Friday 29 March 2004 – Good Friday

We awoke to a beautiful, sunny day with blue skies but still 7C. The morning drive into Kinvarra was far better and seemed so much wider, that yesterday evening. The local farmers’ market was on, the whole 12 stalls! Still, we did buy some vegetables for cash. Better by a little bit, was the local supermarket for some extra veg, charcuterie, whole fresh chicken and Irish soda bread.

Linnanes pub and seafood restaurant, not far from us, is the booked venue for tonight’s dinner. It’s packed with Irish people. Strange that! Foregoing a Guinness, for a Californian Chardonnay (more on Irish and Brit wine lists later) Lady P had a spectacular seafood chowder and a fish cake and Flashy a very disappointing ‘special’ line caught mackerel (now, that’s an English mackerel, not our Spanish Mackerel, so a bit like a bait fish) and hummous and sundried tomato and dried out spuds. 

I think chef was pissed or having carnal relationships with the middle eastern lady down the road. It was crap. However the wines were very good and reasonably priced. US Chardy and a half bottle of Alsace Riesling. Oh, and they forgot to charge us for the Riesling. 

A good pub nonetheless. We will be back for a Guinness.

Going for a route march. Flashy not too keen on the pace or the hills, so at home cooking soup.

I think she likes the chowder.

The dry, (**&^$) Mackerel

Her lovely croquet