Day 19 - Superheroes on the Farm

Another rainy day. This time with lots and lots of dark clouds over the ocean that promised an entire day of windy and wet weather.  With no real plans in mind, the kids asked if they could dress up in their costumes. 

cue in....Na na na na na na...BAAATMAAAN and BAAATGIRRRRRL.

Batman and Batgirl on the Farm

Kids don't care about rain and getting wet, so Hannah ran out to show her costume to the sheepdog, Sam.

Hannah showing off her costume to Sam.

It was a really gloomy day which brought on lots of laziness. The kids did plenty of running around the house and saving the day, but I mainly lounged around and read my book, "The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared". 

We did manage to go to Westport in the afternoon and do a bit of grocery shopping as we were almost out of everything. We had frozen pizza for dinner (hey I said I was feeling lazy!) and then Batgirl made us brownies :) 

Batgirl working on the brownie mix

While brownies baked in the oven, Batman went outside to say good night to Sam as they both watched the rain sweep across the farm.

Batman and Sam watching the rain

Good night rain. Good night wet Sam. Good night wet sheep. And good night wet chickens.

Day 18 - Carrownisky Strand

You remember that brown irish soda bread? Well apparently the chickens can eat it too. Except it needs to be soaked for 30 minutes in water. We had a bit of left over from an older batch so we decided to soak it up and feed it to our awesome chickens that give us eggs every day.

Kian happily took on the task.

Kian about to feed the soaked up bread to the chickens

Then we visited the hen that is now sitting on some eggs. This chicken was getting "broody", as they say here. She kept trying to sit on the egg(s) in the egg bucket (the chickens have a bucket in their shed where they go to lay their eggs, if there is already a chicken in the bucket they lay the eggs around the shed).  So now this chicken has her own bucket with a few eggs that she is sitting on. She started on July 7th and we are hoping to see some baby chicks hatch on the 28th! I'll keep you posted on what happens.

Mommy to be? We'll find out on July 28th.

It was a nice enough day by Irish standards. About 20 C and partly cloudy. Time to go to the beach. This time we headed to Carrownisky Strand. There is a surfing school on this beach and you can rent a wet suit and surf boards. No, we did not go surfing, but we did see many more people than on Silver Strand.

Since Hannah has been watching "Dora saves the mermaids" over and over and over again, we felt like it was our duty to build a mermaid kingdom :) 

Carrownisky Strand

Hannah and Daddy building the foundation of the "Mermaid Kingdom"

Carrownisky Strand

Kian building the towers 

Carrownisky Strand

Mommy posing with the hard working crew

Carrownisky Strand

The finished Mermaid Kingdom

Then it was time to soak our feet a little bit. 

Kian waiting for the next wave

Kian running away from said wave that got his pants almost all wet

Hannah also got brave enough to chase the waves, or was it vice versa?

Hannah running away from the waves

We had a great time just running around and then of course collecting more seashells. Once we got back home, the kids were allowed some screen time on their iPads, as we cooked dinner. They decided to play together (the same game at the same time on each iPad) and were all sorts of silly.

Kian and Hannah playing on their iPads

We had charcoal grilled steak with fried onions and potatoes and a little bit of mushrooms. 

Charcoal fried steak with fried potatoes and onions

One of my favorite things about cooking all this homemade food and eating all meals as a family is that the kids have been trying all kinds of different foods that they would usually say no to or make a face at back home.  Kian tried fried onions and Hannah tried and LOVED mushrooms. 

Hurray for being adventurous :)

Day 17 - Relaxing At Home

After our road trip to Leenane and Killary Fjord, we planned to take it easy and just play at home and around the farm. The decision was party impacted by the weather, as it was quite chilly and rainy. 

Nevertheless we put on our jackets, walked around the farm, visited the sheep and the chickens, and chatted with our host. They really are great and so very hospitable. He explained a few farm details about the sheep and then he gave us some of the brown Irish Soda Bread that he bakes along with a jar of homemade rhubarb and apple jam. 

Brown Irish Soda Bread & Rhubarb and Apple Jam

We also visited Mayflower, a Connemara pony horse, who is now about 7 years old. She is very beautiful. Mayflower and her mom, Jessie, live here on the farm. 

Mayflower

Afterwards we came back inside for some playtime. We have brought enough of the kids' favorite toys and gadgets to keep them busy :)

Hannah playing with her princesses and Kian's super villains 

Kian playing Lego Star Wars on the iPad while daddy gives him helpful hints

Kian ran around and played with Sam, the sheep dog, in the afternoon and would get bummed out when he would go looking for him and could not find him.

