I. Miss. Thom.

On October 30, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Being married to your best friend is a wonderful thing. The only problem with that is when your partner is gone, your soul feels incomplete. Days are an empty vacuum without your sidekick accompanying you to take on life’s adventures. Damn I’m lonely. I. Miss. Thom.

He’s been in Boise now for several weeks working on much-needed home renovations to a house we own. While we did just hire someone to do the heavy lifting, Thom is doing much of the work himself. It will be awesome when it’s done but, for now, we must live apart. I am just finishing up working a second assignment at work in addition to my day job so my life in Seattle has been super busy no doubt. Yet, when I started feeling sick this week I immediately started to panic. Who will take care of me? James is still living at home and has been a huge help with the daily walking of dogs but he can only do so much. I need my Thom.

Drinking my morning coffee, going to the gym, watching endless political news, eating, shopping, cuddling with the pups-it all seems blah without Thom. Married for 28 years, some couples by now would have formed tight friendships with others of their own gender and not rely on their partner so much but Thom and I are so happy with just being with each other that we haven’t really felt a need for that extended group of friends. Quite frankly, we would really just prefer to be with each other. I appreciate and like other people don’t get me wrong but Thom is just the funniest, smartest, kindest person I’ve ever met and I enjoy his company so much. He’s hilarious and makes me laugh every day of my life. Now, he gets to crack up Mia too!

mia-and-gigi — Mia and her GiGi taking a walk in Boise before getting ice cream.

And it’s not enough that Thom isn’t here and I’m lonely but I’m also terrifically jealous that he gets to be in Boise with our family, babysitting Mia when he’s not working on the house. Yes, my daughter will miss her daddy and Mia will miss her GiGi when he has to leave and come back to me. Oh, if we could just live in Boise full time! Dream. Unfortunately the jobs there just don’t compare to Seattle and supporting my family means that this NaiNai needs to stay the course. I will look forward to the holidays spent with the entire clan in Boise and many wonderful memories to be made.

Gabby & Chelsea-Great day to enjoy Seattle politics!

On October 23, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Seattle, UncategorizedLeave a comment

How lucky I am to live in a progressive city like Seattle where citizens rally to prevent gun violence and support the election of the first woman President. Unlike the small crowd that turned out in Boise to see Gloria Steinem last week, the liberal folks in Seattle were out in force on Saturday as I went from rally to rally. As I remarked to my friend Whitney who joined me at the Clinton rally, it was nice to be with people that share a similar passion to make a difference in our crazy world. Communities united!

First up, I found buried deep in the newspaper an article alerting me that at my local church, First United Methodist, there would be a rally to support the I-1491 initiative restricting guns access to those who threaten violence. Too often teachers, parents, etc. see tragedy coming and don’t have the tools to stop it. The I-1491 initiative is just complete common sense and gives us a chance to prevent tragedy like what happened to the children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Speaking at the rally was one of the Sandy Hook moms who founded the Sandy Hook Promise that helps people recognize warning signs and intervene appropriately with potentially violent offenders as they are allowed by law. After she lobbied all the Senators to pass a background check proposal in 2013 and it failed, she didn’t quit. Just like Hillary, she kept right on working for laws that would protect us from those who would harm others and themselves with guns. Ultimately, this is all about saving lives. Common sense, right? Not to the gun lobby who would arm anyone and everyone no matter the cost.

After Governor Inslee voiced his support, he introduced Gabby Giffords who walked right up to the stage in the narthex and strongly urged us all to come together and make a difference with I-1491. “Be bold, be courageous.” Gabby is a true inspiration to us all to put aside our petty daily distractions and take on a bolder, wider purpose to help others. wp_20161022_11_46_20_rich-2

Walking to the Clinton rally afterwards, I saw Gabby, who was sitting in the front of a black Suburban SUV at a stop sign. After I gave her two thumbs up, she blew kisses to me and clapped in response. Wow, what a strong and wonderful woman she is to never give up and keep bringing her energy and positive attitude to this important fight to help so many people. I hope this initiative passes in Washington State and spreads to other states. We must give everyone the tools and power to prevent violence wherever they live.

