Another "soft" day...

early music bows...

Grey skies, occasional rain – not great weather, but it sure makes the green “pop”.  Eileen was still not feeling great, but Martin and I took off for Bantry in the morning – Friday is market day.  Sadly, the rain started again as we arrived, and I didn’t do more than a quick circuit around the stalls before needing to take cover. 

The Chamber Music Festival was on, playing to a packed church – no tickets available – but I went on to a neighbouring church where there was a display of violin- and bow-making.  There were intense conversations going on between makers and players, so I didn’t get to investigate in depth, but got some nice pics.

so many violas!

The rain continued, so the hour that followed was mostly spent in craft- and book-shops before Martin and I met up at a coffee-shop before driving home.  Through the afternoon, every time I looked to do a walk, the rain would sweep in – it wasn’t until after the evening meal that the sky cleared briefly, and I got to do a walk – up the hill first, and then along the river down to the main road. 

From the other side of the river...

Wind power is everywhere

Just briefly, the sun came out!

I nearly bought this in the morning - but baggage space is limited!

...And the Living is Easy...

Apparently there’s a saying around here: if you can’t see the mountains, it’s raining; if you can see the mountains, it’s going to rain!

Deer across the lane  (MC)

It’s been a very changeable day – I got out for a walk much earlier while we actually saw some sunshine, but stupidly, I didn’t take my phone with me, so no pics. Since then I’ve been sitting in the living room and overlooking the meadow and the pond – and sometimes it’s raining, and sometimes it isn’t! Earlier in the morning, it was lovely listening to Michael playing upstairs – I think less practicing than finessing something for his recording.  It was very much a COVID-era project, with other musicians sending stuff from various other places, and he’s now in the editing studio trying to bring it all together, and working on the details of layout and artwork. Sadly, the woman who did his cover art passed recently, and everything needs to come together without her expert eye.

the planned cover...

So this has been a day to ‘veg’ – to write and catch up with people, to help out with some kitchen stuff, to sit and read, and to keep an eye on the action outside;  a busy procession of small birds to the feeders, the occasional magpie swinging like a clown from the cross-bar, and a series of heron appearances – I don’t know whether it’s just one heron or a series of them. Martin says they’re pretty territorial, and the resident will usually see the interloper off.  That fits with what I saw – there was one awhile ago that stalked the rim of the river, and then disappeared under the bridge from the road; about half an hour later another came down by the pond. Heron 1 (I assume) reappeared; though no aggressive moves were made, Heron 2 obviously decided that s/he had business elsewhere!

Heron on the pond  (MC)

The primary entertainment are the magpies – I think it’s a family of five, and the youngsters are full-grown, but still come begging to the parents, looking for food, which looks very comical. The five of them tend to operate as a unit; where you see one, the others can’t be far behind.  They’ve discovered the birdfeeder, and though it’s not set up for birds of their weight, the adults will make a jump and swing on it to dislodge birdseed.

Dinner!  (MC)

Next time I walk down towards Loch Alloa (which is part of the River Lee system) I need to see if I can get closer to the shore – according to what I’ve found, the little island just offshore is a human-created “crannog” – one of only four in county Cork. The archeologists haven’t put a date on it, but it’s located on an important boundary between early medieval kingdoms, and apparently when the water level is low, a causeway can be seen between island and mainland.  There was likely a ringfort on the shore, but there’s been no archeological investigation to give greater precision in dates and purpose.

Eileen had a not-feeling-good day and went to hibernate; Michael wasn't working his show that evening, so Martin, Michael and I went for a pint at the local pub - very quirky and full of character - and then picked up some dinner at a take-out to bring home and eat round the TV. Quiet evening (and blogging time)...

