Elmurst Farm!!

Frank and Azu have been such amazing hosts!  I could not have asked for a better first WWOOF experience (we'll see what happens after this!!  They've set the bar a wee bit high for all upcoming hosts).  I can't believe 3 weeks have already gone by, but before I go, here is a glimpse at the farm . . .

 

 

The cottage!  Over 250 years old. 

 

One of the polytunnels and purple beans (the kind that turn green when you cook them, I love them!)

 

 

 

Said purple beans on the stalk.

 

 

 

 

And all collected, ready for the next stage of their lives . . ..  

 

 

Being delicious! =)  YUM!  Do you see the size of those things?  Some of them were longer than my face!

 

 

More beans longer than my face!  This is a runner bean.  Also scrumptious.  SO good just raw or just steamed.  The flavor of the veggies here, just by themselves, is phenomenal. 

 

 

 

 

One of the first meals I cooked here : steamed runner and purple beans, potatoes, and rainbow chard with garlic and balsamic.  All of the veggies from the garden . . . it's like heaven for me - a huge walk-in fridge or plot of land to go pick vegetables to cook with or simply go eat as is.  Happiness!!!!

 

 Today I go pick up a rental car (a wee bit nervous about driving on the left side of the road, and a stick shift no less!  I'm trying to wrap my mind around shifting with my left hand rather than the habitual right hand.  Apparently the pedals are still the same and the gears still in the same position as well - shall be very interesting).  

 

The next phase of this grand adventure involves 9 days of West Coast exploration. . .  Cliffs of Moher, (and of Kilkee, which a local recommended as well), Connemara, Inishmore, Galway, Dingle, Kerry, Kilarney, Skellig Michael, Donegal. . . 

 

I'm super excited, but also distinctly aware that I may be spending a lot of my time exploring in the sense of just trying to figure out where I am going on what I've heard are terribly marked rural Irish roads.  I've also been told that asking Irish people for directions can be incredibly unhelpful as the Irish, as a rule, don't like to say no.  So instead of admitting that they don't know how to give you directions, they'll just make something up.  =)  I'm keeping my fingers crossed they will have a GPS available, but apparently they don't reserve them, it's simply first come, first served day of.  Here's hoping!