the SIM cards. No contract is required when using SIM cards for calling, text, and data.

This morning, Tom booked our flight from Amsterdam to Exeter on August 23, 2019. We’ll pick up the first of the two rental cars and drive to the first of our four holiday homes.

Port Isaac, which we’ve loved seeing in the TV series Doc Martin. It’s a short drive from the holiday home.

Over the next few days, we’ll post photos of the upcoming properties in England, one per day to avoid confusion. This helps us during this inclement weather to prevent the necessity of going out sightseeing. Once the weather settles down, we’ll be heading out. We have several venues in mind we’ll be sharing here.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with another of the four-holiday homes in England, not in any particular order, including pricing as we’ve shown here today.  
 

Also, this morning we got some exciting news from friends Lisa and Barry, whom we met on a cruise in November 2017. We are so excited to see them once again! We’ll all be going out to dinner this coming Thursday.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 2, 2018:

What could be more fun than stopping on the way to dinner to let these magnificent beasts cross the road? Most likely, this was a mom and growing youngster. For more photos, please click here.

Rental car hell…Disconcerting rules, regulations and conditions…

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Cows…they are cute.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”
“Sports are huge in Ireland. Irish people take their sports seriously and get very into soccer, hurling, camogie, and handball.”

We’re running out of photos and need to get out to take more. With the cold and rainy days this week, continuing today and possibly into Sunday, any remaining photos are at a premium.  

Today, we’re working on the various holiday houses we’ve selected for the 62 nights in England beginning on August 23, 2019, where we’ll stay while we are awaiting a transatlantic cruise to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ending on November 8, 2019.  

We’ll spend some time in the US visiting family and friends.  During this period, we’ll head to Nevada, where we’ll see son Richard and sister Susan, who live an hour apart and take care of some “business.”

We’ll need to renew our driver’s licenses and also our passports which will expire in 2021. It makes sense to renew our passports while already in the US, which requires us to mail in our current passports while the renewals are processed.  

Donkeys are highly regarded as rescue animals in Ireland.

We don’t want to send our passports to the US Department of State while in another country. It’s unsafe to be without our passports in hand and based on our history. We cannot depend on the mail getting to us in a timely fashion.

A few nights ago, we rented a car for our time in England.  Like those in Ireland, prices are higher than we’ve paid anywhere in the world over the past almost seven years.  

As we often do, we use tentalcars.com to book rental cars since we’ve found their prices to be the most reasonable. Also, we’re able to select a vehicle from the many providers they work with, including Hertz, Avis, Alamo, Europcar (our favorite), and others.

We recently booked the rental car from Rentalcars.com with a company with which we weren’t familiar Easirent.  In error, we failed to read the terms and conditions of their car rentals.

When we arrived in Dublin, Ireland, almost three weeks ago, we discovered a few disturbing shocks; one, the Easirent pick-up location was far from the airport, and when we called for the shuttle, they explained their shuttle was “down.” We’d have to take a taxi, paying out of our pocket.  

Shearing sheep is a popular business in Connemara.

This was ridiculous. I was determined not to let this fact slide. I spoke to a manager at Easirent and insisted they send someone to pick us up or we were going to cancel our three months rental. We waited outside for about 30 minutes for the arrival of a driver.

Once we arrived at the Easirent office, we were shocked once again. No doubt, our error wasn’t reading the terms and conditions in advance of making the booking.  Little did we know that this company charged an additional Euro 2800, US $3135.57 for the excess, a fee to cover costs in the event of an accident which were charged to our credit card, not just “held.”

After we paid all the fees (not including insurance) Euro 4826, US $5404.37 including a “fuel fee” (Euro 95, US $106.39), we were frustrated we’d had to have this entire amount charged on our credit card and…that it would take three weeks after returning the car for the excess to be returned to our card.

The actual cost for the car was Euro 1471, US $1647.29. What a ripoff! As we perused rental car options a few evenings ago, we bypassed every Easirent offering knowing full well it wouldn’t be acceptable. 

Europcar only charged a refundable security deposit Pound Sterling 250, US $316 and Pounds Sterling 1200, US $1517 for the “excess” (on a credit card hold on that portion of the credit card used) and fully released from the card a few days after returning the car.

Here again, the little horns are growing. Here’s a link on why some sheep have horns and others do not.

