Love, Rosie (283 page)

always
said
I
hate
B&Bs
but
I’m
planning
on
turning
the
house
more

into
my
own
mini
hotel.
And
I
am
going
to
be
manager/owner

extraordinaire!

Ruby:

Ruby:

Wow.

I
think
that
.
.
.
wow.
I
can’t
think
of
anything
sarcastic
to
say
actu-

ally.
I
think
that’s
a
great
idea.
Are
you
sure
you
want
to
do
this?

Rosie:
Ruby
I’ve
never
been
surer
in
my
life!
I’ve
done
my
research,
with

my
inheritance
from
Mum
and
Dad
I
can
afford
the
insurance.
I’ve

asked
all
the
B&Bs
around
and
the
place
is
crawling
with
tourists.

It’s
a
bit
tough
in
November
and
December
but
they
generally
make

enough
in
the
rest
of
the
months
to
get
through
that.

The
area
is
beautiful,
the
coastline
is
dramatic
and
rugged,
the
bog-

lands
have
a
foggy
mysteriousness
to
them,
the
sea
just
crashes
and

whips
against
the
cliffs
letting
everyone
who
lives
here
know
who’s

boss.
It’s
just
nature
and
all
the
elements
at
their
best,
who
wouldn’t

want
to
come
here?
Who
wouldn’t
want
to
live
here?

Ruby:

Well
I
wouldn’t
but
I
appreciate
what
you’re
saying.
I
think
it’s
a
great

idea
Rosie.
Congratulations
you
little
genius.
I
hope
that
whatever
it

was
that
sent
you
packing
isn’t
going
to
chase
you
away
any
farther.

Rosie:
What
do
you
think?

Rosie
Dunne
will
be
your
hostess
in
Buttercup
House.
The
building
is
a

modern
four-bedroom
home
approved
by
Bord
Failte,
the
Irish
Tourist

Board.
All
of
the
rooms
are
en-suite
with
private
baths
and
toilets.
Double,

twin,
and
family
rooms
are
all
available.
The
rooms
are
centrally
heated
and

there
is
a
telephone
in
each
room.

Buttercup
House
is
the
ideal
location
to
explore
Connemara,
enjoy
hill-

walking,
mile-long
sandy
beaches,
angling,
fishing
in
Lough
Corrib,
Ireland’s

largest
natural
inland
water
mass,
a
favorite
with
fishermen
for
salmon
and

416

Cecelia
Ahern

brown
trout.
Scuba-diving,
sailing,
and
surfing
are
accessible
along
the
coast-

line.

Connemara
National
Park
is
a
2,000-hectare
state-owned
conservation

center
with
mountains,
bogs,
grasslands,
and
spectacular
wildlife.
Traces
of

ancient
settlements
can
be
seen,
including
4,000-year-old
megalithic
tombs.

There
are
golf
courses
aplenty,
with
rocky
hills
and
ocean
inlets
providing
the