Luckily I got to the Clinton rally early as the line was already forming, full of passionate supporters. I grabbed a spot for myself and two friends, which allowed us to sit right behind the girl scouts near the front as Chelsea spoke from the heart about her mom. An excellent speaker (she comes by it honest from both parents), she told stories of what it was like to be the daughter of the President and her mom, the soon-to-be President. She was low key, authentic and full of love for her topic of the day-electing her mom to be the first woman President. Not dwelling on the antics of Trump, she focused on the good her mom has done in her career and what she would bring to the White House. Taking many questions from the audience, primarily from the youth there, she didn’t deflect like they do in the debates and thoroughly answered the questions asked. When asked how her mom has coached her to take all the negative criticism about her family, she responded with sound advice for anyone: “When serious people give serious feedback, take it seriously. When not serious people give not serious feedback, do not take it seriously.” Well said Clintons! wp_20161022_15_29_47_rich-2

Today, I voted for Chelsea’s mom. For me, this is the most important vote for President that I have ever made. Never before did I think that the “other” candidate I did not vote for would be a disaster and ruin our country. I do feel that way about Trump. He just CANNOT be our leader. He doesn’t represent the kind and good people who live in America. He has brought out the racist, divisive and disgruntled demographic that Hillary will need to work with to improve their economic situation, to understand their anger and to ultimately move them forward to prosper in this great nation. I believe in her and know that she will represent ALL the people, even the Trump supporters. She is a better person than me and smarter than me and that’s what I look for in a President. That’s why #IMWITHHER

An Afternoon with Gloria Steinem

On October 18, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Boise, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Gloria Steinem showed up in Boise, Idaho on Monday afternoon. Amazing. Sadly, there aren’t a lot of Dems who are courageous enough to live a Blue life in a Red state so the crowd to see her was small. It’s hard and it’s discouraging to fight the tidal wave of Red. We did it for 14 years in Coeur d’Alene and while there are more Dems in Boise, especially in the North End where we have a house, Dems are still a major minority. For the few who showed up yesterday, they were treated to an intimate hour with an awesome woman who has and always will make a difference. wp_20161017_15_49_19_rich-2

As Mayor Dave Bieter, a Dem, announced to the audience when introducing Gloria, we were all in a “safe place” for the next hour spent together surrounded by Hillary election signs. Let’s enjoy it. “How many of you have been in a room where you were the only Democrat?” Hands up EVERYWHERE. Just as I have often been the only women in meetings at work, you learn how to snap to the norm of being the outsider and understanding no one will listen to your ideas. Just the way it is. You never give up and you keep working hard. That’s what Hillary does and I respect her for it.

Gloria spoke of the election and how Hillary is the most qualified candidate there ever was or probably will be but, since she is a woman, she has always had to justify her desire to do good work and aspire to be a First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State and now President. A man with ambition like that would be regaled as a strong leader, the woman a pushy bitch. Not fair but true. As far as her views on Trump, he is “a con man and not a successful business man” as he would like to boast and have everyone believe. Gloria comes from NYC and has seen his shenanigans up close and personal. She knows. wp_20161017_15_54_45_rich

When I asked her how we would need to heal as a country after Trump has brought out the violent, racist rhetoric that has frightened us all, she gave an interesting reply. The people supporting Trump are revealing their truth about themselves so we can have the opportunity to address the real underlying problems–their feeling of white entitlement and living in the past waiting for jobs vs. proactively preparing for the jobs of the future. Gloria quoted Gandhi, “The truth is revealing itself.” Those well-paying but hazardous coal mining and logging jobs aren’t coming back to Ohio and Pennsylvania and Idaho. We need to train those workers to take on new roles and spur the economy. Let’s not lie to them that once Trump makes America great again that he can restore those jobs. He can’t and he won’t. Period.