As a result of the differences and procedures for Easirent and Europcar (and Avis, Alamo, and Hertz), we will never book a car through Easirent again. The prices for the actual rental car itself are similar amongst all the cars, depending on the value and style selected. 

It’s all of these other charges that made a huge difference, along with the inconveniences we faced when we arrived in Dublin, exhausted from the long flights from South Africa and dealing with immigration in South Africa.

Today, as we book the multiple holiday homes in the UK, we’ll be mapping the various locations for the most convenient options. Once booked and approved by the owners, we’ll share some photos and details.

Once again, we’re reminded of the importance of reviewing the terms and conditions for all travel venues, whether rentals, cars, cruises, hotels, and flights.  

This was the first time we’d failed to review the terms and conditions, but we’ve learned our lesson and won’t avoid doing so in the future. I can only excuse us for being distracted when we booked the car only a few weeks before  Sleavingouth Africa for Ireland.

Hopefully, tomorrow we’ll have pinned down our time in England and have news to share.  

Have a fantastic weekend!

Photo from one year ago today, June 1, 2018:

Frank, our resident Francolin, who’s decided to make our yard his permanent residence.  Francolins are highly territorial and extremely noisy when other francolins invade his space, except, of course, for Mrs. Frank. They’ve been building a nest. Francolins are monogamous and mate for life. They nest in grass-lined low-lying shallows. The incubation period is from 18 to 21 days carried out by the female.  Once the eggs hatch, both parents tend to the chicks until their first winter.
We’re looking forward to Frank’s and the Mrs.’ chicks.  For more photos, please click here.

Figuring out where to stay in England at the end of the summer…

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A portion of the Twelve Bens mountains.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”

“Funerals are sad occasions in Ireland, but they are very seldom a sad event. Family members use funerals to speak about the deceased life and share memories. Funerals are held in churches and often include food and drinks. Many churches tried to ban alcohol years ago but failed in doing so, and now allow alcohol at each funeral and wedding.”
This morning we lit the fireplace using some of the plentiful supplies left for us by our thoughtful property owner, Eileen. There’s firewood, peat, and the equivalent of Duraflame logs. It was easy for Tom to start the fire.  

It’s 14C, 57F, and yet after 15 months in the heat and humidity of South Africa, we’re feeling the cold.  There’s a unique solar system for the house, which includes a range used for cooking and warming the house. Here’s a photo of the range, which we’ve seen now and then in photos of potential rental properties throughout the world.
This is a Rayburn range used for heating the house, cooking, and the water.

This is our first experience operating this type of system, and Eileen stopped by this morning to ensure it provided enough heat to keep us comfortable. She’d explained how to use it the day we arrived, but we were so exhausted after an overnight flight that we neither remembered how to use it except for the oven.

There’s a well-prepared loose-leaf binder here with instructions for literally everything in the house. But neither refer to these instruction booklets unless there’s an emergency after we’ve usually read it within days after our arrival.

Ireland is undoubtedly known for being green and aptly named “The Emerald Island” with its cool, rainy weather.

Now, with her instructions, we have heat in the house, certainly, enough to take the chill out the air and the fire burning in what appears to be an “insert” type of fireplace rather than an open hearth.

Yesterday, we continued the tedious task of finding where we’ll stay in England for 62 days, beginning on August 23rd and ending on October 24th. This hasn’t been an easy task.  

Connemara ponies as described here:  From this site:  “The Connemara’s origins are shrouded in mystery. Some believe that they are descendants of horses brought over by Vikings, and others that they are descendants of the Irish Hobby, which was once hugely popular but is now extinct. There is also a legend that Andalucian horses found their way ashore after the destruction of the Spanish Armada and bred with the local ponies. It is known that many of the ships which survived the initial attack subsequently were wrecked off the coasts of Scotland and Ireland (partly due to severe storms), and so it is at least feasible that some horses (and humans) would have made their escape to shore. This may be why Connemaras are notably finer than most native breeds, although there was also extensive cross-breeding in the 18th century, particularly with Arabs and also Thoroughbreds and Hackneys.”
Prices are high in the UK, and with our requirement of including unlimited WiFi and preferring a house, cottage, townhouse, or condo rather than an apartment, the challenges are escalating.

Yesterday, Tom had an ingenious idea (to us anyway) that rather than book one property for the entire 62 days, we should book three or four properties in different areas for sequential dates. At first, I hedged over his suggestion when thinking about packing and unpacking every two weeks or so.