Kian returning back to the cottage after not being able to find Sam

After dinner we had our weekly family movie night and watched Sleeping Beauty.  Both kids enjoyed the movie and I was quite nostalgic. It was a great way to end a lazy day at home.

Family Movie Night - Sleeping Beauty

Day 16 - Leenane & Killary Fjord

The day started with some breakfast and seashell painting. 

Kian painting his seashells

Hannah showing off her painted seashells

The sun was shining beautifully so we decided it was great day to head to Leenaun (also spelled as Leenane) and see the Killary Fjord. We practically live on a part of the Wild Atlantic Way. The Wild Atlantic Way is about 1500 miles around the north and west coast of Ireland with magnificent views and lots of small villages full of Irish culture and history.  

A sign for the Wild Atlantic Way

As we drove down the typical very narrow roads, we were rewarded by incredible scenery. 

Panorama view on the route to Killary Fjord (Doolough Lake)

We also saw a monument dedicated to those who died during the famine. The event is now known as the Doolough Tragedy.

Monument site marked with, "To commemorate the hungry poor who walked here in 1849 and walk the third world today." followed by a quote by Mahatma Gandhi, "How can men feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow beings?"

We arrived in Leenane around lunch time and decided to eat at The Village Grill.

Leenaun also spelled as Leenane

We had a simple and quick lunch.

Fried Cod with Chips and Mushy Peas

After lunch we were able to enjoy incredible views of the Killary Fjord.

Killary Fjord

As an added bonus to our day trip we checked out the Sheep & Wool Centre. We arrived at a good time and were able to go on a tour and check out the demonstrations of how the sheep are sheared and how the wool is turned into yarn (known here as thread). Since there were only 4 other people on the tour the kids had the chance to help with some of the demonstrations and had a great time. We all learned a lot!  

Sheep and Wool Center

Leenaun, Ireland

Sheep and Wool Center

Kian was given the task of cleaning the sheep's wool of any dirt or dust

Sheep and Wool Center

Kian worked hard to "comb" the wool and make a "Lamb's tail"

Sheep & Wool Center

Hannah wanted to try and help Kian

Sheep and Wool Center

Antique spindles

Sheep and Wool Center

Kian and Hannah with the only big wheel spindle in this area. Only 2 people are known to be able to operate this near the Leenaun area.

Sheep and Wool Center

Dyed Wool

The Killary Fjord stretches out for 16 Km. We drove a bit further to see what other landscapes waited ahead. We are so glad we did since we came across the Kylemore Abbey.  Kylemore Abbey was built by Henry Mitchell as a present to his wife. We did not go inside the abbey but were able to check out the structure and learn about the history.  It is even more magnificent to see in person.

Kylemore Abbey

We drove just a bit longer, continuing on the Wild Atlantic Way and saw some really gorgeous beaches. It was much too late to get out an play and we had a long drive home, so we just took in the views and started our journey home.

One of the beaches we saw on the Wild Atlantic Way on the Killary Fjord route

We made and enjoyed some charcoal grilled cheese burgers when we arrived home. Mmmm Mmmm.

Charcoal Grilled Cheese Burger

We will leave you with an Irishman's Philosophy :) 

A Post card at the Sheep and Wool Center

Day 15 - A Day in the Neighborhood

Monday morning brought more clouds, and since we had hiked quite a bit the day before we decided to stay close to home and not make any big plans for the day. 

As mentioned in previous posts, the family whose cottage we are staying at was away last week and they returned late last night.  Their sheep dog, Sam, was staying with another family while they were away, but was returned on Sunday night. 

Sam is a sheep dog, and his main job is to round up the sheep. He lives outside and he is quite happy about his living arrangements. Kian warmed up to him quickly and was very happy racing him all around. 

Kian and Sam (the sheep dog)

In other farm news, a hen recently had new baby chicks shortly before we arrived here. Until today, these chicks were not allowed to come out of the shed and their mama stayed with them at all times. All the chicks are now a few weeks old. They are all brownish, except for one of them which is a light yellow. 

I asked how they know if the chicks will be hens or roosters and was told that they are still much too young to tell. Apparently when they get a bit older the feathers of a hen will be different than the feathers of a rooster. There are already 2 roosters on this farm and they are usually fighting if they are near each other. So I asked what happens if they end up with more roosters, and was told in a very matter of fact way that they will end up in the pot, and that their meat is actually quite tasty, but is very different from the kind of chicken meat you get in the store. 

