The good life

The day started with laundry, ironing, cooking potatoes, cleaning pots, updating the blog, and walking Paddy along the Lagan, throwing a stick into the river over and over and over for him to fetch. The day finished in an ornate bar in a grand Victorian railway hotel, where I currently sit.

In between. I played 9 holes of golf with mom at Shandon. Sadly showing her my lack of progress in this frustrating sport. But it was a beautiful day and it was fun to pootle round the course in the buggie.

Then I walked Paddy again, loaded up the car and headed south to Newcastle, at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. We checked into the Slieve Donard then I went to a food truck for burgers, Whatsapping Valerie and Aelish to lock down the plan for the next two days. The hotel had a few weddings and apparently stopped serving food in the bar due to a staff and/or food shortage. Brexit means a lot of people from Poland and Eastern European countries returned to their homes, leaving restaurants, nursing homes, fields full of crops, and lorries bereft of their labour.

Our room has a spectacular view of the Irish Sea and the mountains. This photo doesn't do it justice. Mom was well pleased, so that's what matters.

After we ate our burgers and drank in the view, we went for a swim in the hotel pool. The pool windows also look out on the Irish Sea and we got to see the profile of the mountains as the sun sank behind them. Mom absolutely loves being in a pool, so we had a grand time as we reminisced about past pool adventures. Meadowbrook Country Club when I was 8-12 years old featured, as did pools at Powerscourt and Muckross Hotel, visited on previous trips.

And now I'm in a very grand bar next to about 6 Italians. We met three Swedes in the pool who are here for a golf competition, so I assume these men are too. People come from all over the world to play Royal County Down, which is right next door.

I have had my overpriced glass of cab sauv with cheese and onion crisps, so I am ready for my bed. I can't wait to wake up in the morning and take in the view. I have no sense of directiion so I'm not sure where the sun will be rising--I'm confident the view will be spectacular in any event.

Oct. 10