Celtic Roots

 A grey misty morning offered a good opportunity to visit with Martin, who is an early bird, like me – Eileen is a night owl!  We’ve been laughing about his trial with ancestry.com and a DNA test that showed only 3% Irish heritage – it got him a lot of ragging from the boys, who carry a much higher proportion through Eileen, whose background is much more Irish.  In fact, our Irish heritage is Northern Irish, which shows up as Scottish – the Rutherfords and their forebears were Scottish troublemakers and were forcibly relocated from Scotland in the 17th century. And since, typically, they married into their own community, the Scottish strains run strongly. What surprised him in the DNA analysis was the news that there was a Scandinavian heritage there as well – so he’s now decided that if he can’t be Irish, he’s going to be a Viking, and he’s busy growing his beard!  He’s bugging me to do the analysis too, to see whether the genetic proportions are similar.

Looking from Molls Gap towards Killarney

We made a late start today, once Eileen surfaced, and headed west, bypassing Bantry to loop on to the Ring of Kerry route from Kenmare to Killarney.  The road kisses the coast from Bantry to Glengarriff and then strikes up over the mountains through Caha Pass and then back to the inlet at Kenmare, and then back uphill to Molls Gap, where you can just see the water at a distance if the clouds allow. We stopped there for a bite of lunch, and then headed downhill for Killarney National Park. Sadly, there are very few stopping places for pictures that weren’t already full of tourists – the tourist season starts early here!

Waterfall at Molls Gap

We veered off before hitting downtown Killarney to reach the shores of Lough Leane at Ross Castle. Eileen is carrying supplementary oxygen, and Martin is a little unsteady since his stroke some years back, so we opted for a boat trip on the lough and had a lovely hour there with a very knowledgeable guide.  Lough Leane is the largest of the lakes of Kerry, and holds 32 islands, but the largest is Innisfallen. The Abbey there, constructed in 640, remained occupied for more than eight centuries. The most important of these years saw created a treasure of Irish history; the Annals of Innisfallen. The monks documented their lives and a legacy of early Irish history, as it was known to them, over a period of an estimated 300 years to create the Annals; the actual documents are now held in Oxford University. Lough Leane's name derives from this heritage; it is the Lake of Learning.

Lough Leane from Ross Castle

The area that comprises Killarney National Park was actually the gift of three separate American philanthropic families with Irish connections, each of whom held great estates in the area, and had no descendants to inherit them; the estates were made a gift to the Irish people. Like many national parks, the concern is for the preservation of the natural biome – most of the woodland is sessile oak and many of the trees are very old. They are doing battle with the invasion of rhododendron, which loves the climate and the soil, and spreads rapidly, preventing the sunlight from reaching the undergrowth. We were disappointed to see very little in the way of wildlife – even birds. There are wild goats and red deer, and we did see a few of the Japanese Sika deer, which, though not native, are a pure strain, introduced about 150 years ago.  The red deer in the park are the last surviving indigenous herd of red deer in Ireland. The Killarney herd has been here since Neolithic times. All other red deer herds in the country are descended from re-introduced stock. 

Martin's photo of the Sika deer

More here about Killarney wildlife....

Boat ride over, we headed into town. Martin and Eileen opted for some down-time in the car, but I took off for an hour’s walk, investigating some tempting craft shops (I don’t have room in my bags!), exploring the Church of Ireland in the centre (where there was to be a high-school choir from the US performing in the evening) and then walking up to Killarney House which had just closed for the day, but offered some nice gardens to explore.  

St Mary's Killarney

Rejoining the others, we went for dinner at a really nice little Indian restaurant – Indian restaurants are a favourite for M&E, and there are fewer of them here than in Derbyshire!  This one was a good discovery. We went on from there to the Avenue Hotel, where Michael was performing. He’s working with an ensemble that offers a performance six days a week (he usually does four of the six) to (mostly US) touring groups. Their program is called Celtic Roots, and is designed to appeal to the romanticized Irish heritage folks – so, think “Danny Boy” stuff, rather than original material.

Michael having fun

There was a singer, five dancers, accordion, flute, banjo, drums and keyboard – all very competent young musicians – mostly 20-30 years old, I would think.  Martin said the singer was the better of the two – that the other girl he’d heard last time was a bit too Disney in style.  The whole program was really well constructed – all the musicians had an opportunity for one or more solo spots, they varied style and speed, and there was great energy throughout.  Such a nice way to spend the evening!