But, after careful consideration, I agreed this was an exciting idea. Now the challenge is finding suitable properties in four distinct areas with dates matching accordingly.  

Gorgeous views of the countryside.

Over the next few days, we’ll continue the research, mainly using the HomeAway link on our website to take us to the thousands of listings in England. In the past few years, HomeAway purchased several vacation/holiday home websites, leaving them number two next to Airbnb as follows:  

“A major vacation rental website is HomeAway, and it is one of the main competitors to Airbnb. The company is now owned by Expedia (as are Vrbo and VacationRentals.com).”

“Which Is Bigger: HomeAway or Airbnb? HomeAway and its companies (such as VRBO and VacationRentals.com) have over one million listings in 190 countries. However, with 2.3 million listings worldwide, from 640,000 hosts across 191 countries, Airbnb is the clear winner of the size competition.”

Why don’t we use the larger company AirBnB?  We have used it a few times. But, overall, we prefer HomeAway because they have a more liberal deposit program as opposed to paying 100% of the cost for the rental at the time of the booking.

Sunset view from our house.

Occasionally, we may book a property a year or more in advance. We do not want to lay out the entire amount for a two or three-month rental so far in advance. Plus, Airbnb has a considerable amount of shared housing situations, none of which appeal to us.

So, back to the drawing board today as we continue our search. We hope that by the end of the weekend, we’ll have this wrapped up.

Tomorrow, we’ll share a frustrating car rental situation. Please check back then.

Enjoy your day, your weekend, and everything you do.

Photo from one year ago today, May 31, 2018:
Excellent nighttime viewing. Kudus seem to be intimated by zebras due to their powerful kicks and, thus, won’t join in on the snacks. For more photos, please click here.

Happy hour is back!…A good time to define our goals…

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A pair of look-alike cows, maybe a mom and a calf.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”
“Connemara is also the name of a brand
of Irish whiskey produced at the Cooley Distillery.”

Over the past four months, since Dr. Theo discovered my heart issues from a cardiac stress test done in his office on a Saturday morning, I’ve contemplated whether or not to continue drinking a few glasses of wine now and then.

I contemplated and researched dozens of studies on how red wine affects the arteries. I couldn’t find any consistency in the pros and cons of drinking a glass or two (no more) on occasion. After asking the three doctors I worked with, the surgeon, the cardiologist, and Dr. Theo, they encouraged me to enjoy red wine regularly.

Note the dots on this cottage. I refer to this as the polka dot house, while Tom refers to it as the nipple house. Typical male.
For over 20 years, I didn’t drink any alcohol, assuming it was better for my health based on my genetic profile. I only began drinking a bit of red wine in the past few years, mainly on cruises and then at happy hour in South Africa.  

The condition of my arteries, according to the doctors, occurred over the past 20 years or more. It didn’t happen overnight. Who’s to say that drinking wine or not drinking wine made a difference, especially after I abstained for over 20 years.

We see this larger fishing boat almost daily in Bertraghboy Bay, where we’re located.
Good grief, I’ve thought. I have multiple hereditary medical conditions, and according to the recent diagnosis, my prognosis for the future isn’t optimistic. I already restrict myself by eating a special diet for the past eight years. 

I haven’t had a cookie, a cracker, a potato, a pasta dish, or a sugary dessert all these years. The benefits of this low inflammation diet made me well enough eight years ago that we eventually decided to travel the world, which would have been impossible before the diet change.  

A painful heredity condition was eradicated through the diet, not necessarily “cured” but allowed for a pain-free lifestyle. But, through heredity, this drastic situation with my arteries ensued.

Fishing boat in the bay in front of our holiday home.
Thus, the thought of never drinking a glass of red wine again, as one indulgence of a few, makes sense since I don’t seem to have any ill effects from consuming a dry red wine. If it’s good for me, excellent. I’ll never know if it’s not since my ongoing cardiac issues won’t change either way.

I drank wine since the surgeries months ago last Saturday night at a pub/restaurant. It was such a joy to sip on the silky flavor of a good Malbec. I drank about 1½ glasses and must admit I felt a bit tipsy after not drinking for four months.

