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Cars and buses

Last week's activities centered around obtaining our smaller car. We went to Carlow on Tuesday with every expectation of picking up a 2009 white Fiat. Arrived there and were sitting in our usual pub/breakfast place when David-the-car-guy arrived. Usual pleasantries exchanged I said, "Well, are we ready?" Actually, no. Turns out David had looked at the car the afternoon before and he knew it just wouldn't pass the Ackroyd test. Too many dents in it. Ummm, so why did we drive all this way, couldn't you have called us? "Well, you know, when these cars come up, I (David) need to have the money right there to put on it so it was good that you brought it because I know of a great Fiat 500 that will be coming to auction tomorrow or the next day and I will have to snap it up." Umm, okay, gulping slightly and handing over the wad of cash in an envelope as if we were doing some kind of clandestine deal. Off he went.

Luckily, though, the trip wasn't a complete waste of petrol because we had arranged to visit our Italian friend Lucia, whose house we had been at the week before for her daughter Lea's missionary farewell. We drove there, only getting lost once this time (no, it is NOT on GPS) and had a very enjoyable couple of hours. Lucia had made a wonderful risotto so we had "tea" with her at 4:00 pm before we drove back. Lucia and Richard were discussing the comparisons between Italy and France and he mentioned how wonderful French cooking was (this was before she produced the risotto--he would never have dared say that afterward) and Lucia sniffed "Well, you know the French learned the basics of cooking from Catherine de Medici, an Italian who taught the French court everything about cooking and eating properly. The French just went on to tweak things here and there." Absolutely, Lucia, and the French know nothing about a good risotto (truly.)

Finished my "big" cemetery project on Wednesday as the weather was good. Over 300 headstones in all and a genealogy websites used one of my photos on its cover for last week:


She thought the font was a very unique one. I think, though, I may be going into strange Internet realms as yesterday I received an email from a store in China offering to sell me high-quality granite for headstones. Cheap shipping too. I think there is plenty of granite in Ireland though should I need a headstone in the near future.

Thursday morning I met a new friend at my favorite Chocolate Shop in Waterford. We talked genealogy for three hours, bliss! Then I wandered over to two museums--the Bishop's Palace and the Medieval Museum. So very interesting. They centre around the history of Waterford which, as Ireland's oldest city, is a long one. Pre-medieval actually. I do find it frustrating that I can never retain all of the details I read--names, dates, sequence. Amazing that I did a degree in History and am so hopeless at relating events. So enjoy the photographs and if you want to know more--Google the Bishop's Palace and Medieval Museum, Waterford 😜


Gifts given by Pope Pius IX to the Irish Battalion



A miniature room made completely of shell's by the daughter of a wealthy Waterford merchant.


Gifts of silver

Waterford Crystal

Waterford Crystal

Bishop's vestments "cloth of gold"
Waterford Crest






Great Parchment Book 1356-1649


More cloth of gold 


Last Friday was the big day--we were finally successful at getting a Fiat 500 from Dave. He did well all in all. It is a lovely little car and although the Duologic takes some getting used to (it is basically a manual gearbox without the clutch) even I can drive it. Here is a photo of it parked in the Tesco parking lot on Monday morning. 


For my Winterhaven friends, yes, it does look almost exactly like the car that remains in Jerry's hands on Softwind Drive. Except that the steering wheel is on the right. It is made for these narrow roads! 

Ironically now that we have a small car, Richard's Free Travel Pass arrived in the mail this morning. It means that he can travel for free all around Ireland on buses and trains. And I don't have to pay either as long as he is with me. We tried it out this morning and went to Waterford to pay the motor tax on the car. Worked a charm. We can now plan journeys to Cork and Dublin, Killarney, etc. 

Now all we need is my Irish passport so we can get over to England and get the clothes we left at Sheila's.

Mitzi continues to enjoy life in Ireland as well so I will sign off with her favorite photos:















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