9TH DAY-DONEGAL

October 6, 2018

On our way to the hotel in Donegal, we saw a few sights that I wanted to share with you

This is what all the gas pumps look like in Ireland

 This was a first. I  have never seen a Laundromat at a gas station.  This was on the edge of the gas station.  You can fill the tank and do your laundry at the same time. What more could you ask for!

We brought our bathing suits, so finally decided to try the spa. The spa was the temperature of bath water. Not hot at all!!!  Felt like the pool and spa were the same temperature

All of the heaters were on the wall.  Found this in most of all the Ireland hotels we stayed at.

Haven't seen a cigarette machine in many years.  This was the 2nd  one we had seen in a hotel.  It was just off the lobby, on the way to the pool area. You had to  walk across the lobby to get to the pool. Felt a little conspicuous in our pool attire.  

Lobby

9TH DAY-BELLEEK POTTERY

October 6, 2018

We made a quick trip over to Northern Ireland to visit the Belleek Pottery Factory. Eventho Northern Ireland is in the Northern Part of the Island,  it is still affiliated with England.  You actually cross an International border, but there are no checkpoints. Of course, when Brexit goes into effect,  no one knows what will happen.  It is an entirely different country than the Republic if Ireland, which is where we have been until now. The Republic of Ireland uses Euros, Northern Ireland uses pounds, just like England.

 Belleek Pottery is all handmade at the factory. It is very expensive, but absolutely beautiful.

This  river is the only thing that separates Northern Ireland an the Republic of Ireland near Belleek

Belleek Pottery

These bowls and plates look so fragile. Amazing that it started out as a lump of clay

After it is formed, the artisans start to do their handiwork. Every piece is marked  by each  workman in such a way that if there is a blemish or flaw, they can look back and  see who all made it.  Most of the people have worked here for many years. Not much turnover.

This woman is putting on and lacing all of the strands together

Kiln

She paints the same color on each piece, then starts over with another color

After leaving Belleek, we went back into the Republic of Ireland

9TH DAY- LISSADEL HOUSE

October 6, 2018

After leaving Galway, we kept heading North. Our first stop was the Lissadell House in County Sligo.  A Greek Revivalist Style Country home, it  was built between 1830 and 1835. It was the last country home  in this style to be built in Ireland.  Lissadell House was the first country home to have an independent gas supply piped directly to the property. 

Isn't the door tall!!!

All of the furniture was built for the house

All of the tall figures  painted on the walls are of the people that lived here.

The kitchen and other rooms in the basement. It is also where all the full-time servants lived. Can you  imagine cooking in a kitchen like this?  

I can't.

Dedicated room just for the china

This was the bell system to call the servants. Each room had a different bell ring, so the servants knew which room to go to. 

This was the way the servants left the house. They weren't allowed to be seen coming or going.

After the tunnel, this path led to where they could get off the property