The Sanders Family Travels Abroad for a Year

Good to have you along for our year long adventures in Ireland and other countries. We are working, playing, and schooling amongst our neighbors in Carna, Ireland.

Please use control + to enlarge the blog, the photos look much better this way. As of March 2011, google has improved the presentation of the blog, the photos show much better now.

Carna is along the west coast on Ireland, a little over an hour's drive from Gallway. It is a pretty rural area, and it is rugged and beautiful, physically and culturally.

We will keep you updated with our life, as we settle into a coastal home and integrate into the community. Greg is working in a Family Practice clinic, mentored by Gerard Hooke, whom Greg worked with a few years ago, for many years, in Arlington, Washington state. Gerard and his wife Amanda have settled into this area a few years ago, and are beloved by the community. The clinic was started by Michael Casey, who worked here solo for many years. He now has 3 clinics in Galway county, where he shares his time.

Our 3 children are in the local schools,where the classes are taught in the Irish language, with some English as well. We are exploring Ireland, on weekend drives. Also, periodically we are hopping over to the mainland Europe, for longer adventures.



Wednesday, June 8, 2011

''They cry when they come, They cry when they go''

Last day of school for Summer, Paris and Stephen!

Summer and her friends

Stephen leaving school the last day, with some (girl) friends

Stephen in green

Gerard cooking on a Raclette at home

Twilight at the Hooke's

Gerard and friends, inspecting his carragh

Hand cut seaweed, for the local seaweed factory

Haying in Ardmore


Summer, day of departure

Our kids, day of departure

Off to the airport!
  Slan go foill 
Goodbye for now


There is a saying used when the summer students come here, from around Ireland, to learn the Irish language. "They cry when they come, and they cry when they go". That is what happened to Paris, Summer and Stephen, who left Ireland today, for the States. When they came here, they expectedly were reticent about leaving their familiar belongings, their house, friends, school and community, to live somewhere foreign, half way around the world. Tears accompanied their arrival here. As the months passed, they ''settled in'' as the Irish would say. They went to school, learned some Irish, met some good friends, and got used to the rural environment and routine. You could say, they fell in love with Ireland.

It was incredibly hard for Paris and Summer to say goodby to their dear and close Irish friends. They were tearful for days, and they could hardly let go. Promises of stateside and Ireland reunions were made. Stephen is making the break easier, I think he has been adjusting and anticipating this transition for a while. He admitted that he will miss some things.

 This is going to be a challenge for myself, being seperated from Justine and our children for ten weeks. At least we have skype, email and phones for communication. I have filled my non call weekends with planned trips around Ireland. I have a loaded agenda, with lots of destinations envisioned. Justine and kids will be at her parents in Pennsylvania for a month, then back in Puget Sound, staying at at various locations untill our home on Camano Island is vacated on August 17th, the day that I fly back from Ireland.

Justine and I had a nice dinner with Gerard, Amanda and friends before she and the kids left. We cooked on a Raclette, neat for customizing your dinner. I tried pochin, a form of Irish moonshine, which I will admit was quite nice. Smooth, with a subtle flavor, and certainly packing a punch. It is popular enough in these locals. Gerard made some excellent desserts, as he is a first rate chef. We walked down to the pier, in front of their house, to check his curragh. It has been quite windy most days, in fact May was the worst May that anyone could remember. Gerard is antsy to get his boat out, as it was nicely painted in the off season, and it is ready for water adventures. Incidently, a neighbor came by our house the night before the kids left, selling a variety of white fish (hake, etc.) he had caught earlier that day, for beer money. I bought 2 kilos for 20 euros, a good deal. He promised to return with some lobsters. I would also like to try some local scallops, which are in the bay,  right out front.

The Leavy family was kind to stop by our house to say goodbye. Stephen and Dara Leavy were best buddies for most of the year, and we all had gotten to know his family well. They were very kind and friendly to us, and we are in debited to them. Orla Leavy, age ten or so, played some beautiful Irish songs for us, on her fiddle. She recently won a local musical contest, placing 1st out of 41 contestants. Hopefully, she will make it to the all Irish contest in Dublin. She has a bright future.

After saying farewell to my family, I headed off on my first adventure, to Achill Island. A famous pirate had a castle there. Next blog!

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1 comment:

  1. UnknownJune 11, 2011 at 7:20 AM

    Doctor Greg,

    The BEST photos of Connemara that I have ever seen. To quote from my own writings: "Connemara, my home, is the western part of County Galway on Ireland's Atlantic coast. It is a beautiful, peaceful, magical place far from the hustle and bustle of modern city life. Here you will find wide open spaces (bogs), sparkling lakes (loughs), towering hills (the Twelve Bens and the Maamturks) and white sandy beaches. It is impossible to capture Connemara on film or on canvas. Yet I try from time to time. And yet they fall short of capturing Connemara. You must visit yourself and see this land through your own eyes."

    Well - I retract that - you have accomplished the impossible. You have truly captured Connemara in your photographs.

    In great admiration,
    Pat Mullan.

    ...and you have a beautiful family.

    Now I'm off to look at your other European photos. And I'll be expecting to see Achill Island soon through your eyes.

    ReplyDelete

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