So Valentines Day! It was nice to have Paul off for the day that we could spend it together. We really hadn't planned anything special and didn't feel the need to be forking out loads of money. We decided the night before to get up a little early to try and catch the sun. We hoped in the car and headed down to Portumna. It was about a 45 minute drive thankfully the weather held out and allowed us to enjoy the ride. Once there we took a quick drive through the town and drove over the Shannon River. While driving through town he pointed out the church his parents had been married at. I immediately recognized it from the wedding album I had looked at his mom's. Portumna is the town that his mother grew up in. So it was nice to see a little bit of his family's roots.
We decided to go for a little drive down to the water. Along the way we found our way into a estate that held the remains of a abbey and graveyard and a beautiful castle. I took a picture if the sign post telling about the Abbey. I think it is wonderful that there is still so much Gaelic in the country. The sign is in both Gaelic and English. We took a little stroll around the castle grounds but unfortunately this time of year nothing is open. The castle grounds features gardens and tours. Will have to come back at a better time to have a look.
After wards we took a little spin through town and Paul took me to his grandmothers house. This is the house his mother grew up in and his Aunt and her family are currently living. Auntie and son happened to be home enjoying a bit of lunch so we stopped in for a quick hello. After that we enjoyed a drive talking. We talked about grandparents and memories of life and death. Paul suddenly veered off the road down a little alley way to a small graveyard. He was surprised to remember where it was, we payed a little visit to his grandparents and payed respects.
Getting a little late in the afternoon and having not had anything to eat we decided to stop in a town along the way for a sandwich. We had a nice toasted sandwich and a wrap. Followed by a wonderful éclair and apple pastry. Home we headed to a much needed nap. Two hours OUT! We had already decided we would have a nice dinner at home and since there was nothing good on TV we decided to pick up a movie at the shop. We put dinner on hold and headed to the video store for the grueling task of picking a movie. In the end we went home with a Irish film called “The wind that shakes the Barley” Set in the 1920's it was about the Irish fitting against British soldiers and the peace treaty that followed. Not exactly a romance piece for Valentine's day but...still a good film. All in all a nice day. No need to spend loads of money it was just good to be together for the day!
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone at home love you and miss you!
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone at home love you and miss you!
