Bloom

Last Friday and Saturday, Jubal and I were warmly invited to our new friend's home in Kildare and to attend Bloom in Dublin. We had the most wonderful and fun time with our new friend, a basket weaver and meeting up with old friends at Bloom. It was such a highlight in our trip. I was invited to help demonstrate drop spindle spinning with the Irish Guild of Weaver's Spinners and Dyers and met some lovely ladies. We spent 4 hours weaving and spinning as people of all ages stopped by the tent for a chat or just to look on. I was very absorbed in what was going on which was great but I completely forgot to get pictures! Bloom was a very hectic crowded event with SO MUCH to see. It lasts for a few days. Lots of food demos where you get can practically eat a meal. And a lot of made up gardens. A lot of other stuff to see too which to me felt a bit commercial and packed together like sardines. But the demonstration areas where great. Open, airy, and interesting. Full of skilled craftspeople. 

The follow photos are all kind of jumbled with a combo of the beach here in Doolin and some of Bloom.

This boot is wedged in the rocks and taken over by the mollusk. Both interesting and very eerie.

Loved this faded peach strip on the horizon. From Doolin pier.

The mollusks really a bit overwhelming. I even discovered that if your very quiet and near, you can hear them making kind of a whisper sucking noise. Again, eerie and really fascinating. I captured a sound clip.

On this particular evening kids were investigating whether they should go for a swim by jumping off the pier. Today when we returned from one of the Aran island, there was a large group of them jumping. Here there was a scuba diver.

I ordered the starter portion of muscles... I lost tract around 30-40...

My favorite warmed goat cheese salad.

View driving down the hill towards Doolin.

Tullamore, Co. Offaly

This window over hang a river and was covered in ivy. 

Royal Canal, Co. Kildare

Garden at Bloom. Can you believe these lupine?!?

This tiny fish looked like a shiny pin from a distance. It wasn't dead but I think kind of stuck. I moved the water for him until he swam upright and under a rock. I think he was stuck!

I just love these colors together! 

A fairy garden at Bloom.

This is something I've been wanting to try. A vertical garden!

I loved the reflection of the clouds in the water. Royal Canal

Along the M6 (I think) there are various sculptural series, here is one that is part of a group of 5 I think. So interesting!

Jubal and I stopped for tea at The Bridge House Hotel. We really just wanted a bathroom break but then spotted that they serve "tea" and we thought, why not. Lets see how they do it. It was very nice (but Gregan's Hotel completely out does themselves!) while sitting there having a nice rest sipping our tea, a gaggle of young lassies saunter through. In their early to mid twenties. About 20 or so of them. Long hair, bleached, colored, streaked, you name it. Each wearing a hot pink t shirt stating something I couldn't understand- it was in English, but I didn't get it. All wearing sunglasses. All wearing black tights. And all wearing white lace panties over their tights. As the last one left, I asked our waited what that was all about and he said one word. And it was with a kind of tired sigh. "Hens." Ohhhhh.... In America we call that a bachelorette party. But my lord, the Irish (and the English I've heard) take it to a whole other level. The young waiter then kind of cheerfully stated, "I really pity the poor bus driver who has to take care of them for the next few hours." Yes indeed. That was all pretty exciting. 

We spent the rest of the week, well, resting. Ventured out to another knitting group in Ennis on Tuesday which was again enjoyable. And just yesterday we visited the middle of the Aran Islands, Inish Maan. With in stepping off the boat, I started planning how we could get back a second time. We loved it. More about that soon. And with pics!