Wednesday 10 April 2024

There are some days when you just need to veg out and catch up with things. As it’s cold and rainy, today is such a day. Flashy lights the fire -yes, you know because the heating does not come on until 12 noon – go figure. The wood, beech we think, is so soft it burns like paper and at €8 a bag that’ll lasts one morning. It’s nice but eating a hole in our daily living. We’ll be down to drinking water next.

Now, last night. We arrive at the pub just after 8.00 pm to find it half full, with about 20 people. At first glance, they looked about our vintage but there were a few young’ns amongst them. Then after 8.30 pm the room filled to capacity. Of the 45 people there, 40 of them had instruments and those without, well, they got a chance to sing. It was a well organised jam session. Many guitars of all sorts but also a piano accordion, two fiddles, two bodhrans, a couple of tin whistles, a banjo and a tea chest bass. Songs were mainly Irish but one by Johnny Cash and another from Nancy Sinatra were thrown in. It was a loverly night with friendly people. We left at intermission, when the publican put on tea, coffee and scones for supper and before we were asked to sing or play.

A short walk to the village this morning saw us visit the butcher for a steak for dinner tonight. He is a second generation butcher there and about our age. We think he lives over the shop and his meat and other bits and pieces look very good. He, like the service stations and other shops, have these big 20kg bags out the front that look to Flashy like bags of compost. No. They are potatoes!

Our butcher


























The pub











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