Every time I visit Limerick, I insist upon going to the Saturday morning Milk Market. The offerings of local vendors taking over what seems like half the city itself feels nothing less than festive and fanciful, like a fairy tale village of yore. Dancer Friend and I had some delicious local cuisine for breakfast, loaded up our bags with fresh food for dinner, and I stayed a bit longer to buy some surprise desserts while she went off to teach a dance class for an hour. After our morning of productivity we hopped a bus out of town for the day.
One of the main reasons why I love going to Ireland so much is the jaw-dropping scenery. I always end up frolicking through a new panorama or adventuring into some picturesque little knoll. This time, Dancer Friend and I decided to spend the day in the small town of Adare. I had apparently been there before during my first trip to the Emerald Isles so many years ago, and while it was not a completely new experience, it was charming enough to enchant anyone no matter how many times you may venture there.
This tiny little village is particularly known for a set of old thatched roof cottages essentially making up the crux of the main street. Along with abbeys and old castle ruins, little parks and a river to peruse, there is no end of things to feast your eyes upon throughout the day. The only disappointment was discovering that the golf course, which allows up close looks at randoms ruins scattered about, was closed for construction so we weren't able to see one of my favorite memories from my original jaunt. We spent time in the monastery, however, and happened upon an old friary as well. Since the weather throughout the entire weekend was an on and off deluge of rain, it was the perfect way to escape the wet and cold for a few minutes. When the sun was shining, however, the light and color was astounding, with luscious green grass underfoot canopied by the brightest of blue skies.
Near the end of our afternoon tour, we began a short route beside the river. While we started by walking amidst clear skies and sunshine, not five minutes passed before the skies literally opened up in rain and hail, soaking and smacking us with all manner of natural phenomena. Umbrellas were useless and Dancer Friend could not stop laughing while she took video footage of our fight against the elements. Ultimately, the brawl was entirely worth it as a gorgeous double rainbow framed the sky and the clouds went back into hiding.
After that fortuitous debacle, we decided it was high time for some afternoon tea and refreshment. We chose a cute little cafe and indulged in sandwiches, a pot of hot pot for two, and some scrumptious pastries. Before and after our libations, we made sure to stop in a few shops around town, finding some fun things to take home for friends and family. When we finally caught our bus back to Limerick, we were sad to say goodbye to such an idyllic setting but more than happy to warm up for the rest of the evening.
Our original plan was to make dinner at home, have some wine, then head out for drinks with some friends. We made such a delicious picnic of steak, mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts, however, that we couldn't help but feel incredibly contented at home. With a fire blazing and wine overflowing, we ended choosing a night of pajama party gabbing and gossip rather than traipsing through the cold and rain again. I couldn't have been more pleased by my second day in fairy tale land.
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