When I visit new places, I tend to form opinions on them in two ways- either if I could live there or if it makes a great holiday spot. Kinvara (which I kept calling Kinarva), a small town on the West Coast of Ireland falls into the first category. I could live here. This town was surprisingly perfect for our short stay. With the presence of a weekly Farmer’s Market, a Health Food Store on the main strip, hearty supply of fresh, local eggs, raw cheeses and seaweeds, workshops on how to raise your own backyard hens and even courses in mindfulness meditation, I swear I could have settled in and stayed forever.
Loitering outside Kinarva's Health Food store - Healing Harvest-awaiting the pick-up for the wedding. (I'm the one with the orange scarf)
I heart farmer’s markets, as you know by now and I was a bit sad to be missing the opening weekend of the markets here in Toronto. I did catch the opening weekend in Kinvara and met delightful towns people. The market here, as most markets do, serves as a gathering place and a chance to share information. What was the word in Johnston’s Garden this sunny May morning? The new EU laws on animal slaughtering. These are simple people who, for the most part, live off their own fields and animals. The EU however has recently set in laws that prohibit the slaughtering of one’s own livestock- either for personal or commercial use. This proves a challenge for many of the local folk who have to pay to have their animals sent to a facility and then transported back to their farm for their own consumption. I am not sure any good can come from the government controlling any sort of traditional food practices. Do they really know better than hundreds of years of tradition? This whole foods natural nutritionist is not convinced.
The market had more food to plant than food to eat, but I did come away with raw goat milk cheeses, some fresh eggs and a sweet jar of the local dillisk… and made a special new friend- featured in my video.
Here are some pics of the Farmer’s Market and the town.
View from our cottage in Kinvara
My new Irish best friend!
The Kinvara Friday market
Everywhere I looked I saw something beautiful.
If only I had a garden… and lived in Kinvara
The main strip
So very disappointed I missed this event.
The picture perfect little walkway to our cottage. That’s one of my oldest friend’s Rae. We met when we were twelve and she’s now a pediatrician and momma.
My market goodies. Raw goat’s milk cheese and seaweed.
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That’s where we can build our Ed Begley jr. house!
What a cute little town! I’m going to have to remember it if I ever get that big grant to go live somewhere awesome and write!
What a beautiful place and wonderful trip! Maybe you will live there some day
How did I miss this one?!!
Love it!!
Shameless promotion of our little seaside wonder-village. Thanks Meghan, on behalf of the people of south county Galway I thank you…
I’m all for setting up some kind of Kinvara commune by the way. A sustainable time share anyone?
Julia- I love it! So in on that plan.