愛爾蘭大城小鎮，不少都有河流在中央，我家附近的小鎮，有點不同，是河流分隔兩個小鎮，河上有條古老美麗石橋連接兩鎮，更加奇異是，兩個小鎮，以河流為界，分屬兩個省份！
真的只是小鎮，各自中央有一、兩條有商舖的街道，一個鎮有超市有銀行有小學，另一個沒有，但有肉店、藥房和運動場，民生事務，走勻兩鎮，不花太多時間，就可以辦好。
古石橋單線行車，有紅綠燈指揮三個方向行走，煩忙時間，進度緩慢，路旁有白線，作行人路，人車爭路，險象環生。
兩個省政府討論了廿多年，終於決定在鎮外圍建雙線行車兼有單車和行人路的新橋，又三年完成建築，終於在年初啓用。
以為順理成章，美麗石橋改作行人專用區，駕車經新橋去對面的鎮，要兜段路，增加兩、三分鐘駕駛時間，起碼不用停車等紅綠燈。
然而在啓用前數個月，竟然有熱烈爭論，要求古橋仍然繼續行車，鎮內多家商店、餐廳，更拉起橫額，反對古橋禁車，說會分裂兩地人民、影響生意云云。
一向覺得愛爾蘭人，吹水時討論批評多，好少會出頭行動，所以極少罷工情況，就是匿名投訴也不敢做，怕被鄰居估到，今次大開眼界，竟然明目張膽掛橫額。
官方反應是試行禁車三個月，再作決定。好彩未到兩個月，已經通告會持續下去成為行人專用區，想當然是橋上行人多了，氣氛一流，生意沒有減少，大家安落，只是痛心那些商家，破了財做橫額。
到友人家中吃飯，先生是農夫，有近百頭乳牛，每日兩輪擠奶，全年無休，異常忙碌的工作。
朋友是數學教師，四十多歲結婚，好幾年後才有兒子，先生大幾年，老來得子，兒子重複考試兩年，今年廿四歲終於農科畢業。
吃飯時兒子女友亦在，女孩高瘦九頭身，兩腿修長，身段似模特兒，和略矮胖男友完全不配合，但二人發展理想，隔日要見面，女孩是幼稚園老師，不介意到農場和男友一起工作。我為他高興，這樣困身的工作，能早早找到女友，多幸運。
奇異是朋友並不開心，訴說女孩常穿著短褲，她看不順眼，起初不想她到來，但她不來，兒子就去她家，沒辦法就由得他們，十分不習慣家中多個人。現實是兒子將來承繼農場，也就一定得守在家，走不了的，家中會有個新抱，是遲早的事。
我聽了有些驚心，朋友老來得子，以為會樂於見到兒子早早結婚，飛快抱孫，然而竟然露出家婆面色。
問朋友計劃何時把農場交給兒子打理，讓七十多的先生可以慢慢退下。朋友說兒子仍然沒有人工，只有小量零用錢，丈夫覺得兒子未有能力接棒，仍然在觀察中。
自然，兒子的農科學習，沒有教授最重要的「如作承繼祖業」，令父親願意放手！
Simple to sear meat/scallop, or make vegetable pancakes.
Being very nutritious, I have been finding ways to use more seaweed in cooking. It is good to pair with seafood, imparting a umami savoury flavour. This seared tuna belly coated with seaweed flakes is delicious and pretty on the dish too.
Season tuna belly with salt and pepper for a couple hours, cover with seaweed flakes just before cooking.
Seared all sides of tuna at medium high heat, rest a short while to warm through the middle but still raw for a juicy result. Seaweed flakes becomes crispy after searing.
The trick to make the apple rose one is to cut the apple very thinly, mix with lemon juice, brown sugar and cinnamon powder, bake at 150˚ to just soft, around 10 minutes. Line the apple slices up horizontally and roll up like a rose. Gently push into muffin tin half filled with any cake mix.
I used sourdough discard, equal amount of almond powder, an egg, thick yogurt, baking powder and honey to make the muffin mix.
