Sat 2 Sept.

Stephanie has finally fallen asleep, so I the older children can stay put for a little while. When it's dark we may put the three older ones together, so that Ali and I can share Stephanie between us.
 

Sun. 3 Sept.

Steve correctly guessed that the children would enjoy taking the bus from Heathrow to our hotel. They were happy to drag their rucksacks up to the top deck to get the best view of London. Stephen has been able to arrange his work so that he can spend some time with us. He's let his hair grow longer, and with sunglasses on, he didn't seem to be recognised by the other passengers on the bus.

Our hotel is located just behind the Kensington Gardens, and is within walking distance of Steve's apartment. The bus dropped us off on the main road, and we only had about 200 metres to walk. With Steve's help we were soon there and settled in.

As it was almost lunchtime, Steve took us to a local pub and organised a meal for us. The children were all dying to get out and
explore the famous old city. So with Stephanie in her stroller, we walked through the gardens and on to Hyde Park, letting the Aussies explore their new surroundings.

We watched some rowers on the Serpentine, and fed the ducks in Hyde Park. The children said it wasn't all that different to Sydney, other than everyone speaking with English accents. I felt very much at home hearing all the familiar accents again. Instead of being the odd one out amongst all the Australians, now Ali and the children are the foreigners.

We walked back to Steve's apartment for tea, and met his new partner Tammy. She's very nice, and we're really pleased for him. Afterwards we went back to the hotel where we had no trouble getting the children to go to bed early.

Before Ali and I joined them, I rang Lisa and spoke briefly to her. We plan to reach the Lake District by the weekend and spend a couple of days with her then.
 

Mon. 4 Sept.

Being still attuned to Aussie time, we all woke up early, and were the first people down to breakfast. We took the tube to the Tower of London where we spent the morning. Seeing the Beefeaters in their ancient costumes amused the children greatly. Of course having grown up here, I didn't see it as anything unusual. Jane wanted to know why they wore such strange outfits, and what happened when it got hot in summer?

Greenwich was next on our itinerary, so we took a boat down the Thames to get there. Here the children learnt why this meridian was chosen as zero longitude, and how it divides the eastern hemisphere from the west. We learnt that Greenwich Mean Time is used the world over, including in space.

To record the visit, I took a photo of everyone standing astride the actual line. We then moved on to the National Maritime Museum where we were all able to go on board the Cutty Sark, a beautifully preserved old clipper that became famous for her speed, and the wool she brought back to England from Australia in the 1800's.

There was a lot more to see, then we returned to the city by the Docklands Railway. The children were amazed to realise that there was no train driver, and that the train was completely automated. We took the bus back to Steve's flat where he and Tammy had a lovely dinner waiting for us.

John and Phyllis were also there; and as it's Stephanie's first birthday is in two days time, we celebrated it together tonight. Phyllis bought a birthday cake and party hats, and we all sang 'Happy Birthday', and took photos.

Tomorrow John and Phyllis leave for the continent for about four weeks. We'll see them again in London just before they go home. Again the children were happy to fall into bed much earlier than they would normally at home.
 

Tues. 5 Sept.

We left by walking down Birdcage Walk, and made a brief visit to Westminster Abbey before having lunch in a pleasant Victorian pub that Steve found for us. We heard Big Ben strike 2pm just as we came to Churchill's Cabinet War Rooms. These were most interesting, as they've been preserved as they were left at the end of the WW2. Unfortunately with Stephanie, we couldn't stay as long as Ali and I would've liked. Steve laughed, and said that it had been years since he'd done things like we'd done today. He said he really enjoyed seeing these things that he took for granted, through the eyes of the children, for whom it was all new.

Everyone was disappointed that we couldn't go up Downing Street to see No. 10. It's a shame, because I remember the days when visitors went up and had their photo taken standing next to an unsmiling policeman who was on guard duty there.

We walked up the rest of Whitehall, then took the tube to Knightsbridge where I'd promised Ali a visit to Harrods. Steve treated the children to an ice-cream from the Harrods Ice-cream Parlour, so that Ali and I could shop for a while on our own.

We returned to our hotel after having Fish and Chips for dinner on the way home.
 

Wed. 6 Sept.

It was a fairly long drive by English standards, but on the motorway it was quite good. Stephanie fell asleep, and the older ones used their discmans to listen to music while they watched the English countryside pass by.

We reached Nottingham in just over 2 hours, and made our way to the castle where we inspected the statues of the famous outlaws. We had lunch there, then followed a marked driving trail to other sites associated with the famous legend.

At the Hathersage Church the children saw a grave that is reputed to be Little John's. A thigh bone that measured 32 inches (nearly one metre) was exhumed from this grave last century. So that would have been a giant of a man.

We had afternoon tea at the Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre, then followed one of the walking trails through the forest that took us past the large Major Oak tree. It is now propped up with many supports, but is old enough to have been alive at the time Robin Hood and his Merry Men roamed the forest.

It was late in the afternoon when we climbed into the car and drove to York where we are staying for two nights in this Youth Hostel. The children enjoyed wandering around the hostel after dinner and meeting so many travellers from around the globe. They said there were people from every continent except Antarctica.
 

Thurs. 7 Sept.

After some morning tea, we went onto Jane's choice, the York Castle Museum. Here we spent an interesting hour and a half looking at a slightly more recent York city. I was surprised to find a stove on display that was almost identical to the 'Aga' that Assumpta had sometimes used in her kitchen in Fitzgerald's.

We had lunch, then went on the boys' choice, to visit the National Railway Museum. Here the children clambered over a number of old steam and diesel locomotives. The display included a working replica of George Stevenson's 'Rocket', built in 1829; as well as the carriage used by Queen Victoria at the turn of the last century.

For dinner we returned to the Youth Hostel, then while Ali prepared Stephanie for bed, I played some board games with the older children. We met some interesting foreign visitors, including a number of young Aussies who are travelling around Europe.

This morning we left York bright and early, and headed north on the A64 and A170 to Pickering. After walking around the remains of the old castle, Ali and the older children boarded the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for the 40km journey across the Yorkshire moors to Grosmont. The route was originally planned by George Stevenson in 1830, and connected Whitby and York.

Stephanie and I drove to Grosmont and waited for them there. However our daughter wasn't very interesting company for me,
sleeping most of the way. Being only 10 km out of Whitby, we went there and bought fish and chips for lunch, and ate it on the wharf while watching the activity on the harbour.

After lunch we visited the Capt. Cook Memorial Museum, which is set up in the charming house which was once owned by John Walker, under whom young James did his apprenticeship. He actually boarded with the Walker family in this house. The children all expanded their knowledge of this great explorer, and his discoveries.

Tonight's Youth Hostel is Boggle Hole, on Robin Hood's Bay, 10 km south of Whitby. It’s a charming old place. The ocean literally laps on the walls of this historic stone building. We all had a wonderful time exploring its surroundings, before it was time for dinner.
 

Sat. 9 Sept.

From here we drove to nearby Marton, on the outskirts of Middlesbrough, where James Cook was born in 1728. His baptism is recorded in the Marton Parish Church register. There is a Captain Cook Museum in Stewart Park, but we decided it was time to head west to meet Lisa, so didn’t go in.

We drove up to Lisa’s school just on noon. It was lovely to see her again, although she was disappointed that Stephie didn't recognise her. She showed us her room and around the school, before we headed off to explore the nearby Wordsworth country.

Our first destination was Rydal Mount, the house Wordsworth rented for the last 37 years of his life. He created its lovely garden, and the children remained interested using the 'electronic bats' that told them all about each room while touring the house.

We continued on to Dove Cottage in Grasmere, but didn't go in as the children had had enough of 'old houses'. Instead, we opted to walk a 5km trail around the Grasmere Lake, which I correctly estimated would bring us back to the car in time to drive back to Kendal, and move into the Youth Hostel there. The walk in the fresh air did everyone good. The countryside was just beautiful in its autumn splendor, and we all built up a good appetite. Lisa had chosen a suitable restaurant, in which we could all eat our dinner together.
 

Sun. 10 Sept.

For our lunch we bought some food and drinks, and drove south out of Keswick, along a road that took us along the Derwent Water to the Ashness Bridge. This little stone bridge is a popular subject for both artists and photographers. It has become world famous because the company has featured the bridge on all its pencil boxes. We ate our lunch sitting on the rocks by the small stream, then I took a photo of the children sitting on the bridge. I chose the same angle as that depicted on the boxes, with the mountains rising behind the lake.

There are so many things to chose from, and it's hard to always please everyone. Because Lisa hadn't sailed on any of the lakes, we decided to finish the day by taking a sightseeing tour on one of the launches that sail on Lake Windamere. It included a stop off at the Brockhole National park Centre, and Lisa was able to gather more information on what there was still left to see in her last months in the UK.

The boat trip was beautiful, and very relaxing. It gave us the chance to have a long talk with Lisa. She had to be back by 6pm, so we returned her back to her school, and we returned to our Youth hostel for dinner too.
 

Mon. 11 Sept.

After breakfast we packed the car, then drove south to Manchester. I showed Ali and the children where I worked in my first parish. It's only a little over five years since I left there, although it seems a lifetime ago. I decided not to ring Fr. Randall, because it would have been difficult to get away without giving a lot of lengthy explanations.

After an early morning tea, we continued south to the interesting medieval walled city of Chester, that I thought everyone would enjoy. We had some lunch, then climbed up onto the wall and walked the whole 3km circular walk. The views across the city from the top of the wall were superb.

As we were so close to the Welsh border, everyone wanted to go for a drive into Wales. It seemed a good suggestion, especially as Stephanie hadn't had a nap and was getting grizzly. The drive took us through some very pretty countryside. Before Llangollen, we pulled over at Horseshoe Pass and admired a spectacular panoramic view of the Eglwysey Mountains. We then returned to Chester and found our Youth hostel.
 

Tues. 12 Sept.

Instead, after lunch we visited the Sound and Light show that very cleverly tells the story of the bard's life. It was pitched at just the right level for Damian and Jane who've not yet studied any of the famous playwright's work.

Stephanie was fascinated by the lights, which was a relief, as I'd expected I might've had to take her outside. After this we found our Youth Hostel, and unpacked before we went for a walk and explored the rest of this old city where Shakespeare would've walked as a boy.
 

Wed. 13 Sept.

After lunch we drove to Stonehenge where we walked around these prehistoric monoliths. We were all amazed at how far they had been moved from Wales. We had afternoon tea at a little café nearby, then drove through the fertile countryside of Wiltshire to Salisbury where we planned to stay for the night. The impressive tall spire (tallest in England) was clearly visible long before we saw the actual city.
 

Thurs. 14 Sept.

However, Alison and I were outnumbered by all the children. They insisted that they had seen enough old buildings, and that Stephanie too would prefer to visit Legoland. So we spent the morning looking at many of the displays made of the well-known little blocks. We bought some of the large chunky 'Duplo' blocks for Stephanie for her birthday, but spent most of the time looking at those that related to the space theme. I promised Alison that I would take her to visit the castle later, after the children had returned home.

We had a late lunch in a café not far from the castle and the children were amused to see some boys walking around in top hat and tails. When I told them that it was the Eton College school uniform, they accused me of pulling their leg. "Pull the other one, Peter," Jason said. "It plays Jingle Bells."

It wasn't until they saw another group of younger boys dressed identically, that they started to accept that I might've been telling the truth. We went for a walk past the school, and looked through its entrance into the quadrangle, where there were more boys in the same uniform walking around. Jason declared that if I ever heard him complain about St. Patrick's uniform again, all I needed to do was to remind him of this and he'd stop complaining.

We returned to the same hotel that we'd used earlier, and caught up on our washing, before walking around to Steve's apartment for dinner. He and Tammy listened patiently while we told them about all we'd seen. We are going to drive to the continent tomorrow, while we still have the hired car.
 

Fri. 15 Sept.

After indulging ourselves in some French pastries for morning tea, we returned to the car, as our destination was the Normandy coast. We reached the small city of Rouen that was badly destroyed in WW2, but has been completely restored. We admired the quaint half timbered houses that we saw before visiting the Joan of Arc Museum. Here we viewed displays that told the story of the young French peasant girl who succeeded in driving the English out of much of France before being burnt at the stake in this city in 1431.

We had lunch there, then drove on to Caen, where we saw the castle that William the Conqueror left from in 1066, to fight Prince Harold at the Battle of Hastings. We didn't stop, as Stephanie was asleep, and we wanted to reach the Normandy coast. Our intention was to see the remnants of the artificial "Mulberry Habour" at Arromanches-Les-Bain, that was used to land the Allied troops at the end of the last war.

