Limerick - sights to see, Learning Irish and Comical Limerick Poem by Angela Lansbury.

 

Travel to Limerick

Limerick is supposedly where the limerick was invented.

Limerick for Limerick by Angela Lansbury

The limerick came from Limerick

Easy to write and read, it's quick

Where it started we can't be sure

Let's write, sing and drink some some

You'll laugh, and hic and never be sick

Of the laughs which come from Limerick.

You can learn or refresh Irish Gaelic on Duolingo and other online language courses. The Duolingo starter lesson, which is free, teaches you to say, hear and recognise, and read the words, tea, coffee, sugar, and, please.

Language

Bilingual Irish and English sign in Wikipedia article on language. Street sign in Dublin. Photo by Darren J Prior

To get you started, here are some easy words which are the same or almost the same:

Irish - English

banana - banana

bus - bus

cat - cat

camp - camp

fork - fork

lion - lion

mug - mug

English - Irish

banana - banana

bus - bus

camp - camp

cat - cat

fork - forc

lion - lion

mug - mug

Useful websites on Irish Language

duolingo.com

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Irish_phrasebook

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_language

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lingui-Sticks-Language-Learning-Stickers-Educational/

translate google English-Irish Irish-English

Pronunciation in 3 Dialects, from Munster in the South to Ulster in the North

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X75ZGEytOJs

www.focloir.ie free dictionary English-Irish and Irish-English with pronunciation you can listen to

-ends-

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Mother's Day Card From M&S

 

Three dimensional card from Marks & Spencer.

Mother's Day card from Marks & Spencer.

The awning lifts so you can write a message in the text box.

If you missed Mother's Day in the UK, it is celebrated on other days worldwide.

Useful Websites

marksandspencer.com

"Las Mañanitas"  is a Mexican Mother's Day song, sung in Spanish speaking countries, to wake mother on mother's day, by playing a recording or singing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQpOuhl4abQ

Roses for mother sad song, hit song from the 1970s, about a trucker who goes to send his mother birthday roses, pays for roses for a little boy, whose mother turns out to be in a cemetery, so the trucker doesn't send the roses but delivers them to his own mother in person.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roses_for_Mama_(song)

Roses for mama song by Red Sovine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI0WwV0uoDU

Another similar version by McCall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq0XhuFOOXU

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Bonoo Indian Restaurant, Hampstead

Prosecco at Bonoo restaurant, Hampstead, N W London, England. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The Restaurant Name

Bonoo is the owner's nickname. I had trouble remembering the restaurant name, until I thought, it starts like bonus and bon-bon. It ends with oo.

The decor has changed from last year. still very elaborate. Lots of hanging flowery parts, like an overhead vine. Very romantic. Lit by electric candles. 

The Menu

Read with your phone torch. or read online in advance. One of our family is a regular here. She always has salmon. They remember her.

As a starter, I ordered a naan stuffed with coconut. This proved popular. My husband said next time we must order three. Two to eat in the restaurant. One to take home.

Our main courses included a chicken tandoori. And a lamb dish. And plain boiled rice. And spinach with potato.

We had two desserts. Gulub jamun. And ras mulai. 

Booking

We booked. You can have small tables for two and large tables for four or more, on the ground floor and downstairs. 

Toilets Downstairs

Toilets are downstairs, down a well lit staircase with a good handrail on both sides.

The ladies single toilet cubicle is elegant, with a gold framed mirror. 

At the end of our meal the adults were offered a free Baileys (chocolate liqueur) or cognac.

I saved some food, just a little, in a take away box, but no bag and it leaked in my shoulder bag. I should have put it inside a plastic bag.

I had told them it was my birthday on the way in. They wished me happy birthday, but didn't do anything like a candle on a cake. I suppose Indian desserts aren't really geared for that kind of dessert. All the same, the atmosphere was lovely. A very satisfying evening. Reasonably priced, said the one who paid.

