Sunday, October 20, 2024

Today is a travel day. We are headed to Dunfanaghy (done-fan-a-hee) in Donegal for a week at a cottage that Alison and Maurice have been renting twice a year for several years, usually in April and October. It was relatively easy for Santo and I to pack up in one suitcase. But Alison and Maurice had all the real work of bringing not only clothes, but food, cooking pans, blankets and toys for the black cocker spaniel, Susie, and of course Halloween decorations! Lucy loves to decorate for Halloween and has brought pumpkins, lighted garlands, tablecloth, napkins, candles, black roses and more.

We could do little to help except, after our croissant breakfast, sit on the couch and stay out of the way. Around 10:30 we were ready to pack up and we were finally able to help carry things out to the two cars. We were off a little past 11, the boys in one car and Alison, Lucy, and I in the other.

While the skies were clearer than expected, the called-for winds were fiercer than imagined with gusts up to 50-60 mph. The news called for no travel in Northern Ireland unless absolutely necessary. For this family, Donegal is absolutely necessary!

The ride was indeed windy and Alison had to keep both hands firmly on the wheel. One bridge was closed due to the wind, so we had to take a detour around it. Halfway there we make a pit stop at a roadside gas station and restaurant. It was actually difficult to walk from the car to the building due to the wind trying to knock us off our feet. As we continued on, the skies darkened, and far up ahead, right where we were going, they were black. We hit intermittent rain, but when we arrived at the cottage it was relatively light so we were able to unpack the car with relative ease.

The cottage is a one-story, whitewashed structure. The entrance is through the square kitchen. To the right is the wing with a bathroom and 2 bedrooms; to the left is the wing with the master en suite bedroom and the living/dining room. Alison and Maurice insisted we take the master bedroom.

The heart of this home is the long living/dining room (probably 20 x 12 feet) which has three walls of extra large picture windows that make you feel as if you are outside in the remarkable scenery. Even with the rain, wind, and fog, we could appreciate how stunning this place is. A triangle of ocean is visible out one window, and all around are low hills dotted with white cottages. Looking out from this space, one can have no doubt that you are in Ireland!

We made quick work of putting things away, arranging things in the kitchen together so that finally I would be able to help cook, clean-up, etc. Alison got a chicken ready for roasting while I prepared the multi-colored carrots and potatoes. I also got out some cheese and crackers to tide us over until dinner since we had skipped lunch and were running only on our croissant breakfast. As the food filled the house with wonderful smells, Alison and Lucy arranged the Halloween decorations and set a festive Halloween table, complete with eyeball coasters, spider web cloth, pumpkin plates and Wicked-Witch-of-the-West feet for each leg of the table. Santo, Maurice, and I took seats in the living room and alternately read and stared out at the view. The wind was still fierce, and the hedges rimming the cottage were blown near sideways, with wild gusts roaring past us, though the house felt very tight and secure.

Alison and I plated the dinners in the kitchen to serve in the dining room. It was a veritable feast; we were setting the bar high for the week’s dinners. Santo surprised me with a Marzipan Stollen, a real treat, which we enjoyed with our tea for dessert. We are getting to be quite the tea lovers. We especially enjoy the electric kettle and tea pot which make, as Lucy would say, a proper cup of tea.

After dinner I moved a comfy chair up to the dining table, so I could enjoy the stories and laughter in comfort.

How can you feel so close and connected to people who grew up and live thousands of miles away in a different culture? We are thankful every day for this special friendship.