Gloria reminded us that Trump doesn’t represent the majority of the people and has always had a hard time polling above 40%. We can’t give him power to speak for the people of this country. We can’t let hate trump love and kindness and real conversation about what we need to do to further our America that is already pretty damn awesome. Thom and I often reflect that if more people had passports and travelled widely that there would be a deeper appreciation for how great America already is. Once you have seen the pollution in China or seen how hard the citizens of Hanoi work to just eat and have a roof over their heads, you can thank God that we have laws and regulations here that keeps Americans safe to breathe the air, eat the food and work in a healthy environment. We are blessed and our government system, while not perfect, protects it’s citizens.

When asked by a former Bernie supporter how to vote in this election, she encouraged him, as a lifelong socialist herself, to follow Bernie’s lead and support Clinton. Bernie did what he felt he had to do and was successful in raising important issues like college debt. Together, he and Hillary have found a compromise with a real chance of working to reduce debt for those in need. That’s Hillary’s strength and why she will be a good President. She understands mediation and finding a middle ground to get shit done. God love her and let’s get out the vote to make sure that a President Trump never happens in his or our lifetime. I’m. With. Her. wp_20161017_15_27_22_rich

Hangin’ with Bruce…Truly The Boss!

On October 1, 2016October 1, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, books, bookstores, Music, Seattle, Uncategorized, VinylLeave a comment

“This will be the best 4 seconds of my life.” Really??? My husband made this pronouncement this morning in advance of the upcoming meet and greet with Bruce. What about…hmmm…the birth of your children, marrying me, etc.? “Okay, the fourth best 4 seconds of my life.” Better. “What AM I going to wear?” Oh, Thom, settle down. Bruce is just a normal guy. “No. He. Is. Not. He is THE BOSS.” Okay, I get it and so the day began.

I made Bruce laugh!

Social media is powerful and Thom and I are wired almost every hour of the day so we found out quickly that Bruce Springsteen was going to make Seattle one of the few stops on his book tour to promote his new autobiography, Born to Run. WOW. At exactly 10 a.m. several weeks ago, we both were logged in to Elliott Bay Book Company with fingers poised and pounced on tickets (cost of the book) to get a ticket to meet Bruce, get a photo and a pre-signed book. Sold out in several minutes, tickets were later going for up to $600 on StubHub and wannabes were circling the lines today to meet Bruce begging to buy tickets or be the “plus one” for a ticket holder to meet Bruce. No way!

wp_20161001_10_22_19_rich — Thom making friends in line

I have to say that Elliott Bay Book Company had a big challenge and they did an awesome job communicating the rules often and in advance of the big event, as well as being staffed well, organized and friendly on the big day. We arrived at 10 a.m., 2 hours prior to the start time of the event and promptly got into a line with hundreds of others already lined up. We promptly fell into conversation with a lovely couple, Ollie and Fletcher, who had come up from Northern California and Tacoma. Fletcher told us stories of her dad’s love for Bruce and how, though her car had just been stolen and she was busy finishing up her degree, they had made time for this experience. Their dream is for Ollie to retire from her job and stay home to raise the kids they hope to have. They were lovely and I hope their dreams come true.

Finally, as the line moved forward, we got our blue wristbands and hands stamped in the bookstore and moved to another line, the “blue” line. By this time, we were two hours in and nature called. so off I ran to the nearest coffee shop while Thom held our place in line and made new friends, some old rockers who knew every Bruce song. Making it back in time to continue our journey towards Bruce, Thom was still in an altered state, so excited to meet his rock hero. We debated what to say in our 4 seconds with Bruce. Thom settled on thanking him for writing the songs that made up the soundtrack of his life-from the heart and meaningful.

As we gained entry to the bookstore and out of the rain that had started, we saw signs proclaiming “180 more steps to Bruce” and so forth and posters where you could share your favorite song, where you were from, your favorite Seattle sight/restaurant, etc. to keep you engaged while inching closer to The Boss. They even provided a “Spruce for Bruce” mirror to make sure you were still looking good for your photo opp. Great job, Elliott Bay, you pulled off a wonderful experience for everyone.

