The Widows Might ...

I make no apologies for beginning this post with what appears to be a quote from the Bible.  Close inspection will, however, reveal differences in both spelling and punctuation from the Scriptures.  My need to explain discharged, I shall continue ...

... or might not have found my company enjoyable.  As the only (I think) single man in the party, it was inevitable that the travelling parts of my holiday would find me seated with one of a small number of single women.  By far the majority of participants were either married couples or groups of women travelling together.  I decided that the difference in cost between organising my own independent holiday in Ireland and joining a party such as this was small enough to be outweighed by the absence of the hassle of doing it myself, and that the outcome was likely to prove much more enjoyable into the bargain.

Thus it was that last Sunday I was up at silly o'clock and walking the streets with a wheeled suitcase in tow, trusting that I would be collected on time by a taxi or minibus to meet a coach in Luton.  All the arrangements were perfectly synchronised (thank you, Leger Holidays) and after collecting a dozen or so more people at six further points along the way, we arrived outside that wonderfully-named former railway station on Anglesey about midday.  Here four other coaches met us, and an operation called 'inter-change' took place, whereby feeder coaches were transformed into tour coaches and passengers and their luggage were re-grouped in the right combinations for the correct tour that each traveller had selected.

Church of St. Mary of the
Visitation, Killibegs

In my case, this was a four-day visit to the north-west of Ireland, where I enjoyed surprisingly good weather, saw some exceptional scenery and amassed a staggering 142 photographs!  The tour included standing atop the highest cliffs in Ireland, Sliabh Liag, and a visit around the island's oldest operating pottery and it ended with a bus trip around some of the famous buildings in the centre of Dublin.

The Atlantic waves are gentle here at
Glencolmcille

The sights weren't all, of course.  There was some superb accommodation, highlight of which was the Great Northern Hotel & Conference Centre in the seaside resort of Bundoran, and also a rich variety of good food and good company.

After returning home yesterday evening, my descent into normal life once more has been swift, with a heap of post waiting to be dealt with, a rota swap at church to be negotiated, and ringing bells for a wedding this afternoon.  Where did that wonderful holiday go to?