'Loggers r us' - 5 days in SW Cork

Well it seems a long time since I was sat at my laptop and despite taking the new tablet to Ireland, the internet in Hacketts Bar did not allow me to do anything that was of use to me.
We had a good trip over stopping first at Woodies DIY in Cork to buy paint in case the weather was such that we were confined to indoor jobs (we weren't)

Then breakfast at Dunnes Store, which wasn't bad and good value. Next stop Lidl, Skibereen for supplies

and then off to White Castle Cottage, just getting slightly distracted on the way by the view and flowers at a stopping point

The picture doesn't reflect the light and colours at all. Can you see the Fastnet Rock in the background?

Who would expect to see such gorgeous daffodils at a parking spot?

Once we had arrived we didn't even go in the house but straight into the garden to see the storm damage

the caravan had a lucky escape 

but it got worse, this is just to the right of the caravan picture

and then further on in the wood this 

and at the end of the wood having scrambled over the wall we saw this

It was far worse than we thought, and just as we were walking back we saw this

the remains of the tree house that had been built by the cousins (The Leeds H's) when all the children were small. Definitely time to go in and have a coffee and unpack.

It wasn't long after that D had got the chain saw going and was working on the tree that had fallen in the garden. 

Meanwhile I was inside dusting round, getting rid of unwanted spiders and woodlice and reminding myself of the views from upstairs

When I ventured back outside there were some lovely bits to see, daffodils growing on a bank and the primulas that D's father planted many years ago. 

plus the first of many - a pile of newly sawn logs.

Most of the few days over there were spent outside doing something or going to get things we found we needed.

I choose to tidy up a small bit of garden near the container, finding an old teapot and planting primulas in it and generally trying to get rid of as much ivy and weeds growing there.

D discovered the water accumulator had rotted through so we had no water for nearly 24 hours whilst we went and bought a new one (He discovered it as you might know, after the shops had shut)

The good thing about having to go for a tank was that we got to go to The Church Restaurant for coffee

It is an amazing place, especially as it burnt down, just leaving the facade that you see in the picture. Inside was completely rebuilt and now looks like this

I loved the way they sold their homemade bread from here

We stopped in Ballydehob for some fuel for the lawn mower on the way back, right opposite this little place

One day we needed to go down into the village (Schull) to the local hardware shop which, and the bank was in town!

I made bread, finding a good way to let it prove in front of the wood burner.

We frequented Hacketts bar and Newman's West  early evening before going home to eat.

The day before we left I was delighted to find a this cupboard in the back of one of the containers, very neglected and in need of some TLC. I gave it a clean, dried it out in the sun and have plans for it when I can get it home.

and all the while the wood pile grew

 the tree looked like this

and the wood shed/car port eventually looked like this when we left

I have a few more pictures to share with you that didn't fit into the dialogue 

I have now booked a massage for tomorrow to help with all the aches and pains!! A xx

Off to the Emerald Isle

Off again, can't believe that Ryanair are getting our custom so soon. All packed and ready for another early start, this time we only have to get to East Midlands for a 6-50am flight to Cork and we are parked within walking distance of departures so I think leaving at 4am should be fine. What we will find at White Castle Cottage? well we can only guess with all the storms that have hit there before arriving in Cornwall, but I'm sure the few days we are there will involve using a chain saw, clearing fallen trees and debris and the odd trip down to the village early evening for a well earned drink! So goodbye till we can talk again. A xx

Final day in Bruges

Our final morning arrived and it started like all the others had with a trip to the bread shop for croissants

and then after breakfast, packing and tidying round before going down to check out. Nico very kindly let us store our cases in the downstairs apartment whilst we went out and made the most of our last few hours. We followed another route suggested by the guide book and here are some of the places we saw

The only two houses with wooden fronts in the city

the City Theatre, and one of Europe's best preserved 

with Papageno, the bird seller from Mozart's opera, The Magic Flute outside the main door

more river side buildings, some renovated 

and some in need of it

finally we ended our walk at a bar/restaurant we had passed on a number of occasions during the weekend, this time we would stop and have lunch before we left for the station

But before I finally finish, some images that I loved about the weekend, apologises for the quality of some, it's difficult taking pictures through windows 

And so we wound our way back to the station taking even more of the narrow cobbled streets and alleyways, even one you could touch both sides

It's a wonderful city which we would gladly go back to, and we can't thank C, B, J and T enough for surprising us with it.