The bookstore staff quickly checked belongings and took your camera/phone from you so you were unencumbered and they could take the picture. Bruce was warm and friendly just like I thought he would be. Instead of a heartfelt comment, I chose to be honest but made him laugh with a sincere compliment, “You are TOO CUTE!” and then followed with a plea to keep the pressure on Trump. Seriously, HRC needs all the help she can get. He chuckled and hugged me tight and then we were done. It was truly a great 4 seconds. Afterward, we hopped over to EDM to get his new album that is the musical companion to his book that features 5 previously unreleased songs called, Chapter and Verse.

Bruce, it was great meeting you. You are a spectacular talent and inspiration to generations of fans, including me. Thom loves you too. Well done.

Moving to the music with Foy Vance

On September 30, 2016September 30, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Boise, Music, Nightlife, Seattle, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Even with terrible jet lag and packed in like sardines with a standing room only sold out audience, I still managed to thoroughly enjoy Foy Vance’s performance on his Wild Swan Tour at Columbia City Theater this week. WOW. What a talent to play in this small venue. Foy pours his heart into his music, lifting your spirits so high you can’t help but smile and move to the beat. Whether banging it out on the piano or jamming on his guitar, Foy has passion and energy to spare. With a careful branding of his Irish roots, he has great style, sporting a handlebar mustache, traditional tweed cap and a cheeky glint in his eyes.

After just coming back from our Ireland vacation, it was a joy to hear that lilting Irish accent again. As the Irish would say, Feck it sure it’s grand. Yes, that’s what they say. He and his band decided that, like most musicians, Seattle is a grand fecking place to play. Of course it is.

Foy opened for Elton John’s tour in Europe and was the first artist to sign on with Ed Sheeran for his new label. When I heard he was going to play at Columbia City, I was thrilled. Boise friends, he is there this week so go see him! He is that good. wp_20160928_21_39_51_pro-2

With a full band and a large voice, Foy would have been better suited at The Moore or Paramount theaters so hopefully next time he makes the long trip from Ireland, he will move up to a much larger hall so we can enjoy his soaring vocals and excellent band with room to breathe. To say it was aromatic with all the sweating bodies after a long day would be putting it mildly. Ewwww….

After standing for over an hour in my heels, my feet were numb but I just couldn’t leave quite yet. I love all the songs on his new album and enjoyed seeing them performed live.

Foy’s opening act was a shrill Bob Dylan wannabe who I could have lived without seeing. Usually the opening acts I have seen in the last year or so have been truly excellent but that was definitely NOT the case here. Only a lovely whiskey and ginger cocktail got me through that crap that he was throwing all over the stage trying to be artistically crazy.

Finally, the jet lag won out though and, knowing I had to work the next day, we left Foy singing his heart out on the stage. Come back to Seattle soon, Mr. Vance. You are a true talent.

wp_20160928_21_15_50_rich

Making New Friends in Ireland

On September 27, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Europe, Ireland, Travel, vacationLeave a comment

We were fortunate to have friendly drivers for all our HailO/Uber rides in Ireland and NYC. From all walks of life and ethnicities, it’s always eye-opening and interesting to meet new people in our travels. On the taxi ride home (using HailO as our Irish go-to app for taxi service) we were greeted with a hearty smile and lots of good conversation with Mark Rooney, our driver.

Asking Mark what rush hour looked like in Dublin, as we were leaving around 8 a.m. when the roads would be choked with traffic in Seattle or NYC, he said that he has seen the rush hour creeping earlier and earlier there but certainly not this early. When we were in Amsterdam last year, we were surprised that the streets were deserted until around 10 a.m. The work day starts later in Europe as it did in China when we lived there. I remember going into the office at 9 a.m. and being the only one there.

As we cruised along with far less bus (double-decker of course) traffic than I had seen mid-day, we started discussing the Irish economy as compared to the US and then we finished the trip discussing Trump and politics. Of course. The Irish are having a good laugh at our messy election process. Their election cycle is 6 weeks from start to finish. None of this year-long reality show that we have gotten ourselves into, especially with the latest drama.

