If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It!

And if it ain’t worn out or dirty, don’t waste your money on a new one. I’ve always heard that the Irish are thrifty people and I saw it first hand on this trip.

I rented a castle in the middle of southwest Ireland for the trip. The castle owners didn’t want to commit to a partial week, so I found a B&B for two nights a little further north, near the Aran Islands. The plan was to see that part of the country on that leg of the trip from the B&B and to do day trips to the lower southwest area from the castle. I hate packing and repacking. More to come on the castle later.

I found a reasonably priced B&B in Ballyvaughan right on the Galway Bay. I was able to book it via email and the owner, Kathleen, was very responsive. When you have a group of nine, a priority is bathrooms and beds. The Oceanview seemed well equipped and she offered a full Irish breakfast with the stay.

The trip to Oceanview was only an hour’s drive from the Shannon Airport, another plus. I saw pictures of the accommodations on line and knew it was modest. The first impression when we arrived was WOW! The house sat right on the Bay and each of us had a Room With a View. The entrance was lined with brightly blooming flowers and a rock wall. The reception room also served as a gathering place for guests. Kathleen kept hot water for tea, biscuits and other accoutrements available ‘round the clock for guests. This was nice, but the room was what started the whole adventure off on a warm and welcoming exploration of this part of Ireland.       The solarium windows were filled with red, pink and fuchsia geraniums back-dropped by the view of the Bay.

The whole house was spotlessly clean. The furniture was a bit dated and reminded me of my family home in the 50s. My point – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Kathleen’s warmth and compassionate attitude more than made up for dated furniture. I hope I get a chance to go back and stay with her again. Breakfast was a gut-buster!

We all took a short break and got settled in. She was gracious enough to let us check in early. Remember, we had landed that morning at 6:00am. After a break most of us walked around town. It was more of a small village. We found the local church; a bit modern compared to most the buildings we saw. In the graveyard we saw a beautiful sculpture. I say sculpture because it didn’t look as if anyone was buried there. Barbara’s daughter Marel found the information about it online: They are the creation of an art student from Ohio, Hattie Hammersmith, who was studying at Burren College of Art in Ballyvaughan. The figures represent the human spirit victorious over the earthly barriers represented by the arches. Twelve spirits in an eternal circle, arms raised victorious in praise to God. ………..Ballyvaughan segment to be continued.

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