Christmas Eve (Sunday)
I was back to 95% of myself, so we went into town on Sunday. We stopped in for an early lunch at James Long Gastro Pub (again). It was very busy. Elaine had a Pizza Margherita – not bad, but not like pizza at home. She took half home for Christmas breakfast. I had a cottage pie – also, not bad but too much potato and not enough meat.
Then we stopped in for Christmas cheer at Curran’s pub. Christmas drinks on the house for Christmas! – Guinness for me, Smithwicks for Elaine. Then on to the Dingle Pub where we had a nice long chat with world Irish dancing champion David Geaney, just back from a two month dance tour of Japan. Guinness for me, Hophouse 13 (made by Guinness) for Elaine. On the house for Christmas! Cheap day out.
Then it was home to relax for Christmas eve and await Santa. He came early. I got three books about Dingle and County Kerry. That will keep me busy until the plane ride home in two weeks. Elaine got a mulled wine kit (which we’ll use NY Eve), a lovely bottle of local chutney, and a turf candle. Nice cards too. We sat around the fire and enjoyed cheese and crackers and wine for dinner. You saw the fireplace picture in yesterday’s post. Here it is again – two versions – and the tree in the solarium as well reflections of the tree in the window.
Christmas Morning (Monday)
It wasn’t raining so we decided on a Christmas morning walk in a very quiet Dingle. As we left the house, there was a white rabbit there to wish us a Happy Christmas.
Everything in Dingle is closed on Christmas, even the pubs. It’s almost surreal. (Well, Moran’s Texaco Station is open until 1 PM, and they have a very nice market and lunch counter – we didn’t stop in.) We did stop in the church (which is also open) to light candles. Took a potpourri of pictures along the way. Find our reflection in the store window. Find the reflection of St Mary’s Church in Dick Mack’s Pub window. See the very deserted Main Street- Christmas is the only day you can get that shot with no one in sight.
After the picture of Main Street, we headed up the hill through fields and houses until we get back down to our street (Ard Na Mara). Naturally halfway up the skies unloaded and we got drenched with lashing rain. We were drenched through and through when we got home. Pneumonia, here I come!
Hot showers and a change of clothes. Jeans into the dryer. Shoes stuffed with newspaper to help dry them out. The rain stopped exactly when we got home. Then it was a quiet Christmas at home. Good dinner coming up. More on that later (or tomorrow).
It sounds like you had a very nice Christmas Eve. Nothing better than some pub visits with free beer. Great gifts for each other as well.
What a nice quiet Christmas walkabout starting off with a white bunny. Great reflections, especially the one with Elaine telling us that “Dingle is always a good idea”. Yikes, you sure did get drenched.
Merry Christmas.
Lovely pictures around town, absolutely marvelous. Curran’s booths remind me of the Crown Saloon in Belfast with their snugs. Very cute. Don’t think we got to Currans in our 2 days there. Could spend a week there, but in spring through fall, winter just too cold for me. I am the weather wimp! Stay warm today, Merry Christmas!
The white bunny was a perfect beginning to bring on Christmas. Best pic, you two after your drenching. Made me laugh! Merry Christmas you two.
Love to make you laugh 😂
Love to see we had the same weather! Ugh! Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!