Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Ag tiomáint go Naomh Prionsias aríst

Thiomáint Léna agus mé go Naomh Prionsias ar feadh an deireadh sa tseachtaine seo caite. Chuir mé páipéar go An Chomhdháil Mheiricéanach do Léann na hÉireann ansin. Labhair mé faoi Séamaisín Ó Gaibhtheachain agus a úrscéal "Fir Lár."

Fhág muid an Cathair na Áingeal ag leath an naoi anuas ar maidin. Stop muid ina margadh mór nua in Oxnard, "Biannaí ar fad." Chuaigh muid amach romhainn feadh an chósta ar an 101 go Paso Robles; breathnaigh muid an tuath álainn ag dul.

Chonaic mé an ghrúdlann Firestone-Walker ag imeall Solvang riomh, ach ní raibh sé ann níos mo. Ach, bhí sé níos faide ar thuaith. Tá sé lárnach idir an dá chathair mór anois.

Ith mé pizza; ith Léna borgaire. Sampláil mé eitilt "seomra sconna"; is maith liom "ghrúd-IPA" féin an chuid is fearr. Tá sé ina áit mór ach ag tabhairt cuireadh, measaim.

Bhuail muid a lán de trachta ína Gleann na Sileachain. Bíonn sé chomh dona sa bhaile, gan amhras. Mar sin féin, tháinig muid ar an óstán mór ar lár Naomh Prionsias ag trasna Sráide Margadh in aice leis ag leath an sé, ar deireadh.

Shiúil muid anuas Teach Uí Mhurchú. Shiugh muid i gCaife Claude ag ith béile Fraincis. Bhi muid tuirseach ach sásta.

Driving to San Francisco again.

Layne and I drove to San Francisco during the weekend before last. I gave a paper to the American Conference of Irish Studies there. I spoke about Jim Gavin and his novel "Middle Men."

We left Los Angeles at half past nine in the morning. We stopped in a large new market in Oxnard, Whole Foods. We went off next along the coast on the 101 to Paso Robles; we watched the lovely countryside go by.

I ate pizza; Layne ate a burger. I sampled a "taproom" flight; the brewpub's own IPA pleases me best of the lot. It's a place big but inviting, I think.

I had seen the Firestone-Walker brewery near Solvang before, but it was not there any more. But, it was further north. It is centrally between the two great cities now.

We hit a lot of traffic in Silicon Valley. It was as bad as at home, no doubt. Nevertheless, we arrived at the grand hotel in the center of San Francisco across from Market Street near half past six, finally.

We walked past Murphy's Pub. We sat at Café Claude to eat a French meal. We were tired but contented. Photo/Grianghraf.

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