We had many more conversations and learned much more about sheep, chickens, and even the horses. So glad we decided to stay on this farm. 

Yellow baby chick riding his/her mama's back :)

In the afternoon, the sun started peaking out from behind the clouds and we decided to head to the Killeen Playground, which is only a few minutes drive away.

It is a fun little playground, perfect for children under 6. It even has a climbing and slide section shaped like a pirate ship!

Pirate ship slide at Killeen Playground

The kids had fun playing on familiar rides.

As well as the unfamiliar ones. 

A circular spinning ride.  You're apparently supposed to run on it and it spins as you do, but our kids preferred holding on while it spun.

They both had a blast on the big swing. This is the second time we have seen this type of swing on our travels. The first time was at the Diana Memorial Playground at Kensington Gardens. They need to bring these to the states (or at least to NJ, I've never seen them at any local playgrounds) as they are lots of fun and seem safer than tire swings.

And the monkey bars presented a fun challenge as well since they were very very high. So high in fact that I had a hard time holding Hannah as she went from bar to bar.

We had a great time playing on the playground, and met a few very nice families who live around here. Kian met a little boy a year younger than him that he had fun running around playing tag and superheroes with, and Hannah really wanted to play with a beautiful little girl who was about her age, but I think she was just being too shy to approach her. 

All in all a great day was had by the whole family. We ended up staying at the playground too late, and since everyone was famished, we just made frozen pizza for dinner. 

Day 14 - Clare Island

We woke up to a gorgeous day with lots of sunshine and best of all dry sneakers! Hurray! Time to go to Clare Island. We can actually see Clare Island, in the Atlantic Ocean, from the windows of our little cottage.

The drive to the Roonagh Pier was a little less than 15 minutes. Yes, very narrow roads again in case you were wondering. We took the 10.45am "True Light" ferry which is the fastest ferry to Clare Island. The ride took about 10 minutes and we were able to enjoy some beautiful scenery. 

View of Clare Island Harbour from the ferry

Once we arrived we stopped at an unmanned information center to pick up a map and figure out our hiking route(s). I really wanted to see the lighthouse and hoped the weather would stay nice so that we could hike all the way there. 

Map of Clare Island

The first historical site on our way was the Clare Island Tower House. What is really neat about it is that after reading the information on the sign you can actually push the small metal gate open and go inside. There isn't much left inside but you can see that it was 3 floors, and as soon as you enter, if you walk down a narrow hallway to the left you will see the stone steps in front of you which at some point in time lead to the 2nd and 3rd floors. You cannot climb these stairs.  According the to sign it is believed that a few wooden steps connected the stone stairs to the ground floor. 

Tower House

History of the Tower House

Tower House

Kian outside the Tower House

Tower House

Mommy and Hannah investigating the metal gate

Tower House

Inside the Tower House

Tower House

Stone stairs leading up

Tower House

Clare Island gave Hannah, our little rock lover, a heart-shaped rock

Tower House

Old sign

After browsing the tower house, we decided to walk the "Green Route" loop before taking a break for lunch and then heading to the light house.  This is an easy terrain with good views of the ocean as well as the mainland and Croagh Patrick.

Our little photographers had a great time walking and photographing various sites and things they found interesting. 

Kian and his camera

Hannah taking a picture of daddy while daddy takes a picture of Hannah

On our walk, aside from gorgeous scenery we saw lots of sheep (of course), cows, and a friendly donkey. He came right up to us and did not mind being petted. Donkey's have the sweetest eyes.

Kian and the sweet donkey

As we were getting ready to find a place for our mini picnic lunch, the sky was getting covered in dark clouds and it started to rain. We picked up the pace and tried to find a sanctuary from the downpour! Thankfully, we came upon an adorable and cosy coffee shop in just minutes. If you go to Clare Island one day, you must visit Anna's coffee shop. The atmosphere is very relaxed and Michelle and Anna (sister-in-laws) are remarkably friendly and welcoming. They have a book case full of books, from travel books to children books and everything in between. They even have a few jigsaw puzzles that kept our kids entertained before the food arrived. 

The food and bread are also very delicious. I am actually sad we did not have the time to try the pastries as they looked very good on other people's plates, but the skies were turning blue and we didn't want to push our luck. 