Here, from the lookout on the headland, we could see out over a number of these D-day beaches. We were both amazed and thankful at what was achieved there in June 1944. We drove down into the town and visited the very informative Invasion Museum. Our dinner at the nearby Bayeaux Youth Hostel wasn't until 8pm, so we had plenty of time to take it all in.

Our meal tonight is worth mentioning. It started at 8pm, so we'd fed Stephanie much earlier. The food was delicious and very French. Course after course kept coming, and so by 9.30 we'd finished our 5th course. Jane looked very tired, and I noticed that the boys also looked as if they could do with an early night. So I suggested that maybe they could all go upstairs together and get ready for bed, as there was probably only coffee to come.

Stephanie, having had two long sleeps in the car, was wide awake and happy to talk to anyone who took notice of her. That it wasn't always in English didn't matter in the least. We were quite surprised when our host started to bring out bowls of strawberries in a brandy sauce. She asked about the children, and when I said that they'd gone up to bed, I think she was quite disappointed. Stephanie enjoyed the strawberries though. We hoped that if they contained real brandy that it might help her sleep tonight.
 

Sat. 16 Sept.

We noticed more of the typical half-timbered houses as we left the town. There aren't many of these left anymore, so they are all carefully preserved now. Our next stop was Mont St. Michel, which is an 8th century abbey built on a solitary island, that is now completely surrounded by a desert of sand most of the time.

The famous landmark could be seen for a long time before we reached the causeway that connects it to the mainland. These days the bay is silted up except during the high tides of the new and full moons. Then the sea can rush in at a very dangerously fast speed. The difference between high and low tides can be as much as 14 metres. Mostly the sea is 14Km out from this island.

We parked the car, and entered via a gate in the fortified wall. We had lunch in the quaint little village just inside the wall, then
proceeded up to the abbey where we joined an English tour of the maze of stairways, passages and large rooms. They were all added to in different periods.

After an hour, the children had had enough, so we left the tour and wandered through some of the gardens. We then descended back down through the village, where we had some afternoon tea to tide us over until our late French dinner in the Youth hostel.

Our destination was Le Mans, a little over an hour away. It's near the famous castles of the Loire Valley, which are on our itinerary for tomorrow. Tonight’s dinner wasn't as lavish as last night, but it was still big compared to what we are used to at home. It included the local specialties of potted pork with a special apple sauce.
 

Sun. 17 Sept.

Le Mans is famous for its 24 hour car races, and as we left town on the N138, we were actually on 5km of the straight section of the circuit.

Jane's request was that we visit all the romantic castles she's seen pictured in the travel brochures. I told her that there was no way we could visit them all, but we chose two. The first was the famous, Chenonceau which spans the River Cher. We reached it late morning, and wandered through the magnificent galleries, before having lunch in the beautifully tended formal gardens.

An hour further west we called into the largest of the chateaux in this valley, Chambord. It certainly was impressive from the outside. We decided because of the lateness of the afternoon, not to go in, but were able to watch some of the deer that were starting to gather to be fed. This chateau's grounds now make up the French National Hunting reserve.

Tonight we are in Orleans, where after dinner, we watched a video about the 'Deliverance of Orleans' by Joan of Arc in 1429. It was an informative follow-up to our museum visit in Rouen.
 

Mon. 18 Sept.

After lunch we strolled through the very extensive gardens, with its hundreds of beautiful fountains and statues, as well as millions of flowers. The opulence and luxury was something completely foreign to the children. There were actually small boats sailing on the Grand Canal that bisected the garden.

The orangery was a sight to behold; consisting of hundreds of orange and tropical style palm trees. In Louis XIV's time there were over 2000 orange trees that were brought out in summer, then returned under cover in winter. The children, and even Ali, were amazed with this.

Many tourists book a 2 day tour to visit Versailles because there is so much to see. However, our smorgasbord of what we saw, was enough to give us an impression of the wealth that created this place.

We left mid-afternoon and drove to the Eiffel Tower. We climbed to the top and enjoyed a magnificent view over the city. While we indulged in a late afternoon tea, we watched a very colourful sunset from this fantastic vantage point. Gradually all the city lights came on, giving us another very attractive view of this famous city. Our hotel was very close, so it wasn't long before we were unpacked and sitting down to dinner.
 

Tues. 19 Sept.

After finding a sunny spot to have some morning tea and a rest, we moved on and visited the magnificent Nôtre-Dame Cathedral, built on an island in the middle of the River Seine. We had lunch at one of the many open air cafés, and watched the different faces of the busy Parisians hurrying past. The afternoon was spent shopping for souvenirs to take home, before going back to the hotel for a rest.
 

Wed 20 Sept.

After lunch, we caught the Metro to the Arch de Triomphe, where we marvelled at the car drivers as they negotiated their way around the monument at very fast speeds. I gave Ali strict instructions, that she wasn't to accidentally navigate me anywhere near it when we left Paris later this afternoon.

The actual arch was reached using a pedestrian underpass, that took us under the road. We climbed the monument and were rewarded with another wonderful view down the Champs-Elysées, but from the opposite direction.

After a few more purchases of souvenirs in the famous boulevard, we were finished. We returned to our car and left Paris. Our aim was to reach the city of Amiens, an hour and a half away, for the night.
 

Thurs. 21 Sept.

We found the school, and took a photo of the monument that stands out the front. It commemorates the contribution made by the school children of Victoria. An old man wandered up while we were taking the photo and asked us if we were from Australia. We nodded, and he insisted on buying us all a drink, in thanks for what the Australians did over 80 years ago. Later we went and looked at one of the beautifully maintained Australian War Cemeteries. It made us all aware of how many men the small fledgling nation lost, fighting for 'King and Country'.

Some of the WW1 trenches are still preserved, so we sought them out too. The children burnt off a bit of energy chasing Stephanie along them. It wouldn't have been as easy moving around them then, as it is now. In 1918 they were completely covered in stinking, energy-sapping mud, and with the constant danger of enemy fire. When I tried to describe the conditions the soldiers lived under, the boys said that they were glad war was not like that today. I decided that I wouldn't try to explain, that the result of modern warfare could be much worse now than it was then.

We drove on to Brussels, the capital of Belgium, which is on the boundary of where mostly French or mostly Dutch is spoken. We've booked for two nights in the "Jacques Brel" Gite d'Etape Youth hostel, which is right in the city centre. It was perfectly located to explore the city. So once unpacked, we went for a walk around the streets of this famous city, that is the headquarters of both NATO and the Common Market.

We were all very taken by the central square (or Grand Place), which is surrounded by attractively decorated 17th Century guild houses and the town hall. We climbed the 420 steps in the tower, and enjoyed the spectacular view across the city and beyond from the top.
 

Fri 22 Sept.

Our afternoon was spent at the "Mini-Europe Park". Steve had told me about this, when Jane had announced that she wanted to visit Venice, and Jason had said he wanted to see a bull-fight in Spain, and Damian had said he'd leave us if we did go to see a bull-fight.

There was something for everyone here, and the description of seeing all of Europe in 100 minutes was accurate; except I'd say you could stay a whole day. It was a lovely way for the children to see something of the rest of Europe that we don't have time to see.
 

Sat. 23 Sept.

After a relaxed lunch, we toured a Diamond Museum. Here we saw how the rough stones arrive from the mine, and how they are cut and set. I couldn't resist buying Alison a nice pendant and matching ear-rings.

Being Sunday tomorrow, and having a full day planned, we all went to mass this evening after dinner. Again, we couldn't follow a lot of what was being said, but it gave us a chance to thank God for what we have, and be quiet in worship. Also it showed the children that around the whole world, we all worship the same God, even if we speak a different language, and worship in slightly different ways. One thing they have all learned, is that just because somethings are different to what they are used to, it doesn't make it "stupid". This is something that some Australians, who have lived very insular lives, seem to think at times.
 

Sun. 24 Sept.

At Rotterdam we took a boat tour that included lunch. It allowed us to fully appreciate the immense size of this largest port in the world. It was quite a relaxing way to view all these people at their daily work.

In the afternoon we stopped at Delft, and toured through their famous pottery factory. We saw all the stages from the raw clay to the final decorations that are still painted by hand. In discussion together, we chose a large colourful plate, in a design that was not in the traditional and famous blue on white. Instead it also had yellows, browns and greens. We are going to put it on display in our family room, to remind us of our visit here.

Tonight we are staying in a Youth Hostel in Haarlem, where we'll stay 3 nights. The Netherlands is so small, that we can explore it by taking day trips from here.

When we left Delft, we drove past The Hague, which is the Dutch seat of government. It’s not the country's capital, Amsterdam is that. Driving north I was able to point out the bulb fields that Holland is famous for. Unfortunately it's not the right time of year for them, but we could see where they're grown.
 

Mon. 25 Sept.

A boat tour of the famous canals was next, and the children were very amused to have pointed out to them Holland's smallest house; it’s only the width of the front door.

After lunch, we found the Anne Frank House, where the children were so engrossed reading about Anne's experiences, that they didn't realise that they had stayed for more than an hour and a half. We took the train back to Haarlem, and are having a relaxing evening in the same friendly Youth hostel we spent last night.
 

Tues. 26 Sept.

From there we turned east and came to the town of Enkhuisen, which was once a well-known fishing port on the Zuider Zee. The museum gave everyone a very good understanding of how the polders were made. The displays showed how surrounding dijks were built first, and then the water was pumped out and the land drained. After that the land was planted, and villages and farms built on it.

After lunch we headed back south to Volendam, another fishing village that had once been open to the sea. This is where the costume that is traditionally thought of as being 'the Dutch costume' of white cap, striped skirt. black apron with colourful embroidery, originates. We all dressed up in such a costume (over our clothes) and had our family portrait taken. It should be an amusing souvenir to take back to Australia with us.

Only a few kilometres further south is an adjoining similar village called Marken. Here the residents are Protestant, compared to
Volendam being Roman Catholic. It is not as open to tourists as the first village was; but a few of the older folk still walked around in their traditional costume. It has a little flat red hat and a red skirt, while the apron is more striped. In both places, those in costume still wore clogs on their feet.

Returning to Haarlem, we completed our circular drive that covered much of western Holland. We had actually driven less than 100km in total.
 

Wed. 27 Sept.

We drove through the North-east polder, which is now a very flat plain. At its centre is the town of Emmeloord, which is surrounded by farmland, all built on this reclaimed land that was once the sea floor. The children were amazed when they saw the farm houses and I explained that they were built that way, because one end of it was where the animals stayed inside throughout the winter. This concept was completely new to them.

We drove over to Urk, a small fishing village that was once an island in the middle of the Zuider Zee. It is now on the edge of the polder. The fishermen who are left now, can only fish in the fresh water of the Ijsselmeer. We had some morning tea in a little café near the wharf, and watched some of the older men in their costumes of almost total black walking past. Their trousers were very baggy, and they had two prominent silver buttons at the waist. The only other non-black item was their pale wooden clogs.

Not far from Urk, the road again rises a few metres above the overwise flat plain. This small patch of land was another island called Schokland. It is now completely surrounded by farmland, and the fishermen are all long gone. All that remains is the old church, still protected by a grove of tall pine trees; and the remains of the old harbour, now grazed by cattle. Even in it's heyday, it was a very small island.

We soon reached the old mainland at Kampen, a medieval city that still has part of it's wall intact. The city is entered by driving
through one of the ports in the wall. We had lunch in a café overlooking the wharf on the Ijssel River, and watched the busy boat traffic on the water.

When I had to disappoint the children about not having time to visit Venice in Italy, I'd remembered hearing about a town that's been called "the Venice of Holland". It's called Geithoorn, and is only 40 kilometres from Kampen; so after lunch we drove there.

We parked the car outside the village then walked through it on footpaths that followed the canals. The houses are built on peat
hummocks that are separated by these canals. The only means of transport is on foot or by punt. We had an enjoyable time watching the locals use these small skiffs to move their goods, like the weekly shopping, home in this way.

As the sun dropped in the west, we returned to our car. Using the motorway, it took us no time to quickly drop to the south of the Netherlands. By 6 o'clock we were driving up to our Youth hostel near s'Hertogenbosch, in Brabant. Tomorrow is our second last day on the continent, so we plan to visit "De Eftling" in Kaatsheuvel near here.
 

Thurs. 28 Sept.

Jason was interested in the space exhibits, and Damian agreed that it was his choice too. Jane was more interested in the fantasy exhibits, so we spent time in each part and also just wandering around to see what else might attract our interest.

