Straight out of a Botticelli...

Ok, ok, perhaps a slightly more pugnacious take on the Birth of Venus. 
This one is more along the lines of the Demise of Two Dozen Scallops. They'll definitely make a tasty dinner tomorrow. Uncle Martin has not lost his hand with a knife. It takes him 42 seconds to open and clean a scallop. 

Today was one of these truly magical days in Mayo. Magical mostly due to their extreme rarity. It was more than warm. It was hot. And sunny. And with the gentlest of breezes, but still enough to keep the midges at bay (and the little winged bastards seem not to like strong sunlight, that's why they are particularly fierce in the morning or the evening or round the clock on those more common and endless overcast days). 

No less than three sea swims today. A morning one on Nana's beach, a nice little warm up lap. Then in the early afternoon, to cool down after a nice kayaking session on the Atlantic side. The water was incredibly clear and cool. 

And then at 5pm a snorkelling session with Martin and Leo to get the scallops. Forty minutes without a wet suit for Leo and I, that's how warm it was. I'm glad I can still spot them from the surface, it is so satisfying to take a deep breath and dive down to pluck your dinner off the sandy bottom.