Mark was saddened by the state of the Irish economy. He told us that his teen-age sons had asked him how much a house would cost to buy in Dublin. In an average neighborhood, it would be $300,000-$400,000. Not cheap. Home buyers can get mortgages (30-year) and have to put at least 20% down but, as Mark bemoaned, how can most people save money to the tune of $60,000 or more on average wages. He felt that the government should require companies to take their profits and pay their employees more money. Though colleges cost far less in Ireland with government assistance, there is still student debt looming over the youth as they start careers, adding to the concern that buying a house will be out of the question for his sons even if they go to college and graduate.

Complaining about the “rich” corporations again, Mark had asked Google to sponsor his son’s sports team and never got very far. He wrote them a letter, trying the old-fashioned approach to communications. He wondered why tech companies don’t give more back to the communities. I told him all about my company and how much they donate through free software, matching funds for employee donations, etc. He was surprised and said that the company should make people aware of these efforts. He had no idea. I related that the company is proud of its giving back but doesn’t want to capitalize on it through advertisements. They are very humble in this regard. I am proud of them.

The conversation inevitably turned to “WTF-how can the US have Trump as a candidate for President?” Well, how do you answer that? I am ashamed that he is one of the two possible leaders. He is neither qualified nor quite frankly sane. He does understand how to tap into the uninformed voter, the frustrated out-of-work voter looking for any type of assistance including the empty promises that Trump is making and the racist who wants to build walls and close borders. Mark assured me that the people of the US would not let this world catastrophe happen and that Hillary would win. I hope to God he is right. If not, we may be using Thom’s Irish citizenship to immigrate to Ireland to escape the madness. Feck it! Cheers to HRC for taking on the bully and dedicating her life to public service. Well done.

Adventures on our last day in Dublin

On September 25, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Europe, Ireland, Travel, Uncategorized, vacationLeave a comment

Hallelujah and hot damn-we made it alive with the car in one piece back to Dublin after our road trip across Ireland. Not that Thom isn’t a great driver but all roads except the motorway are teeny tiny lanes and frightening not to mention the whole driving on the wrong side of the road. Left, left, left. Yesterday, we reached an impasse, going head-to-head with a taxi driver on such a road and he won with Thom having to back up along with the car behind us until we could find a place on the side of the road to pull over so he could pass. Fecking mental I tell you! Yes, that’s my favorite Irish phrase now. I heard a youth on the street say it and it reminded me of Ron Weasley in an Irish way.

Now back in Dublin after chasing the rain storms all the way from Galway, we immediately checked back into the Westin Dublin and off we went. One minute it was sunny and the next raining, very much reminiscent of Seattle weather. After an Irish coffee and the ploughman’s sandwich for me and the bangers and mash for Thom, we were suitably energized to walk to Merrien Park again so that Thom could take more photos of the beautiful Irish doors on the townhouses across from the park . We wandered the neighborhoods where the fancy townhouses are home to the France Embassy, a Montessori School and private residences.

In one section of the park, there were tributes to author Oscar Wilde who lived around the corner while in Dublin. Sent to jail in the UK for being gay, he never returned to Ireland after serving two years in jail and died in France at age 46. His most notable works were The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray. The Irish are very proud of their literary history. Our cab driver told us his family story of 5 children and 9 grandkids. Proud of them all, he bemoaned that fact that none of the children every married and one of his daughter’s significant other was in prison for a “very bad” crime. Quoting Yates, “Youth is wasted on the young”, he discussed being a parent and loving your children no matter what life brings, hoping only for the best for them all. Amen.

Of course, there were many fine buskers performing in the streets and we stopped along with crowds of others on Grafton Street to listen and appreciate their talents. We finished up some last minute shopping, going back to the vintage shop we had found earlier and visiting the classic whiskey store for some liquid souvenirs. I’m always impressed by the art pieces in front of the Irish stores, making them very special and unique. Now, it’s time for a rest before the long journey home. It was a brilliant trip that we will never forget!

