Westport for R & R

Mrs Ryan had a birthday in January, so we took up an offer at Knockranny House www.khh.ie for three nights and treated to great food, vino and spa treatments. Why not to brighten up the winter.



Westport is close Croagh Patrick where St Patrick spent 40 days and nights expelling the snakes from Ireland.

I didn't manage a plenary indulgence, but had a good workout anyway.

I didn't manage it to the top because of low cloud but got high enough to get some good pics of Clew Bay. The track is very rough, loose stones and rocks and quite steep, and the hardy ones do it in bare feet!

Brrrr....!

After our white Christmas in America we came home to relative mild though where told that we had missed a week of cold, ice, frosts and freezing fog. The boss's mother who was staying over Christmas and New Year told us she had not been out of the house for three days because of the ice. Lucky us!
But a week later the snow arrived and because the ground was so cold it stayed around.

Quite nice when the sun finally shone...

Not sure that the horses enjoyed it too much....

The fountain turned out to be our daily "weather vane"!

The swans and ducks had a struggle keeping their swimming hole!

A White Christmas...

Christmas 2009 saw us flying into New York to enjoy the festive season in the Big Apple.

And of course Mother wanted to see Numero uno!!

We were treated to the Rockettes Christmas Show at Radio City Music hall...

and dinner at Per Se. http://perseny.com/

A nine course extravaganza. The pork belly was sensational...

and the foie gras was even better. A great night and certainly one to remember.

Then we headed north to Milwaukee on Christmas eve for more "white stuff"....

to have Christmas with baby sister Maria and husband Robbie. We managed most of the wine.

There was even a hint of Irishness involved.

All hands to the pumps for Christmas dinner.

and Robbie was in full control of the obligatory deep fried turkey.

Keeping the Champagne chilled was not a problem!

Flying back to New York on Stephen's Day in the snow was incident free. The airport at Milwaukee has DOZENS of snow ploughs just driving up and down the runways and taxi-ways. No flight delays - no problem.

Certainly a Christmas to remember. Thanks Maria and Robbie.