We left the park at 4 o'clock and in a few minutes were on the motorway that take took us back south into Belgium. Tonight we are in a very picturesque Youth Hostel, in an old Abbey of St. Peter, in the very beautiful city of Ghent. After dinner we enjoyed a walk around nearby streets, and admired some of the interesting architecture seen in many of the old buildings. It’s all so very different compared to heritage buildings in Australia.
 

Fri. 29 Sept.

Bruges is an old renaissance town that was once a major seaport, until the river connecting it to the sea, silted up. Now it's joined to the new seaport of Zeebruges. The beautiful romantic canals, and extraordinary facades on some of the buildings made it an interesting place to wander around this morning. In fact the whole town has been described as a museum.

The city is also known for it's lace, so before we left, we chose some to take back as gifts for our Australian friends. Alison couldn't resist buying a special piece for Vanessa, that she hoped Vanessa might like to use as part of her wedding dress. She also chose some in a similar pattern, but coloured mauve, for herself.

After lunch we took the motorway straight to the coast and Oostende, then followed it to Calais via Dunkirk, where we made a slight detour along the beach as we explained to the older children how English soldiers were evacuated from there over 50 years ago.

We were back in London in time for dinner, which we had with Phyllis, John, Steve and Tammy. We had a wonderful evening telling them about all we'd seen and experienced.
 

Sat. 30 Sept.

Sun. 1 Oct.

We had lunch in a nearby pub then returned to Steve's flat, where with our hired car and his, we ferried everyone to Heathrow. It seems awfully quiet now that all the others have gone. Ali, Stephanie and I are staying with Steve and Tammy for two nights, and Wednesday morning we fly to Dublin.
 

Mon. 2 Oct.

I rang Brendan and confirmed that we'd be in BallyK about midday on Wednesday; so we're going to meet him in Fitzgerald's for lunch. I was lovely to hear his voice again. I felt so excited when the name of the pub was mentioned. I hope I don't get too emotional when I go back.

This afternoon, Ali and I caught up with Auntie Mavis who now lives in London. We had afternoon tea with her; then as Stephanie was starting to get restless, we had an excuse to leave. We couldn't go without promising to visit Auntie Jean and a couple of other family members before we go back to Australia in two weeks.

It's been great having time with Steve and Tammy. Tomorrow morning Steve will drive us to Heathrow before he goes to work.
 

Tues. 3 Oct.

It was very enjoyable for me too, because I'd never taken the time to look around Dublin properly. I was always passing through on my way to BallyK or on my way home. So today was a lovely opportunity to walk around the streets and enjoy the charm of this city. We had lunch when we noticed that Stephanie had fallen asleep. We agreed that Dublin compared very favourably with the other European cities we have visited in the last few weeks.

We visited the National Museum for the afternoon, and had a pleasant time learning some more about Irish history, and what makes this country so unique. Dinner was taken in our hotel, and we had a cosy evening together in our room. No night life for us at present with our little daughter to consider.
 

Wed. 4 Oct.

With only three of us, getting breakfast and packing up was very quick. We had a hired car delivered to our hotel at 9 o'clock, and so we were quickly on the road.

The route as we left Dublin was still very familiar. I'd travelled it on so many occasions, whilst feeling almost as many different
emotions. The first time was in the bus, when I felt quite nervous about starting a new position in a strange country.

Later I travelled the road heading back to Dublin, when I was looking forward to a holiday back in England with my family. Very soon on the return journey, I felt a sense of coming home to BallyK, which represented a comfortable, familiar place with good friends, and where I felt needed. Gradually the anticipation of returning home to BallyK developed into the excitement of seeing Assumpta again, after not having seen her for awhile.

It's really a beautiful drive. With spectacular views of the ocean on our left every now and then, and the picturesque Wicklow
Mountains on our right. Alison was completely entranced by what she saw on this glorious autumn day. All the forty shades of green were there somewhere in the scenery that was laid out around us. It made me realise how dull in comparison the native vegetation in Australia is, with it's much darker olive and grey greens of the evergreen eucalypts and other shrubs. I suppose for Australians it’s home, and it does grow on you. But it can’t be compared to the beauty of this part of Ireland.

Stephanie was wide awake for the whole journey. She chattered excitedly as we rounded each new bend. She squealed with delight as we reached Cilldargen. I pointed out a few landmarks to Alison as I drove slowly through the town; the place where I got my driver's license, and Fr. Mac's church. There was no reason to stop, so I continued on to BallyK.

On the outskirts of the village I pulled over and stopped our car at the little grotto where the statue of Our Lady stood. We got out and stretched our legs, Stephanie included. I told Alison what Assumpta has said about the statue never appearing to move, no matter how much you'd had to drink. I remembered when Leo refuted this claim. My mind flashed back to when I came here after I left the morgue. The utter numbness and emptiness I was feeling when Ambrose found me and took me home. Life moves on in the most unexpected ways. Now Ambrose has died; and I’m still here.

We continued on into BallyK. My heart skipped a beat as I saw the old stone bridge; as solid and unchanged as ever. Some things will never change. Beyond it was Fitzgerald's. I felt a lump in my throat as I saw the familiar yellow and blue building; a bit brighter now, and more spruced up, but the same place that holds so many dear memories. I felt glad that Brian hadn't changed it's name.

Stephanie was chattering excitedly as she caught sight of the pub. There was a dog out front of it, so I wondered if it was the dog that had caught her attention, or the pub. Alison sensed my intense emotion as we drove over the bridge and into the centre of the little village. She gently patted my leg in loving support and understanding. I took her hand an kissed it.

It was still well before lunchtime, so I turned left at the intersection, and pointed the car up the hill. The village had not changed very much in the two years I'd been away, and still looked very familiar.
"Is that your church?" Ali asked as St. Joseph's came into view.
"Yeah," I nodded. It was all I could get out.
"It's beautiful," Ali said, admiring the light grey stone, the steeple and it's simple design. I nodded in agreement feeling a warm love for all this building represented.
"I know", was all I could say in response.

As I drove past the curate's house, a "For Sale" sign caught my eye. Why would the curate's house be up for sale I wondered.
Something had obviously changed. I wondered where the curate lived now, or if there still was a curate.

I parked the car in the carpark opposite the church.
"Was that Assumpta's pub back there?" Ali asked.
"Yeah." I felt I should say something more. "It hasn't changed much."
"Who did you say owns it now?" she asked. So I told her about Brian Quigley who'd bought the pub, and explained it now was leased to the Dooley family.
"Apparently the wife Oonagh, is a good sort. I've met the husband Paul, as he calls himself now. He's had a bit of a checkered history that I'll tell you about later."

Stephanie wasn't very happy about going into the church. She wanted to go back down the hill to where the dog was, so I picked her up and carried her. She squirmed and wriggled, but I was determined to go in, so kept a firm hold on her.

As we crossed the road, I pointed out my little house to Alison. It still has the same red door. It was a lovely small place, and I was very happy living there while I was the curate here. It's sad to think that some stranger may now buy it. I swallowed hard as I looked up at the church. What sort of reception would it's parishioners give me I wondered.

Just as I we reached the door, a voice came from behind us.
"Gidday. How are ya?"
It was a familiar Aussie accent that seemed very out of place here. I turned around in surprise, half expecting to see one of our
Australian friends. It was a young man, dressed casually in a leather jacket, with a friendly smile.
"Hello" I replied with a puzzled smile. "I'd say you're a long way from home." I took him for a fellow tourist.
"Hi; I'm Vincent Sheahan." He offered his hand and was still smiling broadly.
"Peter; Peter Clifford, and this is Alison and Stephanie." I introduced them.
Stephanie turned her face away from him as he said hello to her.

"You're from Australia then?" Ali said with a smile.
"Sure am. Wagga Wagga to be precise. Know it?
"Wagga? Yeah that's very close. It's only just over two hours from Canberra, where we live." Ali replied.
Vincent assured us he knew Canberra very well. He has some relatives who live there.

"So what brings you to Ballykissangel then?" he asked us.
"I could ask you the same thing," I replied. "I used to be the priest here." I stated, expecting some shock reaction, or surprise, but not the reply he gave.
"Ah, of course; Peter Clifford." He face lit up as the penny dropped. "You were the curate here a few years ago."
"Yep. That's me." I nodded.
"I should've recognised your name. Well I AM the priest here NOW," he added with a lazy smile, as he opened the door for us to enter. I was the one who was taken by surprise. I noticed that inside, St. Joseph's was still very similar to how it was when I was in-charge.

"First an English priest, and now an Aussie one. How will Fr. Mac survive?" I asked with a laugh.
"With difficulty, I think," Vincent replied, grinning too.
"So how's Fr. Mac been treating you then? I asked him.
"Well…," he started hesitatingly. "I think that discussing it would take a lot longer than we have at the moment. Your little girl seems determined to leave." He nodded towards Alison who was having great difficulty trying to stop Stephanie from walking out of the church. "She doesn't seem very keen to visit the house of the Lord.”

I admitted that Stephanie did seem to have a mind of her own at present on some things. We agreed to meet later for a longer chat, and went back outside. It was nearly lunchtime, so we drove back down the hill and I parked the car outside the pub. I looked around, almost expecting to see Ambrose walk up and tell me that I couldn't park there.

Alison suggested we buy Stephanie a banana and a drink to tide her over until lunchtime. So we walked over to Kathleen's shop, which appeared to have changed very little in the two years since I'd left. I felt a bit like I was about to enter the lion's den as we walked to the door. Again, Stephanie was being difficult; refusing to go in. Not even the temptation of a banana, her favourite fruit, persuaded her to go in willingly.

I took the stroller out of the car and strapped her into it. So we entered the shop with Stephanie protesting loudly. This alerted
Kathleen to our presence as soon as we walked in. When she looked up from glaring at Stephanie, she recognised me and pursed her lips in disapproval.

"So you're back again." She stated. I nodded and smile pleasantly.
"Hello Kathleen, how are you?" I started to introduce Alison.
"You've come to see how we survived after you up and left us in the lurch so suddenly, Father?" she added.
"And good afternoon to you too," I continued with a smile, ignoring her words. "You can drop the 'Father' bit Kathleen, Peter will do just fine. Can I introduce you to my wife Alison, and daughter Stephanie."
Kathleen's mouth dropped open to speak, but nothing came out for a moment. She ignored Alison's offer of a handshake. Stephanie was still busy trying to get out of the stroller. I don't think Kathleen was very impressed with our badly behaved daughter.
"So you're married are you? Well you always were one for the ladies, I always said."

Instead of replying, I passed Kathleen a pound note with a banana and a boxed milk drink that Ali had selected. She rang it up on the old fashioned register, and gave me my change.
"Have a good afternoon, Kathleen," I said pleasantly as I pocketed my change and helped Ali wheel Stephanie out.

"I thought you said that these people were very friendly," Ali commented. "That woman was positively rude to you."
"Yeah, well Kathleen was always one of the exceptions where I was concerned," I explained. "You can't win them all.  Come on, let's go to the pub and see if Brendan is there yet."

Stephanie finally quietened down as we crossed the road. There were only two other patrons inside. They were seated at one of the tables, and were strangers to me. I directed Ali to a table in the corner, while I went to the counter intending to order two coffees. It was all so familiar. I half expected to see Assumpta come out of the kitchen. Instead it was a friendly middle-aged woman who asked for my order. She was obviously Oonagh Dooley.

I stood stunned for a moment as I remembered the last time that I'd stood right there. It was when Assumpta had told me to take my dog collar off if I was going to say I loved her. I refused to look at the floor where I knew the entrance to the cellar was. Ali stepped forward and ordered the two coffees and two muffins, as I had completely lost my train of thought.

Hearing her accent, Oonagh asked if we were Australian, and where from? Ali told her, and Oonagh said something about BallyK being over-run with Australians lately.
"You don't approve of Australians then?" I asked her. She shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't mind one way or another really," she said. "As long as they pay for what they consume, they could be Swahili for all I care."

Stephanie had finished her banana and drink , and was now loudly insisting she be released. Oonagh indicated it was OK to let her lose, so we undid the strap. Stephanie immediately made for the kitchen, and protested at full volume when we stopped her. It was a bit strange that she was so keen to explore, because usually she's more cautious when in a new place. She tends to stay close to Alison or I for awhile, until she feels relaxed about any new surroundings.

We'd just finished our coffee when Brendan walked in with Aisling. It was good to see him again. We caught each other in a friendly hug. Then I introduced him to Alison and Stephanie, who was still complaining loudly about being held firmly. Brendan introduced Aisling; a quiet, placid two-year-old who shyly said hello.

"You've got your hands full I see," Brendan observed, nodding towards Stephanie.
"Yeah, especially now in here. She keeps wanting to go into the kitchen," I explained.
Brendan turned to where Oonagh was hovering on the opposite side of the bar.
"The usual please, Oonagh; ….and what are you both having?" he turned and asked us.