Parking

We were able to park nearby for free on a Saturday night, February 2024 

Useful Websites

 

Spanish Words - 10 Memory Aids

 

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

 Spanish  English

accidente - accident

camara - camera

catedral - cathedral

diploma - diploma

fuerte (as in the island in the Canary islands called Fuerteventura) - strong (pianoforte, fortify)

idea - idea

jugador - player (like juggling, and stevedore who is a dockhand unloading ships)

par - pair 

la radio - the radio

rugby (pronounced roo) - rugby

la television - the television

English - Spanish

accident - accidente

cathedral - catedral

idea - idea

the radio - la radio

Rugby - Rugby

pair - par

player - jugador

strong - fuerte 

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Spanish words (20) with magical memory aids

 

Spanish flag

Spanish - English

agua - water

área - area

conflictos - conflicts

dinero - money (to dine you need dinero, money)

las dunas - the dunes

Espagna - Spain

especial - special (add e before the initial s in Spanish words, like the name of the country)

fuerte - strong (as in fortify or make stronger, a fort or stronghold)

golf - golf

Julio - July

lago - lake

las/los - the, plural, las is feminine plural, los is masculine plural, as in the American city Los Angeles meaning the angels, who were male messengers in Greek myths 

marzo - March

miles de - thousands of (Looks like miles of. Not millions of which is millones de, drop the i and add an e)

millones - millions

nacional - national

natural - natural

oasis - oasis

palma - palm tree, las palmas means the palms

parque - park

pico - peak

plan - plan

playa - beach - where you go to play yo-yo on yellow sand, joyfully play on the beach in the bay, on a sunny day with beach toys. Letter Y.

plaza - town square - letter z, zillions of people zooming about in a city zone with stores, place, near a city zoo. Letter Z.

quedarse - stay (when you dig a place you queue up and dig in, d in the middle and sit down, arch your back)

reserva - reserve (nature reserve)

reservar - to reserve

ventura - venture, as in adventure or go towards a venture

viajar - to voyage / to travel

Spanish Words ending in o

banco, dinero, lago, marzo, pico

Spanish Words ending in a

Espana, agua, playa, plaza, reserva, ventura

English - Spanish

park - parque

peak - pico

reserva - reserva

to reserve - reservar

Spain - Espagna

To find more easy to recognize words look in the Spanish version of Wikipedia.

Useful Websites For the Spanish Language

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Portada

The Canary Islands - wine and bananas on Gran Canaria (plus El Hierro)

• 
  El Hierro
 
• 
  La Palma
 
• 
  La Gomera
 
• 
  Tenerife
 
• 
  Gran Canaria
 
• 
  Fuerteventura
 
• 
  Lanzarote

 The Canary islands, so many of them. Seven. Nothing to do with canaries. The names is connected with dogs, canine, but never mind. Just watch out that typing canaries plural without the word islands may  bring up advertisements for buying pet birds.

The Canary Islands - Getting There And Getting Around

You can fly to one of the islands and fly or ferry to another. Only four and a half hours flight from England. P & O run cruises.

We decided that two island in one trip of maximum two weeks, our time budget, was enough. Follow up with a second trip to the other two main islands. One winter trip, one summer trip.

Why Go To The Canaries?

They speak Spanish. That's a plus point, because it is the easiest language to pick up if you are an English speaker. 

Summer sun, and winter sun. Sun all year. The ancient Greeks called the islands the blessed or fortunate islands.

The Canary Islands Alphabetically 

El-Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, La Palma, Lanzarote, Tenerife.

|The Canary Island West to East

The Canary Islands are 

El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, and La Graciosa.

A simple summary

El-hierro, so small, a a hideaway.

El-hierro

The logical place to start, but the island which as a tourist I shall ignore, is the tiny island of El-hierro. The name is Spanish for iron. I had trouble with the spelling. Does it start he or hi. Then I thought of say hi to hierro, and don't make an error

The little island features traffic-free villages, fresh fish, sunsets and early nights, hikes and views of the sea and clean water.  Plant life rather than nightlife. 

