***Sorry I've been playing catch-up! The great lot of travelling we've been doing means that it's hard for me to whip out my computer and play the update game. But I'm all caught up now, so I think we're grand.***



22 April 2007



Here we are in Sligo! I haven’t ventured into town just yet because town center is pretty far away (about a 15 minute walk) and we didn’t get into our hotel until about quarter to six last night. We drove up the coastal road through Connemara, a beautiful “rugged” territory full of hills and mountains and lakey and streams. Lots of rocks too. Always lots of rocks. But absolutely gorgeous. We stopped at the Ceide Fields, which is a neolithic farming community. Archeology galore! I enjoyed it quite thoroughly, even though it was really really really windy. I almost got blown off the boardwalk. I picked up a book on bogs and found some really cool bog cotton grass. Well, I didn’t originally find it. Dr. Mann picked a fluffy little stalk for me and then the tour guide reprimanded me for picking the bog flowers. Dr. Mann apologized to me and to the guide though, and so she just laughed and said it was ok.

The bus ride was long because I was sitting next to the McDowell’s daughter the whole time, and though she’s adorable and quite clever, I’d forgotten how taxing playing make believe can be.

As I’m about to venture out (and check to see about surfing lessons for tomorrow, because apparently the surfing here is great) I’d like to mention the coolest thing about Sligo yet: the hotel. We’re at the Sligo Clarion, which is amazing because it is a renovated mental institution from the 1940’s. It wasn’t closed until 1992 when the newer facility was opened next door. Clarion purchased it and renovated it (a 45 mil. Euro job) and opened it in 2005. It is the biggest, most confusing, and creepiest hotel I’ve ever seen in my life. There must be something like 500 rooms. It takes me about 4 minutes to walk from the reception to my room on the second floor, and that’s if I book it. There are corridors upon corridors of narrow creepy hallways, made all the creepier by the maroon carpeting with occasional jagged orange designs woven into them, the mauve walls, and bizzare (sometimes violently so) modern art adorning all the walls. This picture here is of one of the paintings just before you get to my room. I like to call it Vein-Rune Study I. I’m not a big fan. It reminds me of Hannibal Lecter.

The exterior of the hotel is imposing gray stone, neo-gothic style with towers overlooking an enclosed courtyard. To take this picture, I had to go across the street. Exploring the hotel last night took a full hour, and I’m pretty sure there were still places that I didn’t get to. There’s even a very eerie old chapel on the grounds, that was shrouded by thunderclouds last night. I think that maybe I’ll go exploring again to take some pictures, but this time I’ll bring some bread crumbs so if I get lost, I’ll be able to find my way back to my room. If the cleaning personnel doesn’t vaccuum them all up. Hm… maybe a ball of twine would be a better idea. I do have quite a bit of yarn… Hm. Well, I’ll give you an update a little later. If I come back alive and sane.

------Update as of 23 April----- I played more bridge last night and learned how to play poker. I am a terrible poker player and am really glad I don’t play for real money. Maybe it’s because I have no poker face… Anyway, I ventured into town center, which is about a 10 minute walk from the hotel, and it’s a lovely little area. There are more trees around Sligo than elsewhere I’ve seen. PS: No surfing for Steph. It’s still too rough out there and the weather is nasty today.