We accepted Brendan's offer of a beer, and he joined us at the table. It was really good to be back. He looked good; a little greyer after 2½ years, but still the same pleasant friend.

Brendan explained that he and Siobhan were still sorting out their babysitting roles, now that Aisling was getting older. Occasionally he has Aisling at school with him, and sometimes Siobhan takes her out on her rounds when she can. But they have finally agreed to employ someone for the other times.

I couldn't believe my eyes when Stephanie went over to Brendan, who is a perfect stranger to her. She happily accepted being picked up and sat on his knee beside Aisling.
"Stephanie Assumpta, hey; that's a nice way to remember her," he observed. Stephanie was now all smiles and chattering away to Aisling.
"We thought so," I replied, as Siobhan walked in.
"Well hello all," she said with a broad welcoming smile, as Aisling climbed off Brendan’s knee and ran to her.

While we involved ourselves in another round of hugs and introductions, Brendan ordered a large plate of sandwiches and a drink for Siobhan. Aisling is a little over a year older than Stephanie, but she was enough distraction to keep Stephanie from wanting to wander off to explore all the places that are out-of-bounds to her.

When two adolescent children ran in, I looked to Brendan for an explanation.
"Grainné and Dermot Dooley home for lunch from school," he informed us.

I asked Brendan about Brian Quigley, as I hadn't seen or heard any sign of him since arriving in BallyK. A sad expression crossed Brendan's face.
"Gone," he said simply.
"What do you mean; Gone?" I asked quite puzzled by this.

He explained that a few weeks ago, Brian's clothes were found abandoned on the beach, as if he'd gone into the water and not
returned. The garda made inquiries, and found that Brian was bankrupt. It seems about a year ago, Brian invested a lot of money in what he thought was a lucrative opportunity; to invest in an American internet company which had now fallen on bad times.

Brendan said that although the official story was that Brian had probably committed suicide, a lot of people in BallyK believe he simply left. With Niamh and Kieran now living in London with her new husband, there was no-one left in BallyK to keep Brian here.
"In fact there's a rumour that Brian’s in South America," he whispered, "and that he's sent Liam and Donal some money."

"So what about Fitzgerald's then? Who owns it?" I asked.
"Fr. Sheahan," Brendan replied.
"Sorry?   Did you say Fr. Vincent owns it?" I questioned incredulously.
Brendan nodded, and explained that when it became clear that Brian was gone, leaving a mountain of debt, Fitzgerald's was owned by the Ireland Bank of Commerce. Somehow Fr. Vincent came by some money unexpectedly, and so bought the pub, allowing the Dooleys to continue running it and living there.

While I'd been catching up on all this BallyK news with Brendan, Siobhan and Alison were getting to know each other, while watching the two little girls get acquainted.
"So how's the new priest fitting in? I asked Brendan. "Is he getting on better with Fr. Mac than I ever did?

Brendan laughed and raised his eyes to the ceiling. He said that there must be times that Fr. Mac regrets that he let me go. However, there are times that indicate that Fr. Mac has mellowed somewhat, and he doesn't seem to get as upset over some of the things that Vince has done, as he used to with me.

He said that Fr. Aiden who replaced me, was Irish. This meant that Fr. Mac and Kathleen were probably a little more tolerant of his short comings. Vincent on the other hand isn't only Australian, he's also very laid back, which really irritates Fr. Mac at times. However, when the chips were down, and Vincent thought that he'd caused Fr. Mac to be out of favour with the bishop, Vince had stuck his neck out for Fr. Mac and told the bishop that he was the one in the wrong, not the parish priest. He even told the bishop that he’d go too, if Fr. Mac was replaced.

Siobhan added that she believed that Fr. Sheahan's heart was in the right place. She said that like me, he seemed to care more about people, than official church rules. He's arrived in BallyK with a lot of baggage; being a reformed alcoholic, and having spent a number of years trying to change the world in the jungles of South America. In fact, Siobhan suggested that the powers that be in the upper echelons of the Catholic Church in Australia, probably sent Vincent to Ireland for two reasons. Firstly to sort himself out, but secondly to rid themselves of a headache; a priest who wouldn't toe the line in the conventional mould of a Catholic priest. Fr. Vincent sounds a very interesting person. I'm looking forward to getting to know him better.

Paul Dooley came in and walked over to us. He looked at me strangely, as if he knew we'd met before, but was trying to remember where. He was probably worrying that we might have met in gaol. I greeted him by name, and enjoyed the startled, then suspicious look that crossed his face. Brendan introduced us, and Paul suddenly remembered me, and he looked very relieved. He said he recalled me assisting Fr. Mac at Bertie O'Doyle's funeral. I confirmed that it was indeed me, and that I remembered him from the campaign he and Brian Quigley fought, to be elected to take Bertie O'Doyle's place in Parliament.

I didn't mention my other recollection; like when two strange men came to BallyK and let the local people think they were revenue men. Instead they were the fraud squad who were investigating Sean Dooley. No wonder he changed his name to Paul after he came out of prison.

Aisling is a sweet child. I told Siobhan how thankful I was that Aisling was distracting Stephanie from wanting to go where she's not meant to. Siobhan thanked me for giving her the confidence to go through with her pregnancy. She admitted that having Aisling was one of the best experiences of her life; and something she wouldn't have wanted to miss. I knew exactly what she meant.

I confided to Siobhan, that it was after our conversation over her pregnancy, that I first realised how much I would have liked to father a child. It was then that the impossibility of that happening, and my regret of this, was suddenly clear to me. That realisation was one of many things that contributed to my growing dissatisfaction with my vocation at the time.

Siobhan asked me how I felt about having left the priesthood now. I replied that life couldn't be better. In my present situation, I was still able to work for all the things that were important to me, and then come home to a warm and loving family. Now having Stephanie, I understood exactly how much having Aisling meant to her.

I had a feeling that Siobhan might've liked to have more family than only Aisling to come home to. I wonder if Brendan and her will ever get together. It was obvious that they cared a lot about each other, and very much about Aisling. But they do still argue a lot, and give each other a hard time. I suppose they are both very set in their own ways, and would find it hard to share a house and their personal space now.

Talking about our children, Siobhan and I suddenly realised that both little girls had disappeared. I quickly looked around and alerted Brendan and Alison. They weren't in the kitchen; Oonagh said only Paul was in there. I asked Oonagh if they might have gone upstairs? She said that Dermot and Grainné were up there, but to go up and have a look.

I found both little girls in what was once Assumpta's room, and now is Grainné's. I apologised, but Grainné said that she didn't mind. I tried to pick both children up in my arms, to carry them back down. Aisling made no objection, but Stephanie screamed and wriggled so much, I couldn't pick them both up.

Brendan came up on hearing the noise, and carried a stunned Aisling down; while I picked up our daughter and held her in a vice-like grip. We joked about Stephanie teaching Aisling bad habits. About 10 minutes later, we caught Stephanie trying to go upstairs again.

After lunch, Brendan had to return to school, but Siobhan had several hours free in which she intended to put Aisling to bed for a nap. In the end, Alison accepted Siobhan's offer, and she and Stephanie went to Siobhan's house, so that both little girls could have a nap. This gave me the opportunity to seek out Fr. Mac on my own.

I rang Fr. Mac's number in Cilldargen from the pub, only to hear that my former parish priest had only just left for BallyK. I was told that he'd be at St. Joseph's in about 10 minutes.

As I put the phone down, some more people entered the pub, including Liam and Donal; still together.
"Fancy seeing you here, Father," Liam greeted me. We shook hands, and I told him it was just Peter now.
"So you gave up the game then?" he asked.
I acknowledged that I'd given up the priesthood, and that I now worked as a student counsellor in Australia. He mumbled something about convict colonies, then asked what brought me back to BallyK.

I explained that I was now married, and had a yearning to come back and see everyone again. Also, I wanted to show Alison one of the prettiest villages in the world. When Donal asked after Alison, I explained that she'd just gone on to Siobhan's house, while I was going to see if I could find Fr. Mac with Fr. Sheahan up at St. Joseph's.

"Oh, that'll be interesting," Donal observed with a smile. I agreed that it might. Liam added that they'd just seen Fr. Mac drive past in his Rover, as they entered the pub.

When I went out to our car, I found who I supposed to be the new female gard who'd replaced Ambrose, inspecting my car.
"I'm sorry, have I parked in the wrong place?" I asked with my most apologetic smile. "I'm just leaving," I added, trying to do my utmost to be as charming as possible.
"Oh.. well, that's OK then," she replied, standing aside for me to climb into my car. "Just don't park here again please." Just as zealous as Ambrose I observed, as I promised not to park there again.

I drove back up to the church and parked where I knew I'd have no further problems with the law. I noticed Fr. Mac's Rover already there. I hesitated, and wondered at the reception I'd get.

Fr. MacAnally was with Vincent in the nave of the church. They both turned as I walked in.
"Hello F,… er Peter", Fr. Mac said with a sincere smile, putting forward his hand to greet me. "Someone mentioned that they'd seen Vincent showing some strangers around."
"Hello Father," I replied, genuinely pleased to see him, as I grasped the older priest's hand. "It's good to see you again."
"And you too," he added. "You're looking well. Vincent here has just told me that you met earlier." I nodded to include Vince, and acknowledged our earlier meeting.

"Foreign priests." Fr. Mac shook his head as if in disbelief, but had a slight grin. "We just don't seem to be producing enough of our own anymore, so now we have to import them all the way from Australia."
"Well, it's a change isn't it." Vincent cut in. "It was the other way around when I was a child."
"Yeah Father, what comes around, comes around." I thought I'd give him something to think about. "I've even heard that nowadays in Ireland, priests can own pubs."
By the scowl that crossed Fr. Mac's face, I could see that the two priests were not in agreement on this.

"So have you bought the curate's house too then Vincent?" I asked, hoping to ease the tension I'd caused. Unfortunately, I only made the situation worse with this question. They explained to me that Paul Dooley had bought the little house with a bank loan that he couldn't pay. So now it was up for sale again, and the church couldn't afford to buy it at present, as the bishop said he had other priorities.

At present Vincent is homeless, and is taking it in turn to stay with different parishioners. He said that he was getting to know them very well, but that it was very unsettling. In fact he'd been thinking of setting up a temporary bed in the sacristy until he could find something more permanent.

Fr. Mac nearly choked when he heard Vincent utter this suggestion. He told him that under no circumstance was that ever to happen again. Vince looked at me inquiringly, surprised that this might have happened before. I explained that at one stage Brian had rented out my house while I was away, so that when I came back, I had nowhere to live.
"It seems BallyK has a bit of a problem providing permanent accommodation for it curate." I added.

Trying to be helpful, I asked the two priests if the trust that managed the pub, could use the equity that they had in that establishment, to borrow against to buy the priest's house. Then any profit the pub made could be used to pay off the loan.

I could see that Vincent understood what I was suggesting, and he admitted he hadn't thought of it. However, by the time the Dooleys get their dues, there isn't really much profit. The little there is, has been spread between about half a dozen local charities. Maybe if the pub could be borrowed against, then at least the house would be secure. Then raising money to pay for the loan would be a separate issue. Vincent excused himself and said he'd try to look into it immediately, he was finding it quite a strain having no permanent place of abode.

When Vincent had gone, Fr. Mac indicated for us to sit down in one of the pews for a chat. It was almost like old times sitting there. Only this time I wasn't the wayward curate who needed admonishment, and Fr. Mac had no jurisdiction over me.
"So what brings you back to BallyK?" he asked kindly.
I explained that I was married now, and living in Australia. I outlined what I did for a living, and how Alison and I were fostering three teenage children. I told him that although I was very happy in my new life, I still felt a I had a few demons to fight and some issues I needed to resolve, before I could fully move on in my life.

As well as showing Alison where I spent a significant part of my life, I hoped that by catching up with the people who'd been
important to me, I could bury some of the sad memories, and relive in some way the very happy ones.

Surprisingly, Fr. Mac seemed to understand, and he bore me no ill-will; neither for leaving without saying goodbye and leaving him in the lurch, nor for leaving my vocation and getting married. He was very interested in my mention of the Youth drop-In Centre, and quizzed me in detail as to how it was planned and organised. I said that in my opinion, that the Church buildings in Cilldargen were very suitable, but the key to it's success was more than just suitable buildings. What was crucial, was getting a good manager, and enough enthusiastic volunteers to support it.

He voiced the idea that the church might be able to get some support from the local government for the project, because there was a lot of concern over the young people who say they are bored when nothing is provided for them to do. Instead, they just wander around and get into mischief. I felt the thought of this new project seemed to lift Fr. Mac. I'd sensed a lack of energy in him when I first arrived, but this idea seemed to enliven his spirit somewhat.

