Thursday 15 October 2015

BACK HOME AGAIN

BACK HOME AGAIN



SORRY FOR BEING "OFF THE AIR" FOR THESE PAST 11 DAYS OR SO - I WAS ON MY ANNUAL HOLIDAY IN MY BROTHER'S APARTMENT NEAR ALICANTE IN SPAIN. 

I enjoyed the break - and would have blogged a little - except my brother is an old fashioned sort and does not have internet or wifi in his holiday place.

Its good to get a break. Hadn't had one for two years.

I am very attached to Ireland and to living in Ireland and up to a few years ago I thought I could never live anywhere else.

But I've changed my mind on that. There are a number of places in the world that I would be happy to live.

I would be happy to live in the south of Spain. There's a lot to be said for living in a bright, sunny place. It really does lift one's spirit. During this last trip the weather fluctuated between 27 and 32 degrees and I never saw a cloud or drop of rain for the ten days.

Image result for costa blanca
Costa Blanca

A number of years ago I was in Israel twice in the one year and I came home feeling that I could easily live in Jerusalem. I will never forget my first sight of Jerusalem. I had landed at night in Tel Aviv and the next day went by bus to Jerusalem. As the bus rounded a mountain and I first saw Jerusalem sitting in the sunshine in the valley below me - for some reason I got goose pimples and the hair rose on the back of my neck. As a Christian and a priest I think that Jerusalem and I have a primal connection? I could easily live in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem

A few years ago I managed also to visit Cape Town in South Africa and fell in love with that city.

Whales - Hermanus
During that trip I went out to Hermanus to see the massive whales giving birth to their calves and teaching them how to swim. I could live in a place of beauty like Cape Town.

Cape Town

Anyway - enough dreaming. Fate has led to Northern Ireland and to Larne.

Larne

3 comments:

  1. MourneManMichael15 October 2015 at 19:04

    By coincidence I'm just back too, from two weeks in Turkey. Yes, I could live in south of Spain okay too having travelled most of the south coast ex Malaga west to Cape St Vincent in the Algarve, and also from Algeciras over the Med and down through Morocco to the Sahara.
    Not been to Cape Town, but "have a feel" for it, as it formerly was, having just today finished Mandela's autiobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom". Inspirational book ably portraying brave and far sighted men's struggles through South Africa's apartheid darkest days. What a pity Northern Ireland doesn't seem to have any similarly inspirational politicians to break out of this tedious deadlock of harking back to the past.
    But Jerusalem: ....never liked the Israeli militant attitudes and behaviour from the moment I crossed from Sinai at Taba. Was glad to leave it behind and certainly won't return.
    MMM

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  2. Welcome back Pat! Thought a certain 'Bobbio' had obtained a gagging order against you! Sounds like you had a well deserved break!

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  3. Pat,
    Very glad to hear that you had an enjoyable break in Spain. Welcome home.
    I look forward to resuming a dialogue with you on matters of mutual interest.
    Any thoughts on the ongoing 'Family Synod' in the Vatican ?

    LUX.

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