This Tuesday, when we grocery shopped, we purchased two bottles of red wine for me and a bottle of Courvoisier for Tom. Happy hour was about to begin again. It’s not so much about sipping the tasty liquids that appeal to either of us. It’s the ritual associated with setting aside time to talk, to dream of planning while enjoying our respective drinks.
Sheep on a hill.
We rearranged the living room furniture and put two comfy chairs with an end table in between in front of the big windows overlooking the bay. We can sit there comfortably for an hour a day and then switch to ice tea or mineral water for the remainder of the evening.

This one hour has already become special to us. It’s a perfect time to discuss the research we’ve done throughout the day. We haven’t ventured out this week other than to grocery shop in Clifden on Tuesday with inclement weather.  

Again, today, it’s foggy, misty, and rainy, hardly a day to inspire us to get out sightseeing. Hopefully, soon, as we get closer to summer, we’re hoping we’ll enjoy more sunny days.  
We don’t mind the cool weather. We’re accustomed to the hot weather in South Africa, often hot and humid throughout the day and evening. It’s quite an adjustment, especially with the clothes we have on hand. But it’s no fun touring on rainy days when the chill goes right through us.
There are numerous islands in the lakes in Connemara.
Plus, the remaining instability of my legs prevents us from walking on wet surfaces due to the risk of falling.  This is not exactly how we envisioned our time in Ireland, but this is a reality we’ve had to face.

So, now as we plan and dream for the future during our pleasant “happy hour” as we look out to the sea, we’ve begun to shape some goals of where we’d like to travel after January 2020.  At this point, we won’t necessarily be booking any adventure-type activities until we know my legs are fully healed.


However, we are researching where we’ll live for 62 days while in the UK between August 23, 2019, and October 24, 2019, while we await an upcoming trans-Atlantic cruise out of Southampton, UK.
On upcoming August 11th, we board a cruise out of Amsterdam to sail the Baltic Sea for 12 days ending in Amsterdam, at which point we’ll then fly to the UK for the 62 days as mentioned above. We’re hoping to wrap up a holiday home for this period this week.
That’s all, folks!  Have a great day!
Photo from one year ago today, May 30, 2018:
“Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, if you like, then you should have put a ring on it!” This wildebeest pose reminded me of the song by Beyonce at the 47-second mark in the video.  Watch the video to see what I mean. (Click the above link).  For more photos from this date, please click here.

Part 4…Irish history…Connemara Heritage and History Centre…Remaining photos from Dan O’Hara’s home

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This is the tiny house Dan O’Hara, his wife, and seven children lived in until they were forced to vacate when they couldn’t pay the rent during the potato famine.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”
“Any person who is born on St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is considered to be very lucky.”

The story of Dan O’Hara and his family is heartbreaking and yet so typical of other farms families in Ireland during the time of the potato famine. As we learned of him and his family living in a simple cottage with seven children, we’re reminded of how grateful people of his day were for what that had, not what they could have had.

Tom had to duck his head to enter the house.

But, the sorrow of the times due to famine and subsequent loss of life in the mid-1800s brought most people living in Connemara and other parts of Ireland to their knees. More than one million people died between 1846 and 1851 as a result of the Potato Famine. Many of these died from starvation. Many more died from diseases that preyed on people weakened by the loss of food.

There was a fire in the fireplace, which the staff must start each day, but it didn’t smell well ventilated.

They tried to escape Ireland by embarking on long and dangerous Atlantic Ocean crossings with little to no food, no money, often leaving most of their belongings behind to what they assumed was the land of plenty, the US.  

This twin-size daybed is located in the main living area, although a bedroom is shown in the photo below.

As was the case for some of Tom’s ancestors, many escaped to other countries such as England, Canada, and Australia. Irish descendants may be found all over the world, often in surprising locations.

The one-bedroom in the house was most likely where Dan and his wife slept.

Here is the story of Dan O’Hara and his wife and seven children from this site:

“‘Dan O’Hara’s homestead is built on the original site of the home of Dan from Connemara renowned in the popular ballad all over the world. Dan O Hara lived with his wife and seven children in a cottage shadowed by the Twelve Bens. The family was self-sufficient on 8 acres of land and lived a simple but happy lifestyle. The central part of the farm was given over to the potato crop, and they kept a variety of animals on the farm.

Spinning wheel in the corner of the bedroom.

