November in Chiang Mai '16

Met lovely Katie at Chiang Mai Gate food stall.  We were eating at the one owned by that very competent nice Thai woman who cooks such great steaks of chicken, pork or beef while making her chips and salads all on two burners.
Katie was here from Canada for a month doing a massage course at the Old Medicine Hospital.  Met a few of her friends who were also on the course.  We all went to Lucky's for a few drinks and continued to meet up often while she was here.

Jelly, Bill, Toby and Yaraslov at CU

Katie ready for road

Katie, myself, Lucky and Eileen

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

My birthday was soon after I arrived this year, I'd booked dinner with Chris and Bill in Dash as usual.  A few days before I met three fun people in CU.  They were travellers, a couple on bikes and an old friend.   Marc and Anita  Cole and their pal Phil.   Such fun, nice people.  They joined in the dinner and also Jume who got together again.   The men were English, Anita was Irish.    They all booked in to Chedi View and we enjoyed beers together.   Found a fun bar close by run by nice Thai lady named Lucky.   They stayed for a week.   Anita and Marc headed for Laos on their bikes and very hilly it was too from the photos.

Anita and I

In Clay Gatden with Deb

CU with Joao and Cristine

At Dash for birthday dinner

CU with Pensri and Deng

CHIANG MAI, Thailand 2016

Returned to this home early November.   As everywhere things have increased in price, traffic is bad and Thai immigration makes no sense with the issuance of visas and extension of same.   As a result many old friends and acquaintances are not coming at all this year.
It's still very easy to settle in to the ease of life and the smiles.   The Loy Kratong festival was, of course, subdued due to the death of the beloved King.   Everyone dressed in black and white and the floats were also in those colours.   I went down to the Ping river to float my Kratong along with Deb
There were Kom Loys but no fireworks.   We sat in Reginas after sailing our little offerings from the Wat near Anantara

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Returning to Blogspot

Update November 2016

I've been posting at "aileenonroad.tumblr.com" for my camping adventures this year mainly in Portugal,    It's a great country for camping, lovely Aires and inexpensive campsites.   The people are nice and friendly, markets are great, food is inexpensive etc.  Most enjoyable.  I've tried to transfer the pictures to here without success so far so anyone who's interested in details on the rest of the travels in Portugal in a motor home will need to go to that blog or email me as I will try to resume blogging here mainly because Tumblr sends just too many messages that have nothing to do with me.  Tumblr also has the news and pics from the Trad music festivals in Ireland during July and August.
After I returned to Ireland this year I realised that I would need to have an address again.  Prices on houses were increasing beyond my reach and saw that I wouldn't be able to afford to buy in Galway (always wanted to live there) and couldn't find a small house in Ennis my second choice.  Decided to buy a townhouse in Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim.  That is not an area where I've ever spent time but it is small yet interesting and has my three pre-requisites.   Shops are just a short walk away, also pubs with trad music sessions, most of all there's a bus and a train to Dublin so easy airport access😜 It was a pleasant surprise that there's a cinema with an art film night once a week as well as an opera film once a week.   There's a university of the third age, a weekly organic market, friendly people and a theatre.   Really promising.   Here's a picture of my little town house.   It's the lower one with the green door in the middle.

The house is situated in the complex on the left of this picture.  Town is just over the bridge to the right.
I only had a very short while in the house before it was time to leave for winter in Chiang Mai, Thailand as usual

BLOG MOVED

BECAUSE OF INABILITY TO REACH RECENT PHOTOS I HAVE HAD TO MOVE MY BLOG TO
aileenonroad.tumblr.com

DIFFERENT PRESENTATION BUT IT WORKS FOR NOW.

MONSARAZ

the view on a wet morning

Monsaraz is at the top of a steep mountain and is completely enclosed within the walls of a castle.  The views are terrific, one can see for miles around.  It was used by the Moors and later the Knights Templar.  Like all of these remote towns all the streets are cobbled, narrow and steep with the lovely little white washed houses.  It must be striking when the plants and flowers are in bloom.

One of the entrances

SOCIAL LIFE IN CAMP MINA S. DOMINGOS

With lovely sunny weather all week and such pleasant companions here we've all stayed on and had fun dinners, grill, chats, happy hours and walks.
Sean is American, young, married to lovely Carolina.  Mike is English and are Pam and Rob.  Just a few pics of them all.  On our grill evening a Portuguese family at the next table were celebrating a birthday with song and a guitarist and we all had some of the cake.

Sean and Carolina

music with our grill

happy hour

lads grilling

MINA S. DOMINGOS

The great mining town of Sao Domingos has changed very little with time except the huge mines are derelict since 1960.  The houses of those miners are tiny except for those from the higher officials of the British firm.  Great tiny streets of whitewashed houses some consisting of only one room, some with toilets still outside and I'm told that some of them have the kitchens in a building opposite.  The free camping here is on a large lovely Baragem or dam.  It's great.  Very friendly neighbours, grand walks and weather just changed to sunshine and warmth.   Couldn't be better.

Mina S. Domingus

local meal with Sean

ALCOUTIM

Making my way back to the east coast because I bypassed an area that is so lovely with several very Portugese little towns.  Had a great drive through the mountains to Alcoutim where there's a very lovely town situated on the Guadiana river as is the beautiful town of Mertola.   Stayed in the former. The wildflowers are just beautiful.  Many of them I have never seen before.  It's so pretty here now what must it look like when everyone puts out their plants and flower boxes.

Alcoutim

Mertola

SAGRES

Sagres is one of the last towns in the west of the Algarve.  The coast along here becomes very rocky and there's a lighthouse at the San Vincentino point that has the strongest light in Europe.  All along these regions there are many people walking the "Fishermans Path" or Vicentina Way.  There are wonderful walks along steep cliffs, twelve stations along the way where some people stay in hotels and some in tents.  Great views, lots of wild flowers, turquoise water and a chance to surf.

The Lighthouse

The Portuguese Finisterre

surfers only, too cold for swimming

LAGUS

A lovely town with a wide marina, lots of windy streets and many cafes and restaurants.  It is, of course, cobblestoned.  The Portuguese pronounce it Lagosh.  There is a beautiful church dedicated to St. Anthony but it was unfortunately closed for some hours when I rode my bike there.  It's always great to stroll around these little towns with their colourful trim around windows and doors.  Some of the houses are so tiny they have a frontage of only one window and a door.
There's a camping place beside the sport stadium for 3 euros/night.  Met David, the nice man that I camped beside up at the Barragem and also Chris who lives in Dublin.

St Anthony's church in background

FERRAGUDO AND PORTIMAO

My merry meandering next took me to the lovely little village of Ferragudo with such nice beaches and cafes.  It's right across from Portimao where I spent the night in a very good aire for 3 euros.  It had a WC, showers and a good bar and restaurant within walking distance of the Praia da Rocha one of the very nice beach areas of Portimao although there's too many high rises for my liking.  Still there was a very nice stroll along the boardwalk and I was told that the best prices for drinks is at the large Casino there.
Last night was spent in the bar at the camp with very nice company from England - Angela and Jack and Philip and Mina   We enjoyed the vino a bit too much so Jack's head wasn't the best today.  At 1 Euro for a full glass it's easy to do :-)

Ferragudo

Ferragudo from across the water

Plaia da Rocha

Poppies are the happiest of flowers

Portimao

Sand Sculptures

I went for a walk without any money when I came across this exhibition of huge sand sculptures with a theme of music.  Couldn't go in as didn't have the entrance fee but these are a few visible from the fence :-)  The posters claim that it's the largest exhibition of sand sculptors anywhere.