Ireland- Birr to St Finians Bay

We were in bed by 8. I was asleep by 9. Of course I then woke at 6:30am but that gave me time to finish the previous days blog before waking Nicky at 7:30. We were both stiff and sore so did a yoga workout and then went down to a lovely "full Irish breakfast" (eggs, bacon, sausage, fried tomatoes, mushrooms, hash browns, toast, baked beans). We also had juice and fruit and of course, coffee. Packed and left. It was raining and grey, more like the kind of weather we had expected for Ireland.

After about an hour and a half we stopped for a stretch at a town with a Tourist Information. There we got some directions to a grocery store. Next stop - Tesco. This is Nicky navigating the cheese section. We did try to buy Irish where possible - some cheese, milk, eggs, butter, chicken. Groceries are expensive here and we bought what we thought we needed for a week but some of it we may transport to the next place.

We were using google maps directions that I had printed off at home and the GPS that came with the car. There were some U turns but overall we did pretty well. We stopped and gased up and bought a road atlas that will help us exploring the South West coast.

This was our first glimpse of the coast. Windy, cloud covered and beautiful.

This will be our home for the next week - Beachcove Apt. , St Finians Bay. It has a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen on the bottom floor and bedroom, bathroom and living room upstairs.

It is across the road from this beach

It is a sand beach bordered by rocks and lashed by rollers coming in from the Atlantic.

In the distance are the Skellig Islands that were used as a location in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Behind the cottage, cows graze

Quote of the Day - "There's a shit load of cows in Ireland"

It doesn't matter how photogenic the moors are, my camