Monday, May 27, 2013

Monday in Ennistymon

I love this town. One might not think there is a lot happening but it's not really sleepy either. There is just something about it that whenever we venture this way for the post, milk, our beloved crepes, or the hardware store, I just feel uplifted and inspired. Maybe because it's just the right around of busy. 

Jubal and I had a great plan today. We went for our morning walk and then were going to go to Ennistymon for crepes, and a few errands. At my father's request I'm attempting to research where the wheat comes from here. I planned on going to Unglert's Bakery to enquire about this but they are closed on Mondays. I was going to go to the charity shop, but they are also closed on Mondays. So instead I walked around a bit enjoying the sun and soaking up all the colors and textures. :)
Instead of our crepes, we settled for the hotel on the corner, Byrn's. I had the cannenoli special and it.was.so.good. 

I left a happy and content Jubal to read his book as I strolled around.
This yellow and green I found in a alley really struck me. A narrow passage walking down to the river. I love finding colors in otherwise unseen crevices.

I'm not 100% sure but I think this is the flag for County Clare. The spirit of the different counties around the country is fascinating to me. It reminds me of the kind of school spirit schools used to have when I was very young and before. 

This velvety purple was just too irresistible to not photograph. And I love that I didn't have to do any color enhancing (which I love to do- but I know when to leave well enough along).

This garden center is out behind the hardware store. It just goes on and on. Really enjoyed looking around in here.

As I walked through the garden center, I found myself contemplating and entertaining the idea of Jubal and I moving to Ireland or at least living here more often as we have been doing. It's OH SO TEMPTING. But- there are a few super important things right now that keep us in the states. Our families and the difference in the cost of living. In Ireland, it's a bit more than the states. But if we had to, we could do it happily and with hopes our family would want to come visit:) 

And speaking of family, I took this picture me da. (That was Irish for my dad) what? I can't help it, the various local vernaculars are really seeping in my mind and heat. Especially after I spend a bit of time with my friend Cáit in Dublin, all the talk in my mind after that takes on a much softer rounded ending to each word. 

I watched this guy go back and forth into the butcher shop with a pig or a side of beef over his shoulder. It was fascinating to me!! An older man walked up to me and said in a sly and humorous tone, "if you have a saw, we could nip off a piece each and have ourselves a nice dinner." Us accent was thick and fast I had to ask the poor guy three times what he said. Then I just laughed and said, "no, we can just lift it off the hook and take it away!" 

I enjoy finding breaks in the walls with a little gate. These little passage ways offer a view into someone's garden of church yard or who knows what!

The parking garage under the Supervalue market. Why don't we have this in the states? Or do we and it just hasn't reached southern Maine? That I've noticed anyway. There is a lot here that I see, systems like this and accommodations a for others that we just don't have. 

As we drove from Northern Ireland into the Republic, we didn't know for a few minutes if we had crossed over. Now, this picture is not from Northern Ireland but just down the road. But how we figured it out which end we were at was when we saw the road signs. In the Republic of Ireland, all road signs are in the Irish and England, in Northern Ireland the signs only in English. 

Cannot ever resist the urge to take photos of sheep. This I think is my favorite yet. 

Now normally I crop out the car's edges when I take photos from the car (as Jubal is driving). But this one I just found too interesting. Jubal's glasses are reflecting the clouds. The rear view mirror has a sliver of pink from a shop front behind us. And this stone building with the green trim has a painted scene of a window. It's old and decrepit. And interesting. 

I took this photo mainly for what I saw peeking atop and behind the buildings. Forming kind of a lacy effect. You can't really see it now but the way the Celtic crosses where peeking out was such an interesting contrast to the long smooth rooftops in the fore ground. But mainly because I really enjoy seeing a layering of landscape. Land above the rooftops.

View of the cascades from where we ate lunch. It's actually the River Inagh.

In many households we can see these lace curtains from the outside. They are so beautiful to me as I am so found of lace anything. 14 years ago I found a hole in the wall shop in Galway City, about an hour and half from Doolin- north. This shop was an antique shop and had shelves upon shelves of vintage and antique curtains. I did buy one for £8 way back then and it's hanging in our upstairs hall window. I tried finding it again the first time we got to Galway but no such luck. I asked around and no one had heard of it. I then went to a familiar shop that was still open from "my time before" where they did sell "antique" ones. But they were €70 at least for one panel. Yikes!! Oh well, guess we will not be outfitting our home with these, hahaha! But then luck found me twice in a more practical way. While in a charity shop near the Northern boarder in Co. Donegal, I found both a lace curtain and a hand embroidered piece of linen for €1.50 (!!!!!!!!!!!) yes, I know where to find the good stuff. I also found a shop in Ennis that will cut you the length you want of whatever lace they have for curtains and they charge about €4-7 a panel. Not antique but it does not matter. They are so beautiful and we look forward to getting just a few:) 

When I see these heavy machinery vehicles, I think of my nephew, Abel. I keep snapping pictures of them when ever I can just for him. I'm sure he can straighten me out and tell me what they are. 

Rooftops and dandelions.

I loved finding this little spot behind the bakery down the yellow lane. 

<3

I've also been collecting pics of doors. I only cropped out the other stuff and straightened the photo but I left the color as is.
I found these two egg shells on our morning walk today. Such a rare finding and such beautiful and delict colors. 

Being here for this as long as we have been, has helped me to decompress in a way I knew I needed and longed for but also in a way I didn't expect. Just changing our routine, my routine even has helped me to see things again in a way I've missed and in ways I haven't before. Walking around in either a new place or a familiar place can hold so many visual treasures. 




















No comments: