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During the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Cork yesterday the festive atmosphere was broken momentarily by the usual procession of dour, po faced holy-Joes and Josephines threatening us all with damnation and a bit of perdition on the side if we didn’t get back to saying our ten Hail Marys.
My six year old daughter, annoyed by the break in ceremonies, shouts up at me within earshot of everyone around us..
“Hey, this isn’t a parade for God, it’s for St Patrick”..
Ah, bless.
What a day.. not too hot, not too cold, a refreshing breeze, good company and delightful scenery throughout. This was the charity cliff walk from the small village of Ballycotton to the even smaller village of Ballinrostig in East Cork.
The walk stretched 20 km (13 mi) along beaches, over cliffs, through dense bushes and across fields with the walkers never too far from the coastal margin. Over 360 people attended today, raising money for the local Chernobyl charity.
I am very familiar with the local coastline, although my walks tend to be along the rocks, where I constantly have to be alert to changes in the tide.
It was a long walk. We started at 11.30 am and didn’t finish until after 4.30. Many people (the serious types) managed it in much less time. At the end of the walk, there were sandwiches and soup waiting for us. They tasted utterly delicious.
I’m in Barcelona tonight, attending a 3 day training course. I was here before a few years ago, but I had forgotten how beautiful the city is. Every building has its own individual character.
We had our evening meal in a restaurant called “Los Caracoles” (The Snails), just off Las Ramblas. We walked right through the kitchen to get to the restaurant. And what a restaurant! It’s a rabbit warren, with small rooms everywhere - upstairs, downstairs, nested in alcoves, stretching beyond low corridors. A veritable Hogwarts for food addicts.
Celtic supporters were out in force tonight, but the mood was somewhat suppressed given that they were defeated 1-0 by Barcelona. That means a good sleep for me tonight.
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