Well here we are again pulled up for the night in a quaint chalet pub, Lynhams, here in the Wicklow Mountains in the small village of Laragh totally off the beaten track. Pulled into the village & had a choice of a few places but chose the pub of course! Again no reservation but they were very obliging...we weren't sure how far we'd get today so reservations are useless. Glad we found this gem though. Our room looks out over the mountains & a pristine stream that runs fast & thick with trout. Fish for dinner I think, it's 8pm & we are having our first beer for the evening, just ordered dinner & ready to sit back & enjoy this chalet & attempt to write an interesting tale of today's adventures... Before I go any further I must comment for my sceptics regarding our clothing allowance bought to this fair land of da Leprechauns & Guiness....with the exception of wearing our sox for more days than deemed healthy, me tinks I'm Gunnar chuck em, and my jeans leave a lot to be desired but we have been on the road a while but all else is AOK, a bit of laundry ever once in a while has been a breeze, Steve has bought a few shirts but my only purchase has been my hand knitted Aran shawl that I bought in the Aran Islands & YES Kris I will wear it at home I promise.....maybe only for a week or two but I will wear it! Dinner now consumed, was good too...Moth had the venison burger, he didn't say a word during dinner so I guess it was good. I have learnt over the years that when a bloke STF-up it usually means damn good tucker, my husband is well versed in this act & it's how I usually gauge my cooking although mostly he suffers from verbal diarrhea...says shitloads for my culinary skills! He is still going on about the bloody piano we saw in Limerick....geeez ya'd think he be over it by now, I have this sinking feeling that we'll be going home with a piano following....now usually it's us women that are the card swipers but not so in my family....he is currently researching....that scares me! I want it noted that this is NOT my fault! Change of subject & back to our days antics....safer! Had an early brekkie, he had his traditional Irish, I had porridge...guess who is putting on weight....hmmmm After brekkie we headed over to the Auction house where we purchased only one item...a little gem. If you have looked at the pics on Facebook you would have seen an Aussie Diggers Slouch Hat, bloody could not believe they had this & the loyalist in me had it bought no matter the price, actually paid €60, this baby needed to find its way back on Aussie soil & so it will via New York City, Chicago & the entire length of Route 66 before it finds it's way on board Qantas flight QF16 homeward bound....a stylish homecoming me tinks! For those of you reading this that don't know WTF I am talking about I refer to our purchase of an original Aussie military hat that is synonymous with our ANZAC's, is iconic in our history & symbolises our nations freedom. Lest we forget! So there ends our auction purchases however I did find a treasure in Adare our next port o call! A 1880 carving set with deer hand grips, has 2 knives, fork & steel in original velvet case as bargin at €95 prolly post it home me tinks, another parcel post box heading home. Found Aunt Lena's pub for lunch, great place that opened its doors in 1804 or so...had some real nice soup, the Irish sure do know how to make soup eh! If only I could the way they do. Oh shit! Moth's on a piano forum now....I have this sinking feeling we are going back to Limerick tomorrow & not Navan! My cousin Mary will be pissed! Checked out some real estate in Adare, can get 10 acres for $80,000 with a 3 bedroom house & horse stables...this country's economy is screwed big time! God help them if Greece bails from the EU. You wouldn't believe the amount of Irish that are bailing to Oz or USA....seems 3 out of 5 under 40 are heading off, history repeating itself big time! We headed off towards Doon & the House of Immaculate Prayer which was my pilgrimage based on my knowledge of Our Blessed Lady's apparitions to Fiona & Marcia, I attended Chaplet of Devine Mercy with private intentions. I was humbled. This house of prayer was truly down dirt tracks & in the middle of nowhere, Google maps struggled! We etched our way out & headed towards Glendalough here in the Wicklow Mountains & what a surreal place this is, such peace! The trip through the treeless badlands, 2000 year old forest that they chopped & now looks like frozen tundra! However onward we pushed & after about 50km deep into the mountains we found this place....OMG...so much worth the trip out here but very much off the beaten track so be warned the drive out is hair raising & many a time my heart was in my mouth...scary when we met another car...very bloody scary. Claw marks on car roof lining permanently evident, I wonder if rental company will notice. Well time to call it quits, we'll either be heading back to Navan & Mary's tomorrow or west to Limerick to get this f#%*#¥g piano! Posting unedited, battery about to die a sudden death... Hoo Roo until tomorra :0)