The turf for the fire was cut in the local bog and kept the family warm and cozy through the winter months. Dan O’ Hara’s was a visiting house, and many a romance began in the flickering firelight of the hearth. Social gatherings such as storytelling and céilis kept the Irish language and traditions alive.

The Dutch door to the barn next to the house.

Most of Dan O’Hara’s land was given over to the potato crop. Its advantage was that it grew in the poorest conditions, and an acre and a half would sustain five or six people for six months. Some of the crops were used to feed a pig. Potatoes and buttermilk ensured that the population of Connemara was robust and healthy, although poor.

Note the small size of the barn.

Like most people in Connemara at the time, Dan O’Hara did not own the house he lived in or the land. He paid rent to the local landlord. His happy but straightforward lifestyle came abruptly when he was evicted for non-payment of his rent. He had decided to increase the size of the windows in his house, which led to increased rent payments. 

He was evicted from his home and forced to emigrate. He arrived in New York, a broken man. His wife and three of his children died on the harsh sea journey, and penniless and destitute, he had to put the remaining children into care. He ended his days selling matches on the street far from his beloved Connemara.”

Many wealthy individuals, companies, and organizations have donated trees for the grounds.

We were both in contemplative thought upon leaving Dan O’Hara’s homestead located on the Connemara Heritage and History Centre grounds and didn’t say a word until we made the steep walk back to the car and began our 40-minute drive back to our holiday home.

We were both touched and saddened by what we’d learned. No doubt, for Tom, this was particularly heartwrenching when he knew many of his ancestors suffered this same fate.

This breed of white horses is indigenous to Connemara.

But, most of us, were we become aware of the strife experienced by our ancestors, we’d often find that they too suffered greatly. It reminds us how grateful we should be for the times in which we live our lives in this modern-day and age.  

View of the landscape from Dan O’Hara homestead, located up a steep hill from the car park.

For most of us, we have a roof over our heads, food in the refrigerator and cupboards, and the benefit of using machines and technology that has been a part of our lives since the day we were born.

However, like all things, everything is relative. We experience our daily struggles and challenges and rarely dismiss them to realize just how lucky we are to live in these times.

A shed is used to store peat moss which may often be used for heating, as well as: “Gardeners use peat moss mainly as a soil amendment or ingredient in potting soil. It has an acid pH, ideal for acid-loving plants, such as blueberries and camellias. For plants that with more alkaline soil, compost may be a better choice.”

From time to time and now, as we explore Ireland and other countries, we’ve become entrenched in the facts of the hardships our ancestors suffered in times past and hope we continue to learn from their experiences.

View of the creek running through the history center’s grounds.

Today, we’ll stay in on yet another rainy and cool day. We’ve begun to research where we’d like to go after we’re done in the US at the end of this year. We have some cruises booked in the next few years, but we have plenty of times in between to search for future adventures.

Have a fulfilling and meaningful day.


                          Photo from one year ago today, May 29, 2018:

Each night I practice taking photos in the dark once the bushbabies arrive. For more photos, please click here.

Part 3…Irish history…Connemara Heritage and History Centre…Finally, photos of us…

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Tom has been wearing the flannel shirt he purchased in Penguin, Tasmania, in 2016/2017.  It comes in handy in cooler weather in Ireland.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”
Poet Carl Sandburg‘s home of 22 years in Flat Rock, North Carolina, which is now a national monument, is named after the Connemara region.”

Today, we continue with photos from the Connemara Heritage and History Centre. Although this area is rich in history, customs, and culture, there are a few museums and historic facilities in the general area.

Far from the big cities of Dublin (1,173,179), Cork (208,669), Limerick (94,192), and Galway (79,934) are the four most populated cities in the country, the Republic of Ireland, all of which have numerous tourist venues. For more information on population numbers in the towns throughout Ireland, please click this link.

Tom stands in the doorway of an old building located on the grounds of the centre.

The tourist business in Connemara appears to result from travelers visiting Galway and driving to see the gorgeous scenery, including the ocean, lakes, rivers, streams, and variety of bogs, typical in the area. Based on our drive from Galway when we arrived on May 12th, it’s approximately a one-hour drive, not too far a drive for most tourists.

It’s easy to see how tiny this lamb is standing next to Tom.

There are roughly 30 hotels and bed and breakfasts in Connemara and several holiday homes such as this lovely house we’ve rented for 90 days. There certainly are sufficient accommodations to attract tourists to spend their holiday in this historic and charming area.  