We talked for awhile longer about the changes that had occurred in BallyK over the last few years since I'd left. We discussed the huge hole left by Brian Quigley's disappearance, and how it had affected the village. He was a very important part of the district, and I agreed that BallyK would never be the same without him.

Stephanie was still asleep when I reached Siobhan's house. She and Alison had a lovely talk and it was obvious that they got on very well.
"Siobhan's been telling me about your early days here," she said when I arrived back. "I've heard lots of things you never told me about."
I felt my face redden slightly as I thought of all the things Siobhan might tell. Things such as rescuing rams and replacing them with wooden sheep, slave auctions, live turkeys for Christmas and automatic confessional boxes.

"Not all bad, I hope?" I said nonchalantly as I kissed her forehead.
"No, not all bad," she replied with a grin.
"I only told her the good parts, Peter." Siobhan assured me with a wink. "Like directing the play 'Ryan's Mother', and the folk masses we had. We also talked about betting on the dogs at Enniscorthy and the Poker Tournament you were the referee for? I think Alison really enjoyed hearing about some of the duties you were expected to carry out here as a priest." We managed one cup of tea before first Aisling and then Stephanie woke up.

Siobhan explained that she had to go out and check on a cow that she'd helped calve that morning, but that we were welcome to stay. I declined her offer, and pointed out that we still had to move into the B&B that we'd booked. We arranged to meet at Fitzgerald's for dinner, just after 6pm.

After unpacking, I took Ali and Steph for a short walk along the beautiful river Angel. Stephanie was very active after her sleep, and insisted on walking alone. We followed the path that I'd so often taken with Assumpta, and alone when I'd wanted to think. Assumpta had used it regularly when taking Finn for a walk. I wondered what had happened to Finn; I suppose he's still with Kevin in London.

Dinner was very pleasant. Brendan and Siobhan joined us, and we managed to catch up on over two years of news.

An attractive young lady who I didn't recognise, came over to talk to Siobhan about the Cat. It took me a few minutes to realise they were actually discussing a racehorse, not the feline I envisaged at first. The conversation made more sense when I realised this. Siobhan introduced us to Avril Burke, a young horse trainer who'd taken over the racing stables from Matt Devlin less than a year ago. I remembered the name Matt Devlin, but he was not a regular church-goer in my time here.

While Siobhan finished talking to Avril, I asked Brendan about the man sitting at the bar. He was vaguely familiar, but I couldn't put a name to the face.
"Oh, that's old Louis; Louis Dargan. He's an old mountainy man who's lived here all of his life. He seems to come into town more often since his wife died, than he did in your time."

I remembered him as an occasional church-goer. His lingo was so difficult to follow that I tended to smile and wish him well; but I didn't really understand what he was saying.

"What about that chap?" I asked Brendan, and nodded towards a young man I'd noticed talking to Avril earlier. "I don't think I've seen him before."
Brendan explained that that was probably because he's only been in BallyK for a couple of months. "His name is Edso Dowling, and he bought Padraig's garage and business, when Padraig decided to stay in London."

I asked Brendan if he knew what Padraig was doing now. He said that the last time he'd spoken to Padraig, he was working in a garage for someone else, and he was in-charge of the RAC part of the business.

Liam and Donal came in, and wandered over when they saw us.
"Hello Father; it's good to see you again. And is this your wife and family?" he asked.
"Hello Liam,… Donal," I greeted them both. "It's good to see you again, but please drop the Father bit hey? Especially when you refer to my wife and child in the same sentence." I was about to introduce them.
"Oh Yes, sorry Fa…. Peter. I'm sorry. Ah, you must be Alison," he before I could make the introduction.

"Yes, I'm Peter's wife.  Liam, did you say? Alison smiled at them both, and shook their hands. "I'm pleased to meet you both. You knew Peter well when he was here before I understand?"
" 'allo" Stephanie said, smiling up at the two men. She is very unpredictable lately about who she'll look at or speak to, and who she won't have anything to do with.

Liam and Donal grinned at Alison's question, and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, we could tell you quite a bit you know. A lot happens in this town in three years."
Looking around, I'd have to agree with that; there’ve been a lot of changes with regard to people. However, the essence of the village and it's buildings have shown very little change. I thought of the embarrassing incidents the boys could relate, and decided to get in first.
"You mean like sweating statues, and our Lady of the Motherlode with a tacky blinking heart? I asked them.
"Yeah, and slave auctions and Pub tournaments too," Liam added.

Both Aisling and Stephanie were starting to get restless, and they were showing signs of being tired. So I explained that we'd better settle our account and leave. We promised to continue the reminiscing on a later occasion.
"Kids!" Liam raised his eyes to the ceiling, as if he knew all about the trials of being a parent. Both men bade us goodnight as we packed our things. Siobhan and Aisling left, and we were about to follow when Michael Ryan came in through the door.

"I heard that you were here; welcome back." He said as he warmly gripped my shoulders.
"Hello Michael, it's really good to see you again." I replied. "How have you been?"
"I can't complain. And this is your wife?" I hurriedly introduced Alison. We chatted for about 5 minutes catching up with as much news as we able to, in the short time available. I mentioned Stephanie, then realised that she was not with us.

While Alison checked the kitchen and outside, I raced upstairs again, and went straight into Grainné's room, as the door was wide open.

"Peeta.." said a familiar little voice. It didn't register what she said as I entered, until later. I was just relieved to find her. She'd actually climbed into Grainné's bed. I lifted Stephanie out, and apologised to Grainné who came in from Dermot's room, to see what was happening.

Stephanie's preoccupation with the pub, and in particular Grainné's room, added to her unusual behaviour lately. She definitely seems to be more friendly towards people who would've known Assumpta, than those who are strangers to me, and Assumpta wouldn't have known. Has Assumpta returned as my daughter? The idea really seems to be bazaar. Alison and I talked about it after we left the pub, but she couldn't come up with any better answers to this puzzle than I can.
 

Thurs. 5 Oct.

In the early morning it was obvious that the year is progressing on to winter here. There was a cold nip to the air, and a little frost on the ground. But the sky was clear and it promised to develop into a beautiful autumn day. I turned up my collar and pulled my coat together at the neck.

Our B&B is only about 400 metres past St. Joseph's, so I made my way there and walked into the cemetery that’s behind the church. I thought about Stephanie's attraction for Grainné's room, but had no more answers than I had last night.

I quickly came across Ambrose's grave. He was only 26 when he died. A hero who died trying to save others. Etched into the stone were the words "Beloved by his wife Niamh and son Kieran". I lowered my head a moment, and asked God that Ambrose might be at peace. I'd heard a few hints that all might not have been well between Ambrose and Niamh just before he died. Some people had suggested that Ambrose might've actually taken his own life, and the rescue of the tourists exaggerated by Brian Quigley, to give the story a happier ending for Niamh and Kieran. I hoped that the rumours I'd heard were not true. Although zealous, almost to a fault, he didn't deserve to be rejected like that. I felt very sad as I walked on.

It was a relief to find that Assumpta's grave was in a very pretty part of the cemetery. Someone had placed some fresh flowers there recently, and I made a mental note to buy some red roses myself before I left. The inscription was far more clinical. No "Beloved by Peter" or anyone else here, nor any mention of Leo or even the surname McGarvey. I thought about the funeral I never attended, and suddenly tears welled up in my eyes. It was such a waste of life too. I let my tears flow freely as I stood alone in the early morning air. With the dew on the ground and the mist softly swirling around me, it seemed appropriate at that moment. I closed my eyes in silent prayer.

"Hi ya," I heard a cheerful voice behind me. I quickly dried my eyes and turned around.
"Good Morning, Father," I said
"Vince please," he replied. "Come and join me here," and he moved towards a nearby bench that was placed there.

He'd brought a thermos of coffee, and explained that he actually had been staying in the sacristy, despite what Fr. Mac had said. He'd seen me go up to the cemetery, so as he was just making a coffee anyway, he thought he'd put it in the thermos and share it with me.

"You and her were very close?" he asked nodding towards Assumpta's resting place.
"Yeah, you could say that," I replied, wondering what else to reveal.
He explained that he'd heard about Assumpta, and various descriptions of our friendship and my sudden departure. So he wasn't surprised that I'd come looking to see where her remains were laid to rest.

"So what have you heard?" I asked him.
"So many stories that they can't all be true. We'd be here all day if I started to tell you all of them, so why don't you tell me the real story," he invited. "It's the only one that's important anyway."

"There's not much to say really," I replied. "Fr. Mac knows, because we discussed my leaving the priesthood for her, and he was there when she died. I think a few people had guessed how we felt about each other. But if they didn't know before, the way I went to pieces after she died would've left them in no doubt."

Vincent said that all Fr. Mac had told him was that Assumpta had turned my head, and if it hadn't been her, another lovely Irish colleen would have. He even warned Vincent to be careful, as no-one was immune. I told him that was Fr. Mac's view at the time, but that I knew it was different with Assumpta. I told him that we'd both fought the attraction we'd felt for three years.
"She even went as far as marrying her old college boyfriend in the hope of getting me out of her head." I told him.
"And you?" he prompted.
I explained how I'd tried my best to treat her like all my other parishioners. I'd gone on retreat for several weeks to touch base and try to reestablish what it was that drew me to the priesthood in the first place. But as soon as I got back and saw her, and spoke to her, that special feeling I felt whenever we were together was back and couldn't be ignored. Near the end, the strain was so bad that neither of us was able to sleep properly. I confessed that it all came to a head when I was feeling very low and vulnerable, after I lost my mother, and returned to BallyK to try to pick up the threads.

"It must have been a terrible shock, pardon the pun, when Assumpta died?" he said gently.
I agreed that it was probably the worst time of my life.

He said that he was glad that I'd been able to pick up the pieces, get over it, and get on with my life. I tried to explain that I'll never really "get over it." That the experience will always be there, and part of me. However, Alison has helped me tremendously in moving on. She has stopped me from yearning for what couldn't be, and from frittering away the opportunities to do what I was here to do.
"She helped to bring meaning back into my life," I added.

We finished the coffee, and Vince said that he'd love to talk some more, and asked how long we'd be staying in BallyK. I told him our plans were to stay until after the weekend, but that our itineraries was fairly flexible. I also wished to talk some more, and I told him I had a difficult concept that I wanted to talk to him about, if he had some time in the near future. He agreed that we'd try to continue the conversation later.

Alison was up, and just dressing Stephanie when I got back. They'd enjoyed a relaxed lie in, so we all went down to breakfast
together.
"You alright?" Ali asked me, noticing my still slightly misty eyes.
"Yeah, I just went to the cemetery and thought about things."
Alison nodded with understanding, and softly squeezed my arm. She is so empathetic. She never shows any resentment or jealousy about my deep feelings for Assumpta. I am so lucky I think.

Over breakfast I told Alison about meeting Vincent. We were in agreement that Vincent seems a very caring person, which may not always be obvious under his casual manner. She wondered how he was fitting in with the demands of Fr. Mac, and the more traditional members of the community. I told her that my impressions were that Fr. Mac had mellowed somewhat over the last few years. I don't think he's as quick to jump in and criticise as he used to in my time here. Brendan said that some people had suggested that Fr. Mac was losing his grip.

I told Alison about the time that I'll supported Assumpta and all the parents who were protesting against Fr. Mac's decision to transfer Brendan from the school, when the pupil numbers went down. Fr. Mac had been very adamant that his decision was final. Only a new enrolment had saved the day. He'd also got so angry when I told him that it was his responsibility to find me somewhere to live, that he'd had a heart attack. Now it appears he doesn't want to know where Vincent lives, so that he doesn't have to say anything against it, although he's told Vince that he's not to camp in the sacristy. To me Fr. Mac has lost some of his fire, and I find it a bit sad; although three years ago I would have preferred him to be a little easier on things.

I remembered the conversation I had with Fr. Mac immediately after I had given him a way out of having to employ Kathleen's
attractive cousin as a housekeeper. Instead of being thankful, he admonished me for not telling him earlier that we couldn't afford her, even though I'd been telling him I didn't need a housekeeper. It still makes my blood boil when I think of how he turned the tables, to put me in the wrong. And yet it’s sad to see him get older and less fiery now.

We'd ordered a picnic lunch from our landlady. So after a leisurely breakfast we took the car and drove in the direction of the beautiful lough where Assumpta and I had walked together. This is where we finally admitted how we felt about each other.

