17/04/08

It's 2115 and we are sitting up in bed eating Baileys choc truffles and fudge- yummy! I picked them up today in the organic produce market in Kilkenny.
Kilkenny is a wonderful town, it has character in plenty. Not a chain store in sight, even McDonalds is located away from the main tourist/shopping area. Fortunately for Daniel the proliferation of unique clothing stores overwhelmed me so I couldn't even begin to 'just look', but I wouldn't be surprised to read that Kilkenny is something of a Mecca for independent designers.
We'd parked Pat a 15min walk to towncentre downstream on the River Nore. Another great parking spot, though a suspect the locals' 'lover's lane.' I'm glad it was Wednesday, not the weekend; returning from a few Guinness's at Kytelers Inn, we did disturb a couple who mustn't have liked our company, because they left shortly thereafter.

Today we took an 1130 tour around Kilkenny Castle which was a working castle until 1935, and in 1967 was sold to the State for £50. Its being faithfully restored from black and white photographs from about 1870. Unfortunately they also found a sample of the garish yellow wallpaper for the library behind a skirting board so we were subjected to that, though we were informed that this yellow wallpaper did act as a great light reflecter, in the absence of artificial light. It was well worth our 'free' visit courtesy of our Irish Heritage cards, though it was a very English Castle with familial ties to English monarch and thus lacking in the Irish qualities that we are seeking here in Ireland.

After the tour Daniel headed back to the van and I to the market. Unfortunately Daniel has got a bit of Delhi belly (in Ireland!). I suspect it may be from Pat's watertank, Daniel's been the only one drinking it, I've only used it for brushing my teeth and cooking and cleaning. We've stocked up on Fennel tea and homeopathic remedies but I've said ''two days - and then we are off to a doctor.''
We had planned heading south to do one of a couple of nature walks but instead we went for a drive and ended up in Craiguenamanagh. We are now parked up in a darling spot on the 'marina.' I pumped Daniel up with 'drugs' and we went for a sunny early evening stroll alongside the River/canal Barrow.