Green Green Grass...

Ireland is SO green!  I am reminded that the reason it’s green is that it’s also pretty wet – clouded skies and “soft” weather.

Martin and Eileen live just east of Macroom, about 40k east of Cork

When they planned their move, they originally hoped for something on the coast, but decided instead that as long as they had water nearby, they would be happy.  They’re just north of Lough Allua, and the house lies up on the hillside, framed in trees, with a little river on the lower boundary. It was built almost 20 years ago, but they discovered that with appears to be typical Irish style, the builder got permission for specific plans, and then went ahead and did his own thing – so there are windows where the plans call for doors and vice versa, the septic tank site was changed in order to have a pond, and a shed built over the re-sited tank. Martin is now working on getting retroactive permissions, as well as relocating the said septic tank!

The river runs shallow at the bottom of the garden

The name of the house means “Land of the Robins” and the place is full of birdlife – there is a constant procession of chaffinches and other small birds to the feeding stations outside the living room windows; a family of magpies clowns around, and a heron makes regular frog-hunting visits to the pond. Martin tells me they have deer, rabbits and hares, and they saw pine-martens last week. They’re planning on keeping chickens as they did in Cromford, but will probably have to give them a secure run to be safe from the raiders. Pine martens are a protected species, having been hunted into near-extinction. Like other mustelids, they are keen hunters!

The Land of the Robins

The house is basically one-level, since both Martin and Eileen have degrees of disability; all the living space and three bedrooms on the ground floor and an enormous attic upstairs that Martin is planning on subdividing and furnishing. Currently second son Michael is living with them, having had his landlord announce a 50% increase in rent. Michael is a skilled musician, playing a number of instruments, but mostly flute and pipes; he has established a decent living for himself as part of a number of ensembles, and plays locally and on tour – the next one will be in Germany in the fall.

Bantry harbour

The first full day remained pretty overcast, with a lot of what the Irish call “soft” weather – not really rain, but not dry.  M&E had to go to Bantry for appointments, and I went with them and took the opportunity for a good walk – first around the town, and then out along the harbour edge to the ferry terminal to Whiddy Island. It was very blowy – when planning the move, Martin said they’d thought about the south-west coast, and in fact they stayed with Michael there while the house was being got ready, and were thankful to have settled in a more sheltered spot. We’ll be back in Bantry for market day on Friday, but there’s also a chamber music festival going on, and I need to sit down with the program and make some choices!

Bantry, from across the harbour

We met up for coffee in town, and then headed back east again, diverting to Gougane Barra, where we stopped for lunch. Gougane Barra is a valley with a lake at the head of the River Lee; there’s an island on the lake with hermitage ruins from the 17th century, and a 19th century oratory which is a popular place for wedding pictures. They’d have to be small weddings – I don’t think the building would hold more than 40 people!  The setting is quite beautiful – the ruins have Stations of the Cross around the walls, and it’s very peaceful (unless there’s a wedding!). Michael says he’s played there 

The wedding chapel on the lake

Hermitage ruins, Gougane Barra

The Lake, from Gougane Barra oratory

We got back home in the rain and split up, each to do our own thing...  when it cleared a bit, I took the chance to wander outside briefly, investigate the garden and get some pics.  Supper was followed by an evening of craic – it always takes no time at all to feel at home with Martin & Eileen.

Taking Flight

Progress - from under the bed to a box  (DW)

After a worrying Saturday in which Scout had vanished under Debbie’s bed and refused to come out, or eat, Sunday morning was made joyful with the news that not only had he emerged, but that he was enjoying attention, his breakfast, and exploring.  I was so relieved!  We decided that I shouldn’t go over and have a goodbye cuddle – it would have been be good for me, but he’d probably have felt deserted again.  I will look forward to updates from Scout-central.

