May 22, 2012

Day 2: Clonakilty, Co. Cork, Ireland

Day 2 here in Clonakilty (Ahiohill to be more specific).  This morning we were able to sleep in, and I woke up around 11am. Zoe asked me how I slept and quite frankly, after very little sleep in the preceeding 48 hours, my answer was ‘like a dead person.’

The weather was awful this morning- rainy, foggy, had some sea mist coming in over the land and the roads and very very wet. Initially, we were going to be strimming the land outside the house (there’s a big party this weekend we’ve got to ready for), but the weather made that virtually impossible. After a breakfast of yogurt, toast and fruit, Tina took me for a quick walk around the house and the grounds, introducing me to the various gardens she has out back, the 3 dogs (Calise, Cartman and Dot), the 2 cats (Squish and Turloch), and the various parts of the house. We had a few tasks to do this morning (dishes, cleaning out the fire pit, etc.) and we were lucky enough to listen to John and Rob jamming away as we did them. Again, much appreciation goes towards the live music! I’ve a feeling that’s going to be a common occurrence here J

When I’ve been talking to some of my friends and family, I’ve talked about WWOOFing as a way to learn how to farm organically and live off of your own land. Here, it’s a bit of a different sentiment, one that I enjoy and appreciate all the same.  Desert Serges house is more about living simply, producing for yourself and enjoying life in all respects. As our visitor, Jack, said to me this morning “Life is one big school.” Always learning something new, always asking questions, always looking to try find out more about something that’s a bit ‘out of the box.’ I’ll probably be doing some organic gardening out back, but I am making a prediction that I’ll get the most out of the atmosphere and being a part of the unique way of life here.

So, after breakfast and a quick run into Clonakilty for some food shopping, Zoe and I got started cleaning out a few rooms inside of the house to prepare for guests this upcoming weekend. Rob is turning 25 and there will be a big party at the house that we need to get ready for! Rumor has it that West Cork parties turn into block/county parties essentially, and as Zoe put it, the earliest arrivals get here on Thursday and the latest guests leave around Tuesday. Definitely something I’m looking forward to.

After we got back from town, we sat down to a delicious lunch of homemade vegetable soup with buttermilk soda bread, which was absolutely delicious! I could seriously live on soup and soup alone, especially if it’s homemade. Since we had completed most of our day’s to-do list, Zoe and I shut ourselves in the sun porch armed with two ukuleles and a youtube search for ‘ukulele tutorials.’ She had always wanted to learn and since there were two, why not? After a long while trying to master ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow,' we switched to a simpler 4-chord rendition of ‘Hey Ya’ by Outkast…naturally the next best choice. Since I’ve never picked up a string instrument before, this was a very new experience for me; Zoe picked it up quite easily since she’s played flamenco guitar, but I think I’ve still got some practicing to do!

After a bit, we started watching the Eurovision performances, which I highly recommend everyone looks up since they’re incredibly entertaining. All the while, Tina and John were making a mouthwatering dinner of pork chops, asparagus and potatoes that were all topped with a green sauce made of parsley, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and coriander. I honestly could have just spooned the stuff into my mouth, it was that good. Zoe promises that all of their meals are to die for and she has proven to be quite correct thus far- cheers to eating VERY well for the next 3 weeks!

After dinner, we all piled into the van to head to Clonakilty to a pub called ‘Da Barra,’ which is famous across the country as one of the best music pubs. Jimi Hendrix’s guitar player was from Clon and many many world famous musicians have played there and gotten their start there as well. The walls were covered in old photos, there were old instruments strung up all over the place and it had a very welcoming and charming atmosphere. John, Rob and Tina met up with a friend of theirs to have a session there that night and were soon joined by 2 others (1 armed with a mandolin, which sounded beautiful, and the other with an acoustic guitar). The session that followed was incredible, and Zoe and I enjoyed the experience from the bar with our Smithwick’s/Murphy’s in hand.

We just got back to the house a bit ago, had a cup of tea, and sat and listened to John and Rob jam together for a little bit. I’m so intrigued by people who have such an ear for music and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of just watching their fingers race across the necks of their guitars.

Knowing we have a lot of work to do tomorrow if the weather permits, I forced myself to head up to sleep so I’ll be rested! No photos today- my apologies- but I brought my camera to the pub with no memory card. Fail.

Favorite part of the day: Trying to learn a new instrument. I think if I stick to it, I'll really enjoy strumming a tune for my family and friends to sing to.