Sure and didn’t  we miss a few roads in Ireland last fall requiring our return this Spring. We spent two weeks traveling along the Shannon River North to Sligo to visit my cousin, Eamon, again.  My dear cousin was in the hospital with pneumonia when we reached Sligo. After a short few hours of visiting with him, we met his wife, Pauline, and daughter for a delicious pub dinner.Then we returned south by way of the River Barrow, traveling to Rosslaire to catch the ferry to France. On our way we experienced all types of weather; rain, sleet, snow, hail, and heavy winds.

During our cycles, we witnessed the burning of the peat fields (intentional or not), spoke with a B and B owner who has her own peat patch, watched the cutting and stacking of the peat by individuals and also a corporate peat farm. The B and B owner talked about the “meditative” aspect of cutting the peat, and loving the fire it produced in her home as well as the personal peace when she cuts it and spots a fox or pheasant in the remote area of her patch.  While not quite the same, Bill experiences similar feelings when he cuts his firewood.

Photos below – perspectives on peat.

Our last night in Ireland was spent with some friends we made on our previous cycle trip in the fall of 2014. We call them Saint Ann and Saint John. They retrieved us from a drenching rain and took us to their home, dried us out, fed us and gave us a room for the night. During this Spring trip, we met them again and took them out to lunch and toured the Hook Head lighthouse. We were fascinated with Ann’s stories of growing up in Kenya and seeing the skin of the lion that her father shot and killed. Ann and John, friends forever.

Next stop: Le Cherbourg, France