Me, in the doorway of the old fieldstone building on the ground of the centre.

However, when we’re out and about, we don’t get a feeling of there being as many tourists as we’ve seen in many other areas throughout the world. While in Clifden to grocery shop, I stopped at a clothing store to buy a few white tee shirts. The prices on most items were outrageous.  

Pretty flowers were blooming on the shore of the lake in the garden.  Thanks to reader Laurie for identifying these flowers as rhododendron!

When I didn’t find what I was looking for, a kindly salesperson disappeared to a back room and returned with two white tee shirts that were perfect to wear under other shirts to add warmth.  

Since these two very stretchy tee shirts were large in children’s sizes, she assured me there would be no sales tax charged for the items. There’s no sales tax on children’s clothing in Ireland. Fortunately, they both fit, and the total was Euro 27.98, US $31.28. These two very basic tees would have been half this price in a GAP or Old Navy store in the US.  

There was one little lamb in the facility’s garden who seemed very interested in us.  Wish we’d had some pellets!

It’s expensive here, especially in South Africa, where everything is half as much as many other countries. I suppose we were spoiled in our 15 months in Marloth Park. We must continue to brace ourselves as we visit other countries soon.
  
Our next stop is Amsterdam for two days. No doubt prices could be even higher than they are here in Ireland. Prices may be a deterrent to many travelers when the costs of food, dining out, hotels, and rental cars are at the top end.

Note the little horns growing on this lamb. Too cute!

While dining out last Saturday, we didn’t see what appeared to be tourists, with only a few appearing to be residents. When we shopped in Clifden each week, the next closest town, there’s a presence of some gift and trinket shops that mainly appeal to tourists.  

Today’s visit to a clothing store reminded us of tourist pricing we’ve seen in bigger cities throughout the world – a captive audience. The store was packed with what most likely were tourists looking to purchase an Irish sweater, fleece jacket, an Irish-made woolen scarf, or some Irish trinkets, all of which appeared to be of high quality.

Pansies at the Connemara Heritage and History Centre appear to have little faces.

Perhaps, I’m a bit more of a “tightwad” than usual when we’re still having to pay incoming hospital and doctor’s bills as we struggle with our insurance company who’s refusing to pay, claiming I have a pre-existing condition which I did not.  

This has been an enormous emotional and financial frustration source, especially while focusing on a full recovery. Subsequently, we’re watching our budget more than ever with this upsetting imbalance and inequity. We’ll report back what transpires as we continue to fight this battle.

These two buildings were homes at one time.

Otherwise, we’re good, generally cheerful. I’m now at a point where I don’t have to ask Tom to help me so much. I am working hard at doing things for myself. The more I do, the stronger I get. 

I’ve even taken over the process of making my own protein smoothie each day which he’d done for months with no complaint. I cook most of each meal, make the bed, do most of the laundry, and tidy up around the house.  

Bridge across the lake to an old home.

He continues to do all the dishes, put everything away, help prepare dinner, does some laundry, and do all of the heavy lifting. When we grocery shopped this morning, I packed the bags we’d brought along while he loaded them into the car and later in the house, emptying all the bags. I put everything away since storage space is limited, and don’t get frustrated figuring it out.

The bottom line… We’re tourists. As much as we’d like to believe we’re unique and fit right in, the fact remains “we are visitors in a strange land.” If we don’t like the prices, don’t buy the quality of the products we enjoy and go the budget route instead. Don’t purchase a few bottles of red wine at twice the cost as in South Africa. Don’t go out to dinner. Don’t shop for items of clothing.
Anyone know the name of these flowers?   We’ve seen them often here in Ireland.

But, the fact remains, we choose this life we love, and we’ll take the good and bad with it. Many have asked us over these years the following question: “What will you do if the worst thing happens, short of passing away or being kidnapped?”

It happened. We had a major medical crisis, one of the worst we could imagine, and we made it through to the other side. We can whine all we want about tourist traffic, prices on products, budgetary concerns, and inconveniences. But the reality remains. We’re alive, recovering, and the journey continues on.

Be well. Be happy.
          
                        Photo from one year ago today, May 28, 2018:

We moved the bird feeder further from the veranda, which has attracted birds at last without our looming presence. Our prize of the day was this hornbill who stopped by for some seeds who later became familiar with us to come very close on the veranda. For more photos, please click here.