Anna's Coffee Shop

A series of colorful signs at various intersections help guide travelers to the coffee shop

Anna's Coffee Shop

Menu

Anna's Coffee Shop

Cute jigsaw puzzle kept the kids busy while they waited for lunch

Anna's Coffee Shop

A little tea to warm up the wet hikers

Anna's Coffee Shop

Vegetable soup and home-made bread

After lunch, the rain passed and sunshine returned. Lots of sunshine, enough to make us sweat on our hike up to the light house! 

View fullsize

We barely saw anyone on the road up to the light house

The walk from the coffee shop to the light house is about 1.5 miles and there are some steep hills but nothing too difficult. The kids both walked the entire way up and were carried down most of the way back down.

Kian and Hannah at the 1 km mark. Although I think this sign is not very accurate. The walk felt much longer than 1 km.

Kian and Daddy. If you look closely behind them you can see the top of the light house. We were getting close!

We saw lots and lots and lots of sheep on our way up. They were completely unfazed by us going by.

A sheep posed for our picture without being disturbed

We arrived at the light house and I was a bit disappointed that we could not go inside. Apparently the light house is now a bed and breakfast and it costs quite a few pretty pennies to be able to stay there. Bummer. I would have love to go in the light house and check out the views!

Light house at Clare Island

I did not pout for too long though because the views right outside of the light house are incredibly stunning. 

Kian and Hannah on the hills/cliffs by the Clare Island light house

View of the cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean

The kids had lots of fun being silly and we were able to sneak a few quick snaps.

Silly kids at Clare Island

The weather remained incredibly cooperative on our hike back down. We planned to take the 4.45pm ferry back to Roonagh Pier. We saw the skies starting to turn gray again, so we kept a quick pace, and as soon as we arrived at the unmanned information center it started to pour! A few very soaked people rolled in after us to wait for the ferry's departure time. 

By the time we had to get back on the ferry (within 15-20 mins) the rain was gone and sun was shining on the ocean. 

After arriving home I made a quick dinner, marinated sautéed chicken breasts on top of spinach with a side of sautéed mushrooms and bell peppers. The kids had a little bit of pasta with their chicken and ate most of their veggies raw.  Once again the little hikers cleared off their plates.   

Sautéed Chicken atop Sautéed Spinach with a side of mushrooms and bell peppers  

Day 13 - Walking around the city of Westport

We woke up to the sound of rain and remembered we forgot to bring our sneakers inside! Yiikes! We had left them out in the sun to dry the day before and completely forgot to bring them in before going to bed :( The rain passed quickly and we had blue skies and plenty of sunshine. The original plan was to go to Clare Island and do lots of hiking but with what? flip flops? 

Change of plans. We decided to head into Westport and just spend the day checking out the stores and restaurants, because walking around a town in flip flops is doable :)  Westport has been voted as the best place to live in Ireland.

Hannah and Kian in an Irish Telefon kiosk

The kids had fun with a metal bicycle. It is very interesting to walk around with kids. The things they notice can easily go unseen by the adults.

Kian on the metal bicycle

Hannah enjoying her "ride" on the metal bicycle

This I believe is the town square with a statue of Saint Patrick. The writing on the stone says, "I am Patrick. A Sinner. Most Unlearned. The Least of All. The Faithful, And Utterly Despised by Many."

St. Patrick's statue

The streets of Westport are very quaint with many unique shops and restaurants. 

A street sign in Westport. All signs are in Gaelic as well as English.

After some exploring around town we decided to get some coffee and a snack. We came across a lovely chocolate shop called Marlene's House of Chocolate Delights.

Marlene's House of Chocolate Delights

The shop smells delicious and there is a great variety of chocolates to choose from. We selected 3 different kinds and they were all delicious.

Variety of chocolates available on the day of our visit

We headed back home in the early evening as I had planned to make dinner at home. The kids had a great time playing puppets with daddy while I prepared our food.

Puppet time

We all had spaghetti and meatballs with salad and fruits :) 

Spaghetti & Meatballs

After dinner the kids played some more by themselves as we cleaned up. They were each allowed 1 Oreo cookie as dessert. As they ate dessert I read them "The Princess and the Frog" and "Cinderella". We put these children's books on the iPad (using the Kindle app) before leaving the US.  Much better than lugging actual books around the world.

Story time

We wrapped up the night with teeth brushing and some tickle time :) all in all it was a great relaxing day.

Tickle Monster attacks :)