9th – 14th April 2013

Ray, (who had been looking after us SO well at Doonbeg Lodge) invited us over to one of the houses they had on the property for a drink and some Irish dancing on the evening of the wedding. We wondered if we would manage to stay awake long enough and thank goodness we did…we had the time of our lives!

We took the lodge minibus there and were dropped off in the pitch back outside a small house. The windows were steamed up but glowing with orange light and we blindly tiptoed down the path and opened the door.

Inside there was a huge fire roaring, and a lot of chatting and belly laughing going on. As we stepped inside a flat cap was placed on each of our heads, a plate with a freshly wood smoked mackerel on it thrust into one hand and a glass of wine into the other! I liked this place already!

We were shown to a bench where we could perch and listened to the group of men in front of the fire telling tales and singing songs! We were introduced by Ray to another guest, Bobby. I stood chatting to him about the wedding when all of a sudden his attention was dragged from me and he took his seat as Ray stepped up in front of the fire. He announced that we had just been married and that Bobby was going to sing a song for us.

I kind of laughed a little and wondered what was going on and then Bobby opened his mouth and THE most amazing voice came out! He sang Etta James’ ‘At Last’ for us in a true performers voice and that was me done in again! More tears came and Alex held me tightly as Bobby sang his heart out! It was just the perfect way to end our perfect day.

Everyone in the small room whooped and applauded Bobby and then the Irish dancing began. I will say now, Irish dancing is no joke, especially not so close to that fire…it is energetic to say the very least! We laughed and laughed and laughed and spun and spun and spun and thought I might go blind with dizziness. I think I left with a slightly bust lip but couldn’t help but remain in hysterical laughter and then as everyone collapsed into their chairs and tried to catch their breath, the story teller began to sing.

This time it was Alex’s turn to shed a tear or two (I’m not saying I didn’t join in). The lyrics were just so poignant and just so very perfect!

Chorus;

Oh its never too late to start living
to get out and have some fun.
The sun will be just as shiny in the morning
as the first day the world begun.

When I was 80 I started smoking
Started drinkin at 85
When I was 90 I started courtin
thank god that I was alive.
95 saw me in business determined to rake in piles
At 100 I made my first million..yipeee.
and I started livin in style.

Chorus.

So moved to a swingin penthouse
used 50’s to lite my cigars
developed a taste for expensive champagne
and drove fast Italian cars.
but the doctor he give me a warnin
and a lesson in wright and wrong
If I didn’t give up my sinful ways
I wouldn’t live very long.

Chorus

Now I’m a 200 year old alcoholic
and the nicotine has caught up on me
and worst of all my girlfriend this morning
told me she was expecting our first baby.
but I’m not really worried cause if I have me a son
his days will be just as shiny and as bright
as the first day the world began.

We loved the song so much, as much as the story is about a 200 year old alcoholic it is also about never giving up, never saying its too late to follow your dreams! It will stick with us forever!

The next day was spent mainly with a hangover and on the radio! We had carried on the party into the owners lounge after the Irish dancing. Bobby did some more singing while another gentleman played the piano and we sat up until the small hours of the morning drinking and exchanging tales of love and travel.

I recently spoke to Bobby about his performance and told him how I wished there was video footage or some pictures from that evening, he replied with “some memories are just for you” and he is right, we will remember that night with fondness for a very, very long time!

I was sorry as I was asked repeatedly about the wedding the very next day by several radio stations and I hadn’t really had the time to let the whole thing sink in! I knew I had had an incredible day in a beautiful place, I had loved the ceremony, cried a LOT,  met some amazing people, eaten the best cake of my life and drank far too much wine but other than that I was a little incoherent!

We scraped our way through it and sadly, eventually had to leave the Lodge. We said more goodbye’s to Ray and his incredibly welcoming and friendly team and hit the road towards the ferry back to the UK. We had more goodbyes to make when we got home and I was not looking forward to it one bit.

We had planned to meet Lindsay that night to see her play at her local pub ( a woman of many talents, teaches and plays the harp) but we were just too beat and spent the night in a quiet lay-by near the ferry terminal. The crossing was a LOT smoother than on the way there and we worked online all the way back to Wales and then hit the road back to Manchester to catch up with a few friends for Alex’s birthday!

We all hit the curry house and caught up on all the gossip from back home. I looked around the table and wondered at how grown up we had all become. Each of our friends married or with children, talking of their next babies and their wedding plans and we just sat and took it all in. Life had changed so much for us all in just under two years, it was incredible to see.

The day of Alex’s birthday (the day after the curry) we went to friends for breakfast and Peggy gave Alex a gift…a blown fuel pump!

We turned on the engine and exchanged looks as a familiar sound filled the van and then she all but screeched to a stop. Luckily, Alex being Alex and so in love with the van, he had purchased several replacement parts while we were in America and he happily skipped into the cupboard and pulled out a shiny new fuel pump! After the 3 months of torment the same part had caused us through Colombia and Peru we were wise to have picked up a couple!

It was a quick fix and the kind mechanic replaced the part for only a tenner! That alone made Alex’s day. We popped into Leeds on our way back to Yorkshire and did an interview on local TV and then hit home to celebrate Al’s birthday with my family. My sister had made a cake, my nephews helped to decorate it and they had all bought him gifts! It was a real treat as we don’t bother with birthdays in the van!

We really missed his mum that day as we were supposed to be in Amsterdam with her already! She had continued on her 102faces adventure and was busy with life drawing in Holland’s beautiful capital.

We were as usual a little behind schedule!

We popped in on Alex (girl) and Rich who had made us a new bigger and better table for Peggy and took them a house warming gift, we popped in at Saturday club and sat and drank our body weight in tea with Aunts, Uncles and Nanna, we played with the boys and took them out for little rides in Peggy and we got all of the jobs done we needed to on the van with my Dads help.

Within a few more days we had said goodbye to everyone all over again.

I was distraught all over again and found it terribly hard to leave. Nanna had given me her wedding band to wear and that made me feel a little more like I had a piece of family with me everywhere I go. It sounds so silly but that little memento is so very dear to me and means so much if I am ever down in the dumps.

We were on another ferry within 4 days of getting off the one from Ireland. This time on the next leg of our adventure.
Hull to Holland and then into Europe for the next 8 months. We had around 20 weddings planned and had a lot of countries to cover! We were excited for it, good food, great wine, small and easy to drive countries…we were back on the road!