Day 9

0830 GMT - Everyone sleeps in today. We decide to head out to Roundstone to hit up a music store we have read about there. It is run by Malachy Kearns who is the most famous Bodhran maker in Ireland. The Bodhran is a traditional Irish percussive instrument. It is alternately raining and sunny on the drive to the coast. We pass a sign that reads... "Abandoned Village For Sale." It forces us into a double take. Roundstone is VERY tiny, and really cute. It is right on the water, and you can see small islands and farther land masses off in the distance. We park at the music store and a full rainbow appears over the town.



Eamon's friend Gate's has asked us to bring him back a pot of gold as a Christmas present...and we think we are in luck when we find the leprechaun's house.



Alas, the doors are locked, and we will have to catch a different leprechaun if we are to get Gate's gift. The music store and some other craft shops (pottery and jewelry) are housed in an old monastery.



1230 GMT - We have a great time in the shop, and they recommend a pub in town for lunch since they are hosting a local Christmas party in the music store cafe. Lunch is nice and we note the roaring peat fire, we are definitely missing some crucial knowledge in this area. We shop in a little jewelry store next to the pub, pick up some groceries from a little store, and head back to the monastery to check out the jewelry store there. Unfortunately it is closed. We do some more shopping in the music store which is more of an excuse to use the restrooms again. I surprise Amy by driving back to the cottage. This is the first time I have driven the whole trip, except from the hotel lobby to the lodge back in Scotland. It is much less unnerving to drive these little country roads which have little to no traffic on them. I don't do too bad.

1530 GMT - We are welcomed and herded home by the neighbor's sheep dog pup. Tea time again. I think this trip may see me consume more carbohydrates in three weeks than I have in two years. We cook the chicken that Amy bought on Saturday. The boys have a blast taking a bath upstairs together. We have to turn the oil heat on long enough to warm the hot water, but shut it off after their bath to keep the heating costs down.





Tonight I have a wee dram and stay up late watching some mediocre television on TV and get plot locked on some show, which I can't even remember. Our plan for tomorrow is to go to the Aran Islands if it is nice or to Kylemore Abbey if it is raining again.