After a crazy day yesterday it is so nice to wake up in a familiar place. Jutta and I roll into the dining room for breakfast and are greeted by so many familiar faces……..happy to see us again as we are to see them.
We do some catching up before indulging in the perfect Rosapenna breakfast…….I am into the MFI, modified full Irish these days, and it is still a delicious load first thing in the morning that carries me all the way through the day. Sibylle follows along shortly and we all agree this just feels like home.
It will be Old Tom Morris this morning, the first course built here in the 1890’s by, you guessed it……Old Tom Morris. It has been changed, added to, upgraded, and redesigned over the years, but still maintains the character that Old Tom carved out of this stretch of dunes land many years ago. There are still a couple of holes on the back nine that remain virtually unchanged from his original design. This is a beauty. Pure links golf with tight lies on the fairways that will roll forever, and demands that you know how to play golf on the ground as well as in the air. I admit I didn’t quite get it the first time I went around, but since then it has grown on me immensely. The goats are enjoying it also, and the round is over way too soon. We will have another go at Old Tom when the tournament gets going in a couple of days.
There are two courses at Rosapenna that you can walk to from the hotel……Old Tom, and Sandy Hills, so when our round is over it is a quick buggy (golf cart) ride back, and we are in the bar in minutes. Again familiar faces from years past, and before long we have G&T’s and a couple of appies in front of us to tide us over until dinner.
The culinary highlight of all trips we have taken to Donegal is the Olde Glen Restaurant…….. chef Ciaran Sweeney with his amazing team in the kitchen, and partner Cormac Walsh who runs a flawless front end, create food and service that you would think would be unheard of in this part of the country. What they create and produce would be a hit in any part of the world, anywhere. Great to see them both again, and they are happy we will be back in a couple of days when the rest of the Oslerbrook gang arrives. Our meal is over the top. I am surprised to see that Ciaran is actually working the line in the kitchen rather than being up front putting plates together……he has a brilliant young lady Kiera (I think) on the front end, and you can see by the pictures she has talent galore. Good on him to let her shine. We are soooooo full it is just not possible. OK, here goes, from appetizers to the best sticky toffee pudding EVER.
Back at the hotel we fall into bed and are gone instantly. Big day for us tomorrow as we will drive up to Ballyliffin for a round at Glashedy Links.
HUGEBLOGSITE 
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