Gumboots ready for WWOOFing on the farm
1. Exploring my ancestry in the huge red volumes at the Irish Life Centre. An afternoon spent researching led to a reunion with my Great Aunt and cousins the next day – Finding family in Dublin
2. Meeting Italian English-student, Valentina, who demonstrated her family recipe for kneading and rolling handmade Gnocchi. In exchange I taught her Aussie-English phrases such as “how are ya?” and “no worries” – Cooking in Cork
3. Volunteering on an eco-retreat and persevering with a compost toilet. Every scoop of sawdust and visit to the humanure compost heap was a lesson in sustainable living – WWOOFing in Dromahair
4. Appreciating traditional farming skills as I spent the day building and rebuilding a 200 year-old stone wall - Farming in Wexford
5. Stepping on many Irish toes while learning the reel, jig and polka – Set dancing in Bantry
6. Drinking at a trad seisiún of guitars, fiddles and flutes, violins, accordions and a bodhran – Listening to music in Ballydehob
7. Chatting about politics, religion and family with a local who’s Grandma made bombs for the IRA – Understanding history in Derry
8. Meditating by the Atlantic at the Dzogchen Beara Buddhist Temple – Practising mindfulness on the Beara Peninsula
9. Hitchhiking to Croagh Patrick and overcoming fog and fear to climb to the peak – Making a spiritual pilgrimage in Westport
10. Devouring eggs, bacon, fried chips, mushrooms, tomatoes, black pudding and endless cups of tea. Sharing stories, laughter and sleep-deprivation – Staying with family in Dublin
**
This post has been entered into the Grantourimo HomeAway Holiday-Rentals travel blogging competition.