Exploring the NYC Public Library

On September 25, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, books, bookstores, New York City, Travel, vacationLeave a comment

nyc — View from our room at The Andaz-perfect hotel and perfect location!

SHHHHHH….the librarian tour guide at the NYC Public Library glared at Thom and I as we quietly discussed a salient point to what she was elaborating on. DO. NOT. TALK. The message was clear and, properly chastised, we tried to remain silent for the rest of the one hour tour. Damn, it’s hard to be silent. Ranging in age from super old to ridiculously youthful, our tour group cohorts smirked at us including giving us the “oh no you didn’t” shameful sign. Being quiet did allow us to learn ALOT about the NYC library along the way on our recent stay in NYC. Silence is golden. Well, to most people.

Opened in 1911, the unofficial “People’s Palace” was built on the site of a former reservoir that featured a promenade around it for the ladies with hats and gents could stroll back in the day. NYC Public Library is a library of record that has many collection rooms scattered throughout featuring the good, bad and truthful record of people over time. We saw rooms for ancestory, the top 10 map collections in the world, historical records including an archive of menus from NYC to record our appetite timeline for posterity.

As you first enter, the grand Astor Hall was made out of marble, 65% of which was rejected because only the best would do for this magnificent structure. The intricate carved ceilings in the outer hallways was created in plaster to look like wood and it does. Why aren’t modern buildings built with more interesting ceiling features? Look up at the NYC PL because there are stunning murals in many of the main halls. Other fun things to check out:

nyc-4

Lions are everywhere from the huge statutes out front to the small heads by what were the water fountains before they discovered the pipes were lead and not safe-now just for show. They used to put wreaths at the holidays around the lion heads until some idiot set them on fire so no more holiday decorations for these lions. Damn fools.

Pooh lives here. Who knew? You can see the real stuffed animals that inspired the Winnie-the-Pooh stories.

In Room 328 Rare Books, you can see letters from Columbus, who thought he was by the New China Sea when he was checking out the US. I guess people were disappointed that he didn’t discover human monstrosities on his tour. Of course, Trump hadn’t been born yet.

Also in Room 328 is Thomas Jefferson’s original declaration of independence before the Continental Congress took it over and revised it. Also kept here is the world’s most valuable baseball card. What ball player you may ask?? Honus Wagner. Never heard of him. That’s probably blasphemous but just true. Our trusty tour guide told us that baseball cards used to come with cigarettes purchases. Yep, encourage the kids to light up and collect cards.

Of course, we had to check out the famous Gutenberg bible on display-one of 2 copies that are rotated to keep them in top shape, changing the pages open regularly. The black ink is typeset but the red letters were hand written. While the Rose Main reading room (iconic site used in Ghostbusters movie) was closed for renovation after parts of the aging ceiling fell down, there were so many other areas to check out that I didn’t miss it. On previous visits, that is usually all we saw. Well, besides the convenient public bathroom on the 2nd floor that we knew was there and used when in the neighborhood touring and needed a facility.

There is a quite extensive collection exhibited on Alexander Hamilton who is now a rock star thanks to the Broadway hit. Seeing the letters he wrote to his wife and all the official work he did for this country was very interesting, being the scholar and scoundrel that he was most definitely in real life.

As the tour wound down, our tour guide shared that the NYC PL was really all about inspiring life long learning and a passion for the community–one of the last bastion of civilizations–and sternly told us that libraries will never be obsolete. I hope not. My fondest childhood memories are of the Noblesville Public Library, a downtown brick multi-level joy that is no longer used as a library, but where I could escape and become immersed in a different world with my beloved books. A Wrinkle in Time was my all-time favorite book. I’ve shared my love of reading with my family who all think that the best present you can give is a book and the best place you can spend your day is immersed in a great library.

The shopping is good in Galway

On September 24, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Europe, Ireland, Shopping, Travel, Uncategorized, vacationLeave a comment

Today we ventured down the cow path and into town. As we started to exit the hobbit hole, we paused as two very large black cows stormed down the “road” with their humans herding them into the adjacent field. So, exactly what do we do if we encounter this type of situation again but we are driving? Scream and brace for impact probably. Luckily, we swerved around any oncoming traffic and made it safely into the town of Galway, very photogenic and historic.

