Keli and Stu » delphi lodge http://keliandstu.com Adventures on Beannacht Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:00:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Delphi Lodge, perfect preparation http://keliandstu.com/blog/fun/2008/07/delphi-lodge-perfect-preparation/ http://keliandstu.com/blog/fun/2008/07/delphi-lodge-perfect-preparation/#comments Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:45:04 +0000 stu http://www.keliandstu.com/?p=7 Earlier in the year we made the decision to spend our last holiday in Ireland camping in the south west. Keli has travelled extensively in Ireland with her parents Dennis and Pat, but I was a bit of a novice when it came to anywhere south of Achil. So a week’s car camping along the coastline seemed like a fitting end to our fifth summer together in Ireland, and our last for some time. We set off from Belfast on Friday afternoon to our first destination, a night with Stacey, Mary and Ross in their new apartment in Dunleary. These guys have in a short time become some of our closest friends, and Keli and I instantly relaxed into holiday mode in their hospitality. Some indian food and great chats to the wee hours set us up for the week ahead.

Breakfast with Stacey, Ross and Mary in their beautiful new pad

Breakfast with Stacey, Ross and Mary in their beautiful new pad

On Saturday morning after breakfast we jumped in the car and headed for Cork, to Glandore on the coast to begin what was a perfect week of exploring the coast, eating out loads, and catching up with friends.

The biggest highlight of the week however was a two night stay in one of Ireland’s finest guest homes. Delphi Lodge is an amazing country house built in the 1830s that operates as a guest house and fishing lodge. Family owned and operated, it’s more akin to a stay in a friends house, than a cold hotel. An honesty bar in which you record your own drinks, a long dining table that seats 22, and an expansive wine cellar, Delphi is a little oasis of luxury, and we’d advise anyone to go and enjoy their warmth, hospitality and fabulous dining!

I booked Kel and I in as a surprise for our 4th wedding anniversary, having stayed there with Keli’s parents in 2003 when they came over to visit Keli and travelled for 2 weeks around the island. It was the perfect preparation after what has been a long hard year of house renovation, work, and anticipation. Stop offs with Bryonie and Craig in Leitrim and Rick, Ali, Ben and Emma in Enniskillen topped off a thoroughly enjoyable and restful week.

Thinking about leaving Ireland doesn’t feel massively difficult because we’re going on to such a great adventure, but there’s undoubtedly something about the West of Ireland that both of us find very theraputic. One day we would love to own a little 2-room cottage that we can retreat to.

Amazing tranquility

View a Flickr photostream of our holiday here.

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