The day after we returned from Holland was our 37th wedding anniversary. Like the 36th, we didn't remember it till mid-afternoon. I called Alan from the bus on my way to dance class and he bought a cake and champagne to toast it when I returned. Hopefully we will remember next year in time to plan something.
On Monday, the 7th, I left with my friend Mary for Willie Clancy Week in Miltown Malbay, County Clare, for a week of set dance workshops. I did that festival alone last year so it was good to have the company. We also stayed in the workshop hotel so it was much easier in that way as well. Last year I had a room in a house 4 miles away, so it was impossible to do anything after dark, when all the fun starts! Over the 5 days we were there, we danced 6 hours a day and walked at least 6K each day to the little town where there were lectures and other activities after the morning workshop. Amazingly, I gained 2 kilos. There's no justice. I'm going to try and come back next July for the festival again.
I've completely accepted that we have to leave here in November. We've booked our return voyage for November 7 and we are looking forward to spending Thanksgiving in Atlanta with my much missed friend Dorothy and her great family.
The next adventure is another walk on the Camino de Santiago in early September. This time we will start in Portugal and walk a week on the northern coast and into Spain. All of the Camino walks end in Santiago de Compostela in Spain. This year there will be 14 of us going, Alan will stay behind again. His knee is still not good, I'm worried that he will need surgery as soon as we return to the USA. He's determined to tough it out till then, hopefully there won't be big consequences for waiting.
Following the Camino week we have friends coming from the States for another week in the West of Ireland. They will stay a total of two weeks with a stay with us in Dublin bracketing the week in the West.
I'm happy to spend the remaining days of July and all of August here in Dublin, although there's no dance as both the contemporary dance class and the set dance classes are on summer haitus, so there likely won't be much by way of posting for the next 6 weeks.