After maneuvering into the always tiny parking spaces in the garage (our Audi is larger than most cars here), we wandered the streets where pubs and shops welcomed us. First stop was for an Americano as there is only a hot water pot for tea in our cottage and no coffee except instant Nescafe available. Caffeine headache averted, we found the shops to be charming and loaded with nice things for presents to others and ourselves.

The best by far was the “My Shop…granny likes it” (www.myshopgranny.com) that had a curated assortment of all things Irish and cool, not touristy crap. I immediately was drawn to an amazing chunky necklace made with blue and yellow stones. Had. To. Have. It. After chatting with the shop owner and her adorable schnauzer, Purdy, the shop dog, we also got a great pillow cover, which I collect from our travels and tea towels featuring an abstract print of the charming Galway row houses and another boldly proclaims an old Irish saying, “FECK IT…sure IT’S GRAND” Okay.

Always ask the locals where they eat to get the best places. Rona O’Reilly recommended a funky place just down the lane called Bite Club which had free WiFi, played disco tunes and had great food. Ryan and Paddy took care of us and we chatted. Ryan was mad at Paddy because he had saved his money and was off to America to visit any and all relatives he could find from coast to coast. Paddy mixed me up a mean craft cocktail, Elderberry Bourbon Fizz, served in a crystal punch cup. Delightful! After singing along with Donna Summers and posting some blogs on the internet (the hobbit hole is without tv/internet), we were off for more browsing and shopping before braving the drive home via cow path. If the driving over here wasn’t so nuts, we’d be back at the Bite Club in the evening when it turns into a 1980’s discotheque. Groovy.

Staying in the Hobbit Hole

On September 24, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Okay, so it’s not really a “hole” but it does have a thatched roof, plaster walls and beams everywhere and highly resembles, at least in my mind, a place where a hobbit would make his home and be very happy. The massive stone fireplace not only heats up the cottage quickly but one could imagine using it to cook as well. Not me, of course, but the hearty hobbits who favor second and third breakfasts.

galway-5

Now, instead of “left, left, left” as our mantra, it is “duck, duck, duck” as in if you don’t duck your head under all the wood beams that are jutting low or the loft bedroom with the 5 foot ceilings, etc. then you will knock yourself out. So far, we have no major injuries but we still have two days left in our stay. I am thrilled to finally experience a towel warmer which keeps them toasty warm until needed.

Kitchen fully equiped in Galway, Ireland

Galway, Ireland cozy fireplace

The main level of our hobbit home is quite comfortable with just two leather chairs by the fire and a small table. Less is more. There are candles for the mantle and a CD player with Irish CD’s to play. The kitchen is efficient with a microwave and a portable oven with hot plates. No dishwasher unless you count Thom. Our ARBNB hosts kindly provided the Irish soda bread, butter and milk as well as tea. Yes, the Irish drink A LOT of tea with a hot pot mandatory for all kitchens. Unfortunately, the coffee pot is not required so we will be using the French press instead once we get up the courage to drive down the cow path to the nearest grocery to get some coffee. galway-7

We tried walking in the countryside via this cow path aka country road but kept having to leap into the brambles when a car came so we decided that wasn’t very smart on our part and we would probably die if we kept on walking. Luckily we discovered a lane with just a few houses so no traffic and a beautiful overlook of the water on both sides, a massive lake inland to the left and the ocean near Galway to the right. The stone fences from the past still litter the countryside everywhere you look. There must be a law against tearing them down as they still exist today as they would have back in the 1800’s to divide up the property lines. You sense a respect for the culture and history in Ireland that is sorely lacking in other countries including America. Instead of just tearing down old ruins, in Ireland you will see a piece of a castle or an ancient arch either standing alone or incorporated into more modern buildings.

Having survived our little country jaunt, we curled up in our chairs by the fire and relaxes. No TV, no internet and no coffee. Truly off the grid. At least for a little bit.