Stepping up in the world.....

Finally!

It's happening - we are getting a handrail on the glass stairs up to the studio.

It's taken a bit of time but Ciaran is finally getting down to designing a bespoke handrail for the cantilevered floating glass stairs.

He took some measurements of the staircase this evening and will draw them up, then design a handrail and after that get someone to build his creation.  I'm looking forward to seeing what he comes up with!

A few days in Dingle, Co Kerry

We returned home today after having spent a lovely few days in Dingle, Co Kerry.

We stayed in Pax Guest house which we can't praise it highly enough. It was the most welcoming and accommodating guesthouse we have ever stayed in, with breakfasts to die for - not to mention turn down service with a Baileys & chocolate treat!

The full Irish was cooked to order and the omelettes were so delicious.  I ate an omelette three days in a row and each was as good as the other. There was also a fantastic spread of yogurt, fruit and mini pastries laid out as prettily as I have ever seen.

Our bedroom was tastefully decorated and also had original artwork. Throughout the rest of the house there was further artwork which was great to look at. As you can see the whole place was  spotlessly clean and super comfortable.

I was in heaven at bedtime!! 

How great is this turndown service?!

Look at the amazing view of the peninsula......and you can't beat a friendly cat in a B&B! 

One of the highlights of our trip was when when we picked up the binoculars in our room, looked at the boats in the bay and saw Fungi swimming along beside them. Just awesome!
 I feel so blessed whenever I catch a glimpse of dolphins in the wild - the last time being 2 years ago on our sailing trip in Italy. 

 

On Saturday we visited the aquarium which was a lot fun with our favourites being the sharks and penguins. The penguins were adorably cute however due to it being nesting season some were not as active as others.

It was great to have a mini break from Dublin and as we drove home we agreed that it was a nice timeout from it all!

Road Trip!

On Saturday we set off with the dog in tow to Galway to attend the 30th Annual Film Festival to see Mike Andrew's short film "Pigsy".

We were booked in to the Ardilaun Hotel and to say it is dog friendly is an understatement. They were so welcoming to Bones - and he even made friends in the lobby with a handsome pair of Old English Sheepdogs.

Bones was in his element hanging out with his while we had a drink. It is so great to be able to take him away with us.

We got to see 2 films in the Film Fleadh - the excellent "Katie", a biography about boxer Katie Taylor, which was to go on to win the best documentary award. Well done to director Ross Whitaker.

 However, for us the special event was the screening of "Pigsy" as part of the Irish Shorts on Sunday afternoon. It was very exciting to see Ciaran on the big screen and the cinematography and direction was stunning. I was happy that my twin sister and younger sister came to see the film along with a good friend of ours who drove down from Dublin on the morning of the film. 

For further reading on our visit to the Film Fleadh, you can head over to my twin sister's blog.

In to the West!

The Galway Film Fleadh is on this week and we will be making the trip to the West to see Mike Andrew's film "Pigsy" which features my husband, Ciaran, aka Pigsy.

We have booked a Pet Friendly hotel (the 4 star Ardilaun) and will bring our dog with us to enjoy a little bit of time away before we attend the screening of the film. Bones is well used to hotel stays having visited the Hilton in Belfast and The Twelve in Bearna on past holidays - in my next life, I want to come back as a dog!

The screening is on at midday in the Town Hall Theatre and will be shown as part of 8 Irish shorts.

You can see the trailer below and check out the full programme here.