The problem with free tea is its always there, whispering to you ‘drink me, driiinnkk meee’ I did go sober for a few days but now Im back on the brown stuff, though I try to keep it to 8 cups a day. And dont mention the scones…
The hostel itself sits quietly on the banks of the Aille River (Aille means delightful) not much more than a simple cottage with two storeys and a patch of grass for camping alongside the river. From what I gather the original building is over 300years old – take a moment to think about that – it was built before NZ technically became a country. Inside theres a kitchen, a cosy living area with two long tables, some benches, a old ironstove fireplace, and two rocking chairs. Now one of the rocking chairs is boring and not very good at its job, its kindof wobbly and rocks backand forth but also side to side as rocking chairs should never do. I triy to avoid this one. BUT the other rocking chair is the best rocking chair chair in the world. It is big and handmade to perfectly fit my behind, has a lovely weight to it and is right in the corner by the fire. AND the best thing? It has been sat in by the obviously very talented Andy Riley, the guy who wrote/drew ‘The Bunny Suicides’ and ‘Return of the Bunny Suicides’ books. So when I sit in it, its kindof like Im sitting in his lap – kindof. Hows that for fame?
In the evenings round the fire is the place to be just to chill out, dry your shoes, get warm, drink tea…..
Highlights in the living area have included: several impromtu traditional Irish music jam session last week with R leading the pack on the guitar, C the fiddle player a guest passing through and A another traveller on the bosouki (spelling?). That was great – no need to go to the pub. The excellent yet rather inappropriate named card game of Shithead has also become a popular pasttime. I learnt it from an Australian, but it seems to be a worldwide phenomenon amoungst travellers, with Germans and Belgians adding their own twist on the game. And despite there being no words for shithead in German or Belgian, its still called the same. Strange. Those travellers who have never heard of it are at first taken aback after asking the name of the game, only to be verbally abused, but they soon give in to its mysterious powers and find themselves playing endlessly.
This weekend is the Irish June bank holiday weekend. I have no idea what these particular holidays are for but they have enough of them. Theres one in May, June, August, October and then they get all the usual holidays too – crazy Irish. Anyway its the time when everyone in Ireland goes away for the weekend and all the accomodation is booked out and things are crazy busy.
Tags: Ah Sweet Doolin
Em
What a wonderful “tidiupper”!
Wish you were here to practise your skills.I haven’t received any messages and I doubt if my sent ones arrive!Hope A&M.will be able to help.Great to hear you,Love,GP
Isnt it a coincidink that 6 June is a public holiday in NZ, Sth Korea, and Ireland all for different reasons.
I think you’ll find coincidink is actually spelt co-inky-dink.
Also, its the start of the Maori new year “Matariki” at the moment. Ro, is the celebration in South Korea got to do with the cosmos??
And Em, aint we the brainy one… Maybe we could call you Literary Em…
N.B – Again am not called Imaginative Nardz…
No, 6 June is Memorial Day for all the soldiers that have died defending this country during the countless times that it has been attacked, to be honest I am surprised that Korea even exists at all.
I think you must be getting comfortable with your new life as you used to be the blogging fiend and now, not so much…
Excuse me? Well I could blog everyday if you really wanted to know the ins and outs of cleaning toilets or the average length of my afternoon nap….
Im dedicated to maintaining a minimum of once a week policy. Which means Im only two days late.
Besides you want quality not quantity right?