A canal runs through downtown Westport.
This is the “octagon” in Westport.
A favorite archway… Glen McClure brought us here last month.
The Protestant church in Westport.
A contemporary sculpture next to the IshSko Center.
Reflections on news
It never ceases to amaze me that the Irish serve lasagna with a side of fries (which they call “chips” or “wedges”). Here, potato chips are called “crisps.”
The canal running through downtown Westport.
It never ceases to amaze me that they serve lasagna with fries (called chips or wedges). Here, potato chips are called “crisps”.
The Protestant church in Westport.
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A contemporary sculpture next to the IshSko Center.
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Reflections on news.
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The “octagon” in Westport.
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A favorite archway… Glen McClure brought us here last month.
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This is a “Achill salmon salad plate”. Many thanks to Glen McClure for helping me figure out what a “salad plate” is.
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The train knew I was coming. All the train cars are brand-spanking new.
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The Cullan brothers sat across from me on the train. Our Macs communed. (And my iPhone distorted their heads… live and learn!)
A zippy three-hour drive from coast to coast landed us in Westport, Ireland, to met our photographer friend. The many stoney building faces make Westport a beaux of a city. The businesses here have a decidedly international flair. Before meeting Glen, Dave and I lunched at a highly acclaimed restaurant downtown named “sol rio.”
Glen stays a few miles outside town, at the Seapoint House, when he’s in this area. His work is hanging in rooms all over this B&B. That (and the fact that he’s here) makes it feel like home to us. Dave and I have one of Glen’s photos from this very county (County Mayo) hanging in our dining room in Portsmouth.
When we arrived today, Glen was out somewhere with his camera so we wandered a bit. It was overcast across Ireland most of the day, but the colors of the moss here are always so vibrant as you can see below.
Glen’s enthusiasm for this place is contagious. For dinner, he took us out to one of his favorite pubs, Sheebeen. In the photos below, you see how animated he and Dave were–until the food arrived!
At this pub, once again, I found delicious vegetarian choices on the menu. Although I’m not vegetarian, I am trying to cut back on eating meat… we’ve had luck ordering one vegetarian and one fish or meat entree and splitting. (Incidentally, Torinos Italian Restaurant in Westport also has delicious food and vegetarian options.)
See my half-sized “lady Guinness” in the foreground above? It’s as much alcohol as I can handle (I’m actually quite the teetotaler). In any case, I’ve no idea what to make of the sandwich board we saw while walking downtown before dinner… it must be a joke?
I’m really not sure what to make of this sign.
Ireland by Chance 