I wanted to remember, but then to lay these bittersweet memories to rest now. I also wanted Alison to see one of the most beautiful spots in Ireland. I told her why this spot was important for me to visit again, and she was very understanding. She agreed that it's good to briefly relive the past, and enjoy the happy memories, but then to bury the unhappy ones and leave them behind us here.

When we reached the lough, Stephanie was pleased to be released from the confines of her safety harness as soon as we stopped. She almost jumped out of the car, and Alison had to run to keep up with her, as I had my hands full with rugs and basket. She ran straight for the water and was not happy when we took her to a sheltered spot where we laid out the rug. Thankfully, the contents of the basket proved a useful distraction.

Later we took a walk along the water's edge. We followed some of the route Assumpta and I had walked, but then went further. Stephanie was happy to walk a long with us, and enjoyed looking around at the beautiful surroundings. In fact at this time of the year, on such a rare perfect day, with the trees still in their autumn splendor, it was a truly magnificent place. The water was completely still, giving a mirror perfect reflection, just as it had done over two years ago. I took a photo of Alison and Stephanie, with the lough in the background.

After our walk, we decided to have our lunch there as well. It was very peaceful, being a weekday and away from the usual holiday season. We had the whole area to ourselves and just breathed in the fresh air, and peaceful atmosphere.

I watched Stephanie carefully while we were there; I was half expecting some sign of recognition from her, indicating that she
recognised it as somewhere she'd been before, but thankfully none came, and like us, she just enjoyed being there. She had fun picking up stones and throwing them. I took great delight in breaking the still surface by skimming some stones across the water.

It wasn't until we were starting to pack up that she gave any sign of emotion. However, this is very common with Stephanie when she is engrossed in something. I don't really blame her protesting about not wanting to go when she was having fun playing with the stones.

We drove to Cilldargen, where I parked the car and we took a walk through the town. It’s a typical little Irish town I suppose, not as pretty as BallyK and bigger. We stopped and had coffee in a nice little pub, before heading back to our B&B for a shower and change of clothes.

Siobhan had invited us to have dinner with her tonight. I smiled when she'd asked us. It demonstrated to me, how much having Aisling had forced Siobhan to become domesticated now. I commented on this over dinner, and she confessed that she spent less time in the pub nowadays. She never drinks to excess like before, when she woke up after spending the night with the sheep.

I asked Siobhan about Eamonn, because I hadn't seen him, and wondered if he had died too. She explained that Eamonn Kelly left BallyK about 18 months ago, in the winter, to visit his younger sister who lived near Dublin somewhere. He left his nephew, Danny, who'd been helping him run the farm, in charge. Anyway, it appears that Eamonn rather liked being looked after by his sister. So when Danny decided he wanted to move on, Eamonn put his farm up for sale. He sold it to someone from Cilldargen, who had two sons who both wanted to follow in the family tradition of farming.

When Stephanie started to get restless, we thanked Siobhan for the lovely meal, and arranged to all eat at Fitzgerald's again tomorrow night. She said that Friday nights it was often a good night, as lots of the locals had started gathering there. Paul Dooley had recently acquired a piano, and a number of locals could play quite well. Singing around the piano was a new found attraction for some.
 

Fri. 6 Oct.

I confessed to Alison, that it was probably the last time I'd ever woken up with a hangover, and definitely the last time I'd ever put money on a race.
"What did the others do to you?" Ali asked in amusement.  "They must've been furious."
I admitted that they felt almost as awful as I did, having lost all the £200 we’d raised so far. They were very forgiving though, and said it could happen to anyone.
"So how did you raise the money then?" She asked. I told her about the Poker Tournament that Siobhan won, raising the £2000 we needed.

As we passed through Enniscorthy, I pointed out the infamous race track to her. Because Stephanie had fallen asleep, we decided not to stop yet, but to drive the extra 30 Km to Wexford where we stopped to inspect it's well-known harbour. We had our lunch on one of the nearby beaches

After lunch we continued on towards Waterford. At Duganstown we passed a property that I pointed out to Alison. It was once John F. Kennedy's family's ancestral home. At Waterford we visited the world famous Waterford Glass factory, where we bought some attractive souvenirs. After having some afternoon tea, we turned back to BallyK.

Again we showered and changed, then walked down to Fitzgerald's for dinner at 6pm. We were surprised to find so many people already there. In the same way that Assumpta always seemed to be able to create a banner for any special occasion, today someone had organised one that read

Cheering and clapping broke out as we stepped inside. I was completely lost for words, and felt tears come into my eyes as I looked at all these people who'd been part of my congregation. All I could get out was "Thank you, everyone."

Someone went over to the piano and struck up, "For they are Jolly Good Fellows", as we were ushered to a table where a high chair had been organised for Stephanie. Aisling was already seated in one next to it.
"Hello Peter," I heard a familiar voice say in it's soft Irish accent. I turned.
"Oh Niamh," I gave her a big bear hug. "It's really good to see you."
"You too," she said, and I introduced Alison and Stephanie.
"I'm really sorry about your father,"
Niamh smiled. "Don't be; he's all right." She leaned over a whispered in my ear.
"He sent over the money, for Vincent to buy Fitzgerald's with," she added in a whisper.
"Oh," smiled in understanding. "Where's Kieran?"
She said that like his stepfather Sean, he was running around trying to catch up with everyone. When Niamh caught sight of them, she called them over and introduced us.

"I've heard a lot about you, Peter." Sean said. "I'm glad it all worked out so well for you in the end," and he nodded meaningfully towards Stephanie and Alison who was talking to Niamh.
"And for you and Niamh too, I see," I replied, nodding towards Niamh's obviously pregnant figure.

It was a wonderful evening. A middle-aged man, Seamus O'Shaughnessy, who I don't remember from two years ago, started on the piano. There didn't seem to be anything the man couldn't play. Everyone seemed to be there, including Fr. Mac and Fr. Vincent. It seemed strange that Brian Quigley wasn't. His personality was larger than life; and he was always involved in every gathering and activity that I remembered. I missed him, and Ambrose too, and of course Assumpta.

"What's this I hear? Married and a real father to boot?" I turned around to see the smiling furrowed face that belonged to the familiar gravelly voice.
"Padraig!" I gave him a warm hug. "How are you?"
"Good, and yourself?" he asked.
I told him I was well, and introduced him to Alison and Stephanie. He proudly introduced me to Moira, his new partner. He told us that he and Finoula are now amiably divorced, and that Kevin stays with both his parents regularly. Kevin is doing well at his 'O' levels and is thinking of going on to study accountancy. He's even got a young girlfriend now, Padraig informed us proudly.

Padraig was persuaded to sing a couple of songs by the piano. He didn't have any attack of laryngitis this time. Then Liam, who can usually be enticed to get up after a few drinks, was pushed forward to sing a few traditional Irish ballads, like "Red Rose Café" which I'd heard sung by the Fureys, and "Black Velvet Band", that several bands have recorded.

I must've at sometime in one of my letters to Brendan, mentioned that Alison sang, because he called out and asked her if she'd like to be next. He suggested something to cement the ties between Ballykissangel and Australia.

Alison happily agreed and thought for a moment. She said that the song she had in mind should remind Vincent that although he was settled in Ireland, Australia was still home. She asked Seamus if he knew the song called "I Still Call Australia Home", that was first recorded by Peter Allen. He knew of the song, but asked Ali to start, and he promised to come in after a couple of bars.

There was silence as Alison started without accompaniment.

"I've been to cities that never close down, from New York to Rio and old London town,
But no matter how far, or how wide I roam, I still call Australia home.

I’m always trav’lin, I love being free; and so I keep leaving the sun and the sea,
But my heart lies waiting over the foam; I still call Australia home.

All the sons and daughters spinning ‘round the world, away from their fam’ly and friends,
But as the world gets older and older and colder, it’s good to know where your journey ends.

But someday we’ll all be together once more; when all of the ships come back to the shore,
I realise something I’ve always known; I still call Australia home.
No matter how far or how wide I roam; I still call Australia, I still call Australia home

"We would’ve given McLogan's pub a run for their money tonight," Padraig said in my ear as Alison finished and everyone was
clapping. There were calls for more.

What was so wonderful, was that everyone seemed so happy. In spite of all the unhappiness the village had been through, everyone had put it behind them and was having a great time. Vincent came up behind me and spoke in my ear, as the chants for "More" drowned out any attempt at conversation.
"They sure know how to let their hair down and put on a good party."
"Yeah, it brings back memories of quite a few similar gatherings we had here," I agreed.

Alison announced that she had a song that came into her mind as she drove from Dublin to Ballykissangel two days ago. She said it was exactly the right song, with so many friends seeing each other again after some time away. It was the song made famous by Louis Armstrong, called "What a Wonderful World".

Alison started off quietly:-

     I see trees of green, red roses too: I see them bloom for me and you,
     And then I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

     I see the skies of blue, and clouds of white; the bright blessed day, the dark sacred night,
     And then I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

     The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky, are also on the faces of the people going by,
     I see friends shaking hands, saying "How do you do?" They're really saying "I love You".
     I hear babies crying; I watch them grow. They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know.
     And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

There was roaring applause when she finished, and again the call came for more. Alison graciously relented and said that she would sing one final song, but that was it. She said it was a 1960's song by the Troggs, that followed on rather well from the theme of the last song. It was called "Love is All Around".

    I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes. Love is all around me, and so the feeling grows.
    It's written on the wind; it's everywhere I go. So if you really love me, come on and let it show".

Seamus had quickly caught on, and I noticed the whole pub seemed to be moving to the rhythm of the song. Of course Ali was
looking straight at me during the appropriate words in the last line, challenging me to show everyone how much I loved her. I blew her a kiss, and thought that was probably enough for everyone to cope with for now. Alison continued with the next verse.

    You know I love you; I always will. My mind’s made up by the way that you feel.
    It's no beginning, there'll be no end, 'cos on my love you can depend.

I was surprised when I thought I caught a glance between Brendan and Siobhan at those last words. I was sure it wasn't my
imagination, even though it was so fleeting, it was gone before it registered. But I was sure there was a spark of something intangible that passed between the two of them. Siobhan had a quiet smile on her face as Alison started the last verse.

    I see your face before me as I lay on my bed. I cannot get to thinking of all the things you said.
    You gave your promise to me, I gave mine to you. I need someone beside me in everything I do.

I was quietly watching for it this time and wasn't disappointed during the words "You gave your promise to me, I gave mine to you". It was just a quick glance, but it was there. Those two definitely share an understanding of some sort. I felt warm and fuzzy inside, as I wondered if they were going to say something publicly about it. It was the first time I noticed anything between them since arriving in BallyK.

The gathering was still calling for an encore as Ali reached her seat. With so much pressure, and even Seamus asking her to come back, she finally agreed to one very last song. She said this one was dedicated to me, and all other couples in love. It was the Cilla Black song "You're my World".

You're my world, you're every breath I take. You're my world, you're every move I make.
Other eyes see the stars up in the sky, but for me they shine within your eyes.

I felt that Ali was singing only for me. I felt so loved, and yet so powerful. Any thought of other couples was forgotten as Alison
continued.

As the trees reach out for the sun above, so my arms reach out to you for love.
With your hand resting mine, I feel a power so divine.

I could feel the power. The power of love was so strong in the room. I sensed Niamh and Sean being drawn together to my right, and I actually felt vibes of love between Siobhan and Brendan, although I couldn't take my eyes of Alison as she continued.

You're my world, you are my night and day. You're my world, you're every prayer I pray.
If our love ceases to be, then it's the end of my world for me.

As Alison started to repeat the second verse, she motioned for me to come and join her. Her timing was superb. She reached out for me at the appropriate words, and our hands joined just as she sang the words "with your hand resting in mine". I couldn't take my eyes off her as she finished the song.

There was a moment of silence as she finished. I noticed that Brendan had moved, and was standing next to Siobhan where he had his arm around her. He gave her shoulder a squeeze and she acknowledged it with her hand. Then the whole room exploded into enthusiastic and loud applause. I kissed Ali openly and proudly in front of everyone, then lifted her off her feet and carried her back to Stephanie and our seats.

In a way it was my public declaration that the priesthood and Assumpta were my past. I wanted everyone to know that I too had moved on, and that now I was very happy with Alison as my wife, and that we were very much in love.

Tonight I noticed that I was seeing a different side to Brendan. Maybe being the school headmaster has given him more confidence now. Anyway, whatever it was, he confidently took Alison's place on the dais and asked everyone to be quiet, as he had a few things he wanted to say. For a moment I wondered if this was to be the public announcement that I'd wondered about earlier, but it wasn't.