For now, when I still have to visit the bigger islands, I'll just read about it on the internet and admire it from afar. For me, as a photographer, the most memorable landmark is a rock archway, unfortunately reached by what appears to be a scramble over the rocks. Not for me. Not now. Later.

Let's move on east. 

Here are the main tourist destinations which I am considering visiting on two trips, possibly one to escape the British winter, one in the summertime.

Gran Canaria

Capital Las Palmas, plural, is also joint capital of the group of islands. It's the most populous (populated) city. A grand place, lots of people, varied landscape and weather with dunes in the south and snow capped mountain in the middle, bananas and vines.

Arehucas Rum Distillery

Buggy tour/ Camel/ convertible car (optional open top)/Quad/Segway/Three wheeler motorbike/ 

Banana tour (Banana World, Banana Museum)

Columbus House.

Dunes (Maspalomas Dunes)

Winery

La Palma

La Palma, singular, is the island. 

Tenerife

Black volcanic cliffs and black sand beaches in the north. Two cities. 

Mount Tiede, snow-capped mountain in the middle. 

Sunny south with yellow sand beaches and tourist hotels.

Loro Parque has parrots and penguins and other animal shows.

Fuerteventura

The name means strong winds.

Attractions include 

1 Oasis park, which has numerous animals and plants.

https://oasiswildlifefuerteventura.com/en/

2 Lighthouse Faro

3 Conatvs wintery tour. tasting room serves bread, olives and cheese.

The island is known for its red tomatoes.

Lanzarote

Artist Cesar built a house into the volcanic black rock with wonderful views over the sea.

A striking modern curved auditorium.

Useful Websites About The Canary Islands

Wikipedia Canary Island

Wikivoyage Spanish phrasebook

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/overseas-destinations/article/best-canary-islands-

Tripadvisor

https://uk.hotels.com/go/spain/el-hierro

https://www.viator.com/tours/Gran-Canaria/Panoramic-Segway-Tour/d792-85318P1

Wiki in Spanish

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Portada

https://en.androidayuda.com/android/Tutorials/keyboard-with-letter-n/#google_vignette

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_the_Canary_Islands

https://oasiswildlifefuerteventura.com/en/

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Fuerteventura

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A9sar_Manrique

Australian TimTam Chocolate Biscuits Reach England

 

TimTam in Tesco. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Australian TimTam biscuits have reached England.

What are they? Little square sandwiches of two biscuits with a cream chocolate filling, covered in solid chocolate. The smaller size biscuits therefore seem to have a generous amount of chocolate. Very more-ish.

I had them in Singapore at a wine tasting a few years ago. The person introducing them made such a fuss about them that I was expecting something unusual. What was the fuss about? They were just chocolate biscuits.

I had them at a Toastmasters club meeting last week. I had one. Two. I went back for a third. I had to walk away.

This week I saw them in Tesco. Surprise. White chocolate. I love white chocolate.

Today I looked at the photo. I thought, that's what I want. Timtam biscuits.

Regarding the spelling, the packets seem to run the two syllables together, as you would say them. However, websites list the word as two syllables.

The biscuits were invented by a man who saw Penguin biscuits in Britain and thought he could make something even better. He named his biscuit after Tim Tam, a  prize winning race horse in America. If you go to America, you can see Tim Tam listed in the Hall of Fame of racehorses in the National Museum of Racing.

National Museum of Racing. Photo from Wikipedia. 

The National Museum of Racing has an online shop selling books, tee-shirts, caps, a key ring, assorted bottles and glasses, but no TimTams. Maybe somebody should suggest it.

Useful Websites

Tesco online ordering

Tesco Shops locations

ebay Tim Tams

Wiki on Tim Tam history and flavours

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Tam

Tim Tim official website

https://www.arnotts.com/brands/tim-tam

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_Racing_and_Hall_of_Fame

https://www.racingmuseum.org/

https://racingmuseum.mybigcommerce.com/shop

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