Thanksgiving in Ireland
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Adventures
Friday afternoon I took the train out to Stansted to catch a flight up to Ireland to spend the weekend with Vanessa. I’ve visited her there a couple of times over the past few years; we met in middle school, lost touch for a few years during high school / college, and reconnected via facebook in the mid-aughts. She is hilarious, and one of those friends where time can pass but it doesn’t feel like it.
She met me in Dublin and we hit a pub for a quick pint, then grabbed some excellent Mexican food (seriously!) before settling in at a bar called Shebeen Chic. We spent a few hours there, getting caught up and trying to hold down a table while waiting to meet up with some of her friends. I was also reminded of how excellent the Johnny Cash covers album is. Really good.
She lives in a great little seaside town, and shares a huge, lovely flat with her boyfriend Gus. I had my own room to stay in – no couch for me. I do love having grown-up friends.
Saturday was literally freezing. It was SO cold. But we decided to venture out into the fog to explore Malahide, the larger seaside town next door. They have a great downtown, very adorable. I kept describing everything as cute and adorable. I don’t mean it condescendingly; everything just looks like it’s out of a book or a movie.
We eventually went up to Howth and the Summit Inn pub for some soup and a little Irish Rugby. After some grocery shopping for the evening, we headed back to her place to begin preparing Thanksgiving number two. Vanessa did a great job preparing a chicken, stuffing, and pie, her friend Shawna made amazing potatoes (it’s true; the Irish know their potatoes), and I was responsible for the mulled wine. Four of us enjoyed dinner with some rose prosecco, and later were joined by a few others for more dessert (including the cupcakes pictured below) and a little X Factor.
Sunday was a lazy day before I headed back to London.
I am so happy I got a chance to go back to Ireland again. I imagine I’ll visit Vanessa there again before I leave London, and it’s exciting to realize it’s so close. I don’t know if I could take the weather there, as much as I love cozy and rainy, but in November, it’s just perfect.