For the frangipane apple cake, the apple slices are thicker, the frangipane mix is simply equal quantities of almond flour, egg, butter and sugar to taste.
在香港常常買豬頸肉，快煎後嫩滑爽口，但在愛爾蘭未見過，問相熟肉店老闆，說只買豬身，豬頭留在屠房，並沒買下。
終於找到有機農場，直接出售，但來晚了，豬肉已經賣光，只剩下豬頭，一場來到，也就買下自己切割，什麼都試試。
去皮去雪白油脂層後，終於看到面頰肉的結構，看到有兩層不同的肉質，外面那一片顏色淺油脂多，就是喜歡吃的「豬頸肉」，原來不在頸上，只是面頰外層的肉，油脂多，保暖為主吧。
切走後看到下面的深紅色肌肉，有白筋，這才是用以嘴嚼的肌肉，要燜煮軟後才能吃。
買下小豬頭，原來頭骨頗大，就只有薄薄面頰肉（兩種）、細小脷頭和些少頸肉和豬油可吃，而工夫頗多，覺得以十歐羅買這豬頭，蝕本了，但終於知道「豬頸肉」在那個位置，明白「豬頭骨」這形容詞、和支持那有機農場，算是值得啦。
Llangollen 的另一個特色景點，是兩位愛爾蘭女士在十八世紀末的居所。其中一位來自名門Butler 家族，二人都喜歡文學藝術，互相欣賞，相約逃離家園，在威爾斯遊走一圈後在Llangollen 小鎮找到房子住下。
有花園河流，環境美好，開始種植蔬果，養殖豬羊雞等自給自足，是當年代半公開的同性伴侶，因為名門背景和文學修養，吸引不少文友畫友到訪，朋友圈子很大。
她們瘋狂的喜歡十七世紀初流行的Jacobean 橡木雕刻，因為太浮誇而逐漸被較簡約的設計取代。四處尋找、收購被放棄的舊傢俬、裝飾，朋友亦樂於捐贈。把喜歡的雕刻部份切割，重新安置在屋內各處，慢慢房屋四壁內外全部填滿木雕。
最動人處，是那Jacobean 時期的雕刻，人物動物都活潑、生動兼有趣，看時覺得似是南美土地著、印度教的作品，多於英國設計！
難得是兩位女士，勇於面對自己的選擇，在家人經濟支持下，共同生活三十多年，活出精彩人生。
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| Crucis Abbey |
Another impressive site in Llangollen town is Plas Newydd, meaning New House, inhabited by 2 Irish ladies in the late 18c.
They love art and literature, and seriously fascinated by Jacobean oak carving popular in the early 17c, being very intricate, lively and flamboyant with a lot of human and animal motives.
The ladies collected them as discarded old furnitures and furnishings, cut the interesting parts out and upcycle as decoration on walls. Gradually they collected so many that the house is fully covered inside and out.
Very impressed that they dare to live the life they chose and left behind their good taste.
Nearby a short drive away is an Crucis Abbey built in the 12c. Most of the roofs are gone and walls collapsed, but the huge footprints, the sheer height and big arches can still be easily appreciated.
Came over to Wales via car ferry to have once a year meet up with friends living in UK. Chosen to stay near Llangollen this year as it is not too far for both parties to drive to. On top, Wales countryside is pretty and there is are a few interesting sites and hiking there.
Llangollen town is very pretty with roaring river Dee right in the middle. The old part has a few well maintained 17c wood beam houses, some have beautiful door knockers.
The town is bordered by a canal that run to the sea. Built in the late 18c to transport wood, coal and lime down to the coast.
What makes this canal to be on the UNESCO list is that being a hilly area with valleys in between, there are 2 sections of the canal being built on top of aqueducts, to cross the valleys. It was an important engineering project in that era. They proved to be a sound design as they are still standing and in use, by tourists rather than for transport now.
Roughly 50 years after the construction of the canal, steam trains arrived and quickly proved to be more efficient than canal. One aqueduct has a viaduct next to it, for train, and intentionally built a few more metres higher up to show the domination of train travel.
