The coast road

The collie dog from yesterday stayed with us all afternoon as we sat out in the sun admiring our views. He was a real sookie, and wanted to be patted all the time. By the time evening came, I was a bit worried about him, so I wandered up to the neighbours with him to ask. Turns out, he lives over the road, but likes to visit the other houses. His name is Sammy. I hope he comes again, but we've been out all day.

You know how you're looking for a picnic spot and you go on and on, thinking you'll get a better one, and you give up and in desperation, stop in a windswept place, in the shade, with an overflowing litter bin and no view. When you finish, no lingering, you drive on and round the corner is the perfect spot? Well, that didn't happen today. We had the perfect spot.

We took the coast round round to Clifden passing through a few wee villages on the way. Not much access to the sea at all- it's all really rocky and peat bogs. But there are a few wee harbours and some choice white sand beaches. We had a picnic at the choicest one - Gurteen Bay. White sand, blue seas, sunshine. Although it's Bank Holiday weekend, we got a park right by the beach and brought out the wee picnic chairs and picnic lunch, and sat up on the grassy bank and watched all the goings on - swimmers, yachties, surfboard paddlers, rock poolers, and a couple of lads with a dinghy and an outboard motor pulling two big rubber tyres, for some reason.

The amazing mountains (Maumturks) that we can see in the distance from our abode were in view all day were right near us on the way home. Saw so many possible blips - horses sticking their heads in the derelict cottage window - of which there are many (derelict cottages... and horses, come to that), the tree growing though the roof of yet another wee derelict cottage, the mum and baby donkey sticking their heads over the rickety stone wall... but too hard to stop.