Brendan said how good it was to see so many friends all here together tonight, especially those who'd come back after being away. He said how much he'd enjoyed catching up with people like Niamh and Sean, Padraig and myself.
"Hear Hear," I heard a few call out.
"So now I'd like to ask Peter to come forward and say a few words. He was only with us for three years, but he left his mark on all of us who knew him. He taught us that what's important is people, and that actions speak louder than words. So Peter, please come up here and give us some of your wisdom."

I felt quite embarrassed at Brendan's build up, but had no choice but to go up and do what Brendan asked. I didn't know what to say, and I felt my mouth become dry as I moved onto the dais, I looked across at the crowded room.
"I really don't know what to say," I started. "Coming back has been both very hard and very exhilarating for me. When I came here a little over five years ago I was a stranger, straight out of an industrial parish in Manchester. But you took me in, and showed me into your ways. You supported me when I was about to be sent back to the big smoke, and you welcomed me as your friend."

I continued. "As I look around the room now, I realise what great friends I left behind when I went back to England. Now time has marched on, and a lot of water has passed under that bridge out there. We've all grown a little older, and hopefully wiser. A number of dear friends have passed away, and other have moved on to new pastures. We can't hold back time, nor bring it back. and we shouldn't waste our time trying to. This is now, and we can only live it to the best of our ability, while we look to the future with hope."

I looked at all their expectant faces. I hoped they understood why I’d left without saying goodbye, and that they’d forgiven me for it.
"I'd like to propose a toast, if someone will pass me my drink from the table." I waited while Alison passed my drink forward.
"Firstly to absent friends, where ever they may be. To Brian"; I waited while we drank to each one separately.
"To Eamonn; …also to Ambrose;  …and to Assumpta." I asked if there were any others I wasn't aware of, and a few more names were added.
“These friends have all moved on to a new life where we can't join them at present. May they all be at peace, and feel our love for them, whatever circumstances they might be in."

I wondered what Fr. Mac might be thinking about my almost implying that those who'd passed away were not very different to those who'd moved away and weren't present. I waited until everyone had finished their toast and sat down, then continued.
"And now I want to propose a second toast. To the future; may everyone here find love and happiness and fulfillment in all that they do."  With that I returned to Ali at our table.

As the general buzz of conversations resumed, Niamh came over and asked if she could have a talk with me at some time. I said, "Sure", and looked at Ali who I knew had heard the request. She said why not now. Stephanie and Aisling were still being happily entertained by Grainné, and Alison was happy talking with Siobhan.

I suggested to Niamh that we step outside where it was quiet, and reached over to take both our coats as we went out into the cool night air. I seemed natural to walk over to the bridge and lean against it's solid form.
"So how do you find London after the quiet of BallyK?" I asked her.
"It's different", she smiled, but I do miss all my old friends here. Tonight especially I realise what it is you don't have in a big city."
"Sure" I replied, knowing exactly what she meant. "But you’ve made lots of new friends haven't you?"
"Yeah, quite a few now that Kieran's at a small preschool. I've met a lot of the mothers, so that's nice. With another baby on the way, my life’s quite full. Sean is a wonderful husband and father for Kieran."
"You're very lucky Niamh," I said gently. She looked up at me sadly.
"Yeah, but I don't deserve him." She replied shaking her head.
"Why did you say that, Niamh?"
"Well after what I did to Ambrose, I don't deserve Sean. And now this guilt is making me so miserable, it's stopping me from letting go of Ambrose, and giving myself fully to Sean, and my new marriage."
She looked forlorn, even as she seemed to be pleading for my help.

"What's stopping you Niamh?" I asked quietly.
"This is like going to confession, isn't it?" she said, trying to force a laugh.
"I don't know Niamh. I'm no longer authorised to hear confessions of course." She did laugh at that, then continued.
"I suppose I've been living with all this guilt since Ambrose died. After you left, Ambrose and I gradually started to drift apart; even more than after my miscarriage. Ambrose was burying himself in his work, and I was feeling lonely and frustrated at being trapped in a small village with a young child and no opportunity to do anything worthwhile." I nodded, but said nothing, waiting for her to finish her story.

"Assumpta was gone, and so were you. I felt I had no-one close that I could talk to about it, and I couldn't talk to Ambrose.
She took a hanky out of her sleeve and dried her eyes.
"When Sean came back to BallyK, everyone rejected him; mistrusting him for something his father had done many years before. To me he seemed older, a bit wild and exciting when compared to Ambrose. He'd been to places and done things. Next to him Ambrose looked awfully bland. Do you understand?"

I nodded, but let her go on.
"You know, I'd made up my mind to leave Ambrose for Sean the morning he died; and I think he knew it. In fact I'm sure he did." Tears were now rolling down her face, so I passed my larger and dry handkerchief to her.
"Ambrose died knowing I didn't love him any more. That's what hurts so much. Maybe he didn't even care if he lived or died, and that's why he risked his life."
I thought about how I felt when I lost Assumpta. Would Ambrose have felt like that I wondered?
"That's what bothers me so much. I had to go on afterwards as if it hadn't happened. I felt so guilty, especially when Imelda had lost her only son. People who'd guessed about us, told me to put on a brave face."

It seemed to be the most natural thing in the world for me to comfort Niamh as a trusted friend. Then she stepped back and looked me straight in the eye.
"Peter, do you think I killed Ambrose?" she looked at me pleadingly, then burst into sobs.
I took her into my arms and comforted her, stroking her hair until she she's calmed down. Then I put her away a little and looked her in the eye.

"Niamh, you guessed how I felt about Assumpta, didn't you?" She nodded.
"Do you understand why I had to leave BallyK when she died?"
"I think so," she mumbled.

"I didn't want to live I admit, and I didn't know what to do or where to go, my pain was just so great. So I wandered around the Wicklow mountains for ages. Then one night while I was sleeping in a haystack….."
"You slept in a haystack?" she interrupted.
"Yeah, it was summer," I assured her. "I just didn't want to see anyone at that time. Anyway, this night, about a month after she died, Assumpta appeared to me. It wasn't a dream, she was real. She took me out of my body and showed me where she is now. She took me and showed me both my parents, and I talked with them. Niamh, it was wonderful, and it changed my life." She waited for me to continue.
"I only wish everyone could be so privileged to have such an experience." She listened silently to my every word.
"The reason I'm telling you this, is that I'm sure that is where Ambrose is now. He knows everything, and I'm convinced he
understands. Where he is now, he's very happy and at perfect peace. It is so absolutely wonderful, I didn't want to leave there and come back. I wanted to stay too, and be with Assumpta there, but our love was different. I was told that I couldn't stay; that my time hadn't come yet. I was instructed to come back, as there were things I had to do here."

Niamh looked worried.
"Do you mean that Ambrose now knows everything about Sean, and how I was disloyal to him?"
I nodded.
"I think he knows and I also believe that he understands the circumstances that caused you to be attracted to Sean."
"But he must feel awfully jealous and upset now that I'm with Sean. Peter, Ambrose never stopped loving me; that's why I feel so guilty. He loved Kieran, and now he can only watch another man become Kieran's father."

So I told Niamh about my second encounter with Assumpta, and how she wanted me to find someone else to be happy with.
"In the same way Niamh, I think Ambrose would want you to be happy with Sean, and bring up Kieran to be a responsible adult. If you still feel guilty, I think it will sadden him. I believe that in the place or circumstance where Assumpta and Ambrose are, there is no jealousy and no envy. There is no wanting what someone else has. When I experienced it, I felt only perfect peace and happiness; the love was pure, and there was no selfishness."

Niamh seemed to look brighter as she slowly took in what I was telling her.
"Peter, thank you for sharing that with me. I think I understand, but I need some time to think about what you've told me. However, but I do feel much happier already; as if a big burden has been lifted from my shoulders."
She gave me a big hug.
"You know Peter, you look a lot happier than when you left BallyK, or even the weeks just before then."
I agreed that I had certainly been very fortunate, and that the story of Job would always hold a special meaning for me now.

We agreed to keep in touch after I returned to Australia and she to London. When we returned to the pub, the party seemed to be breaking up. Ali said that everyone was talking of returning tomorrow for a real party. Paul and Oonagh have apparently booked a small band from Cilldargen, that wants some more exposure before trying for gigs in Dublin.

I asked Ali where Stephanie was, and she said with Aisling and Grainné. We found the two little girls fast asleep in Grainné's bed where she had put them top to tail. We went back downstairs and bade everyone goodnight, then with a blanket borrowed from Oonagh, I picked Stephanie up and took her back with us.
 

Sat. 7 Oct.

I also thought about Siobhan and Brendan. I do so hope they find happiness together. My active mind wouldn't let me go back to sleep, so I wrote Ali a note, and quietly let myself out of the house. The air was fresh and clean, and everything was quiet down in the village. I thought about my conversation with Niamh. My experience with Assumpta has certainly allowed me to be able to help a number of other people.

My feet took me over the bridge. As I crossed it, memories flooded back. I remembered throwing away my dog collar into the river, when I knew that Assumpta couldn't be revived, and that she was gone. I wonder where it ended up? I took the path along the river, where Enda Sullivan had panned for gold, and Liam and Donal had set up their 'Lady of the Motherlode' scam. I'd occasionally accompanied Assumpta there, when she walked Finn.

I stopped at the spot where Assumpta and I had our last talk. It's where I finally got off the fence and told her of my decision to leave the priesthood. That was also when I realised that I was giving up the security of a permanent job. We joked about whether she should hang out for a Bishop, and whether she'd employ me in the pub. We were both very happy, but still so insecure regarding our future together. There was no time to enjoy the moment, as Assumpta was very busy trying to set up the pub for the Food Fair that night. We only really had a few snatched moments before we were parted forever. Or was it not forever? I wonder if I'll ever know for sure? This concept of reincarnation is really strange, and I'm not really sure what I believe about it.

I sat down on some rocks and unsuccessfully tried to skip some stones across the water from that position.
"It's all in the action of the wrists," a now familiar voice said from behind me, as a stone skipped three times across the water before sinking.
"A skill perfected on the Murrumbigee River at Wagga Wagga I suppose." I stated as I stood up to greet Vincent.
"Nah. More likely on a dam or a small creek that flowed into it I think," he replied. "Good party last night," he added.
"Yeah, they sure know how to relax and enjoy themselves." I agreed. "They've organised a band for tonight I believe."

Vincent said, that with so many friends from out of town, in BallyK at present, Brendan thought they might as well have a real party. With Oonagh and Paul Dooley, he'd organised a band from Cilldargen, and stacks of party food. They were hoping to make it a real celebration.

We enjoyed a companionable silence as we both concentrated on skipping a couple of stones across the water. We were like two small boys trying to outdo each other, without actually having spoken the challenge.

"How long are you staying in BallyK?" Vincent asked. I told him wistfully that we could only stay a couple more days, as this time next week we had to be gone.
"I have a job to get back to on Monday week," I explained, and added that our three teenage foster children would also be waiting for us to return.

"Do you plan to stay long in BallyK?" I asked him.
"Yep! As long as I'm needed and wanted I suppose. I like it here. The people are great; ….and drought isn't a word they understand," he added as a light rain started to fall. I accepted his invitation to share breakfast with him back in the sacristy.

"Does Fr. Mac know you're living in the sacristy?" I asked, remembering my own experience, and the reaction of the parish priest to that.
"Not yet, but I don't think I'll be able to keep it from him forever." He explained that he hoped it was only for a few more days,
because he'd been to the bank to inquire about using the equity he had in the pub, as collateral to buy the curate's house. It appears that he has a good chance that the bank will accept his application. Vincent plans to use the profit from the pub to pay the loan off. In fact he is trying to work out a way in which he can set up some sort of co-operative to own and run both assets for the BallyK community.

"This place brings back a lot of memories," I said, as I entered and looked around. I watched Vince pull out a toaster and small
microwave oven from a cupboard. We chatted as he put some bread in the toaster, and an egg and milk mixture in a bowl in the oven. Soon we were sitting down to a plate of scrambled eggs on toast.

"The other day you said that you had something you wanted to talk to me about. Now's as good a time as any," he invited.
"Yeah. I just wondered what you thought about reincarnation, that's all?" I answered.
"Come again?" Vincent looked puzzled.
"You know, people claiming to have past lives, or coming back as another person after they've died."
"Yeah, I know what it means; it's just you caught me unawares. I haven't really given it much thought recently. What makes you
interested in the concept now?"

I said that what I was about to tell him might seem very far fetched. In fact I don't know whether I believe in it myself. So I told him about all the little strange incidences that made me wonder if Stephanie could be a reincarnation of Assumpta.