Investigating happily  (DW)

By noon I had the packing mostly done. Most of my stuff in a carry-on spinner, on the 5-4-3-2-1 principle – 5 sets of undies, 4 tops, 3 pants, 2 pairs of shoes and 1 jacket.  I bent the guide a little, but it’s all in.  Next job was to decide whether my other bag was going to be a backpack or a tote – I ended up packing both to try it out, and opted for the backpack – more different pockets to use.  My lovely bouquet of flowers from last week’s ROCA concert was still flourishing, and I took it round to a neighbour for them to enjoy.  

I called a cab, and it was there within two minutes, which I hadn’t anticipated – so I rushed out of the house without some of the things I’d left for pickup – my mask bag, my NoJetLag, my cat-hat...  Oh, well, I guess I’ll do without all of them.  In the event, the only time I felt myself wishing for a mask was in the security lineup – way too many people crowded together, and SO SLOW – but I only saw three masked people.  From arrival at the airport to the gate took me almost an hour and a half – there were a lot of folks travelling on Sunday! At the gate itself, it was pretty quiet until we started loading.

Waiting at the gate

Our flight was full – so I was grateful for my decision to go with Business Class, even if it was an expensive treat. KLM Business class doesn’t go all the way into individual pods, but seats were comfy, and could be adjusted to create a flat surface, so I was able to get a few hours sleep.  The food was good and they were open-handed with drinks, though I do better with minimal alcohol when flying. 

Flying into Schipol

We arrived on schedule at Schipol, which is a wonderful terminal.  Browsing in the concourse, who should I run into but Lise Coppin, the BCCF Secretary, who was on her way home from a Rhine cruise holiday.  What are the chances of encountering a friend in a place like that!  People crossing paths from all over the world – and there we were!

I should have thought to whisk out my phone! - 
this is Lise singing at Chorfest a month ago...   (AR)

The change of planes was smooth, though the second was what they called a CityHopper, which involved us getting on a bus and being driven clear round the airport to a tarmac-parked plane, and then wrestling bags up the stairs...  I was thankful that though all my stuff was carry-on, it was actually manageable. “Business Class” in this situation, was the first two rows and a dinky little curtain between “us” and “them”. The big advantage was being first off, and getting through passport control very easily, to find Martin waiting for me.

Green (and slightly misty) Ireland

Preparation...

 Old things... new things...  doors closing... new opportunities ahead... remembering the past and dreaming of the future...   Five weeks to establish roots with family and friends, to tread the landscapes I know and be reminded of those in my heritage – but also to visit new places, to meet new people.

I am, at heart, an introvert – I love my own company, and time on my own to read and listen and think and pray. So the thought of a holiday alone holds no fears.  And this won’t be entirely alone – I’ll be spending visiting time with both my brothers and their families, I’ll be visiting with cousins (though not with all of them!) and spending an evening with one of my oldest friends. But I’m also looking forward to flying free, with no responsibilities other than myself – to being a lone tourist, or one in a crowd, to traveling well north of the Arctic Circle, feasting on natural beauty around me, as well as on the bustle of city life.

Kathy giving her all in "Whiter Shade of Pale"

This last week before I leave has been very full – a rockin’ concert with Richmond Orchestra & Chorus; an improvisatory mythical/ecological/poetic salute to the Solstice on June 21; packing up the last of more than twenty years of music-making at St Mary’s Kerrisdale; making my lists and checking them way more than twice; planning the transfer of Scout, who’s going to summer camp with Debbie for five weeks, and who has more baggage than I do.

Scout is not so sure about this "summer camp" idea...

Friday evening was transfer time; we moved cat-tree, bedding, food, toys  - all the things I thought he might need - over to Debbie's place. He knew something was happening, and went to hide. It took a good hour before I could catch and burrito him to get him into the carrier, and he was not a happy camper. He was very vocal when we arrived, and wanted to be held - typical visit-the-vet behaviour - and then he vanished under Debbie's bed and refused to come out. I felt awful, but I know Kev and Debbie will give him the best of care.  I will SO miss him....