The thought first vaguely entered my head before Stephanie was born, when she turned and I had these small feelings of ESP towards my unborn daughter. Later, on the day of her baptism, I felt as if she was actually objecting to the sacrament, just as Assumpta had insisted she didn't want the Last Rites. Also, occasionally when Stephanie's wishes were thwarted, the look in her eye reminded me exactly of Assumpta when she was angry.

Although the thought had entered my mind in Australia, I told Vince that I really didn't give it any credibility until arriving in BallyK, and witnessing Stephanie's unusual reaction to situations and places here. Nothing could be proven, but there was no doubt that Stephanie had a strong inexplicable attraction for people and places that were significant in Assumpta's life.

I reminded Vince of how Stephanie had struggled against coming inside St. Joseph's on our first day here, and enlightened him on Assumpta's view of the church and its clergy. I told him how as we drove into BallyK, Stephanie had nearly jumped out of her seat when she caught site of the bridge and the pub. Her reaction was nearly identical to mine, as my heart seemed to skip a beat at the moment I saw those familiar landmarks.

Vincent said that he was sure he still had a book on reincarnation, and the concept of past lives. He went over to a box and started rummaging in it.
"Here it is," he said as he pulled out a small paperback. "Have a look at it while I make us a cup of coffee."

As I opened up the book I got a shock. There, on the inside front cover was the name "Richard Roberts", written clearly in Rick's distinctive scrawl.
"Did you say this was yours?" I asked Vincent, as he came over with the coffees. I showed him the name.
"Oops! No, I didn't say it was mine. The embarrassing thing is that when I've been in Australia, and could've tracked Rick down, I've forgotten. Then, when like now, I remember that I've still got his book, I have no easy means to do it."
"Well actually, you do now," I told him.
I explained that Fr. Rick Roberts was our parish priest, and probably my closest friend in Australia. It was he who'd married Alison and I, and baptised Steph.

"It's a small world isn't it," Vince laughed in amazement. He explained how he and Rick had been good friends in the Sydney Seminary, but that they'd lost contact when he'd gone to South America. Vince said that he was very happy for me to read the book, and then return it to Rick. He said he'd write to Rick, and reestablish the contact.

It was almost 8 o'clock, so I thanked Vince for breakfast, and hurried back to Ali to help her with Stephanie. She was amazed when I told her about the connection between Vince and Rick.

We took another picnic lunch today. My plans were for us to explore some of the Wicklow Mountain walking trails. At the back of my mind was the idea to try to retrace some of the tracks I followed after leaving BallyK, and maybe find the haystack where I'd seen Assumpta. I'd found the village where I went to mass and met the priest, on a map. So I planned to drive there, and then try to walk back in the direction I'd come from.

We had a lovely day, and enjoyed the fresh air. However, I couldn't find the haystack. I was a bit disappointed, but also a bit relieved, because I wondered what Stephanie's reaction would be if we did find the spot where Assumpta had appeared to me. It's as if I am accepting that Stephanie is Assumpta.

Last night when Brendan asked everyone to reassemble at Fitzgerald's at 6 o'clock, he said he had a surprise with which to start off the party of the year. The way he said it, made me wonder if he and Siobhan were planning to make a public announcement of their engagement or something. Anyway, we didn't want to be late, so we returned to our B&B early-afternoon so that Stephanie could have a good sleep. Ali asked if I'd stay to mind our daughter while she drove into Cilldargen to get some makeup, and a few other things.

When she got back, she said we should get dressed up for the party, because Brendan and Siobhan wanted to make it something a little different to usual. She insisted I wear the suit that I had with me, and she wore her prettiest dress. We dressed Stephanie up nicely as well, when she woke.

The pub it was already packed when we arrived shortly before 6 o'clock. There were savouries and nibbles on the tables, and Brendan looked pleased with his arrangements. Siobhan looked very nice, as did Aisling, and I was glad we'd made the effort to dress up too. There were a lot of people and we soon found ourselves caught up with the crowd.

I had a conversation with Michael Ryan and his wife, and then I had a long intense debate with Padraig about the way to have a car serviced. We discussed whether it was best to go to a small local garage, where the mechanic knew the car intimately, and would give it individual attention, or to a large business that had all the latest technology. I was so engrossed in this conversation, I hadn't realised anything had changed until there was a hush.

Suddenly all conversations stopped. My eyes were drawn to the stairs, where all other eyes had also turned. There, coming down the stairs was Siobhan, looking quite radiant in an ivory coloured frock. She was followed by Aisling, who was similarly dressed, and carrying a basket of flowers, with a circle of small flower buds in her hair.

The significance slowly dawned on us as Brendan, looking unusually dapper in a dark suit, stepped forward to meet them, and offered his arm as they reached the bottom. They stood together on the first step and faced us.

The spontaneous applause and cheering was deafening. When the excitement quieted down, Brendan explained that Fr. Vincent was up at the church waiting for us.
"Peter," Brendan turned to me. "Would you please be my best man?" I was still reeling from the surprise they'd sprung on us, but managed to nod. Oonagh came over a pinned a small flower on my lapel.
"Niamh," Brendan looked across to where Niamh was standing with Sean, both of them grinning from ear to ear. "Would you be Siobhan's Matron-of-Honour please?" Niamh indicated that she's be honoured, and Oonagh passed her a spray of flowers to carry.
"And where's Kieran? We'd like him to be our ring-bearer, and escort Aisling."
Kieran was quickly found, and given a cushion on which were two rings. To my relief both were securely tied down with white
bows.

I glanced across to Alison who looked very amused, but not surprised.
"Did you know about this?" I asked her. She just grinned and nodded towards where Niamh was waiting in line behind Aisling and Kieran.

The pub slowly emptied as the wedding party, followed by all their friends, slowly made it's way up to St. Joseph's. There were a number of amazed villagers standing in the street, watching with interest at the unusual procession that passed them by. The bells pealed as we made our way up the hill and in through the gates to the church. There three priests were waiting.
"Fr. Aiden O'Connell, who replaced you." Niamh explained when I asked who the third priest was.

As the wedding party moved to the front of the church, the guests quickly found their seats. Considering that none of the guests nor either attendant had been prepared, the service went off very smoothly. All three priests helped with readings and the Eucharist, but it was Vincent who married them and gave the homily.

Kathleen had been asked to prepare a number of hymns, but had not realised what they were for until this afternoon, when she'd been sworn to secrecy. Vince later confided that he was very relieved that she managed to keep quiet about it, but it was probably because she'd spent most of the afternoon practicing.

She was now very happy to help these two people do what she believes is 'the right thing'. Everyone was happy to see Fr. Aiden again, and he too was thrilled to see Brendan and Siobhan finally get together.

It was a very happy and moving service. Vincent said what a joy it was to marry two people who'd finally, after such a long and close friendship, realised how much they loved each other. I noticed that there were a few tears shed as they were pronounced husband and wife. Alison did know about it, because after her singing at the pub last night, Brendan asked her to sing while the register was being signed. She'd even managed to get me to wear my suit without me being at all suspicious.

She chose a song that was best known in Australia where it was sung by Olivia Newton-John. It's called "Love is a Gift". I thought it was a very appropriate choice. The words were:

          Here we are at last, suddenly the pieces fit.
          All at once I make sense of this crazy world.
          I've loved you for so long, now your hand is holding mine.
          It's like we're standing still in time.

          Chorus:
          This is our moment, this is our night
          A new beginning of the rest of our lives.
          With every heartbeat, with every kiss
          Let's always remember that love is a gift.

          With each passing year, we will keep our love alive.
          I will be here by your side, forever.
          Looking in your eyes, I believe in destiny;
          I believe in you and me.

          Chorus:
          This day we have on Earth is so special
          There's no measuring its love.

As we came out of the church, the bells were pealing. There was a beautiful open carriage waiting for the bridal couple, with two very nicely turned out ponies to pull it. This had been organised very quickly by Avril and Edso, with Liam and Donal's help. Aisling and Kieran were also placed in the little cart. As it moved slowly back down the hill, we all followed them back to the pub.

In our absence, Fitzgerald's had been transformed. There were now streamers around the walls, and baskets of wildflowers were placed on the bar. A band was set up, and there was lots of food on the tables.

It was a very happy evening. Vincent was the MC, and he kept the traditional speeches flowing with humour and sincerity. Brendan confessed that he and Siobhan had talked of getting married a few years ago, but feared that they were both too used to having their own space, and too set in their ways to change. He said it was actually my letters that made him aware that living alone also had it's drawbacks. They'd made him start to yearn for a normal family life. Then after Siobhan's cancer scare, they realised how much they really cared about each other.

With Niamh coming back to BallyK at the same time as us, Brendan contacted Padraig and suggested he come over as well. And so gradually the idea to choose the occasion to spring a surprise on us, started to form in Brendan's mind. He and Siobhan managed to keep it a secret from everyone except Fr. Sheahan, who obviously had to know; and Oonagh, whose help was needed for the catering.

Niamh knew that the bank had found a buyer for her father's house, and now she was thrilled to find out that it was Brendan and Siobhan, who with Aisling would be living in it.

We partied and danced into the night. Grainné had taken Stephanie and Aisling upstairs where Stephanie fell asleep in Grainné's bed again. Oonagh suggested that we leave her there until we were ready to go. A cot was already set up for Aisling, as Oonagh was going to baby-sit her tonight.

It was a really fun party. Padraig, Liam and Alison alternated singing with the band. We all danced and drank a bit too much and let our hair down. Fr. Mac relaxed and said a few things he wouldn't normally say, especially with all his curates from the last five years present. However, we were all in a very forgiving mood. It was sad that Brian Quigley couldn't be there. I missed Assumpta who of course was always at every party in the pub. Would she have offered to donate the takings to fix the church roof again, or to send Fr. Mac to Alaska? At least any profits will now go into paying for the curate's house.

About midnight Brendan and Siobhan slipped upstairs to change out of their wedding clothes, and kiss their sleeping daughter
goodnight. We formed a circle around them and sang Auld Lang Syne, and a few other songs to wish them on their way. Siobhan threw her bouquet from the doorway and it was caught by Avril, who was a bit surprised.

Once the bride and groom left, a number of guests followed. With Kieran asleep upstairs as well, Sean and Niamh accepted Oonagh's offer of a cup of coffee, as did Ali and I.
"Well who'd have thought that Brendan would spring that on us, hey?" Padraig said as he and Moira joined us at the bar. Donal and Liam who overheard the comment, added that they "never thought Brendan had it in him" and that "there was life in the old boy yet."

Sean quietly thanked me for talking to Niamh. He said that ever since Ambrose had died, she'd been weighed down with guilt and remorse. It was spoiling their chance of happiness, but after her talk to me last night, the change in Niamh he said was unbelievable. She was already more like the carefree girl he'd first fallen in love with.

Vincent joined us, and we had a good laugh listening to Vince explaining how he'd had to prepare Kathleen, without her actually knowing what she was being prepared for. He'd even considered locking her in the church this afternoon.

Too soon it was time to go. As tomorrow is the last day in BallyK for the Londoners, we all arranged to meet up on the mountain where we held the wake for Assumpta. We suggested everyone bring a picnic lunch to have there with Brendan and Siobhan, and any other friends before everyone has to go home again.
 

Sun. 8 Oct.

After mass, with Stephanie in her backpack, and carrying our picnic basket, we made the pilgrimage up the mountain. There we met Niamh and Sean with Kieran, Michael Ryan, Padraig and Moira, Liam and Donal, Brendan and Siobhan who'd collected Aisling, Vincent, Avril and Edso. We had a lovely time reminiscing, and trying to predict where we'd all be in 5 and 10 years time. We agreed to keep in touch, and if at all possible, we're going to meet again in BallyK, in 5 years from now, and every 5 years in the future. It was a much nicer way to say goodbye, than the way I did it last time.

All too soon the travellers had to take their leave to return to Dublin to catch their flights. We took a few photos of the group, and agreed we'd all do it again in 2005. Then after lots of hugs and embraces we said farewell.

Vincent had the key to his cottage, so after everyone had gone on their way, he invited us back to inspect it. It was nice to see the cottage again. Vincent is happy to be secure again, knowing he finally had a permanent roof over his head. He said he'd bought a leg of lamb as a celebration and asked if we'd like to join him in a lamb roast dinner, cooked the Australian way.

We accepted the invitation and Alison insisted that we'd provide a dessert. So while Stephanie had her nap, Alison mixed a light chocolate dessert. We served it with strawberries and cream, that we were able to buy from Kathleen.

It was a very enjoyable evening; our last in Ireland. Tomorrow we drive back to Dublin, to catch our flight to London. Our holiday is coming to an end. It's been a wonderful few weeks, but after a few days with Stephen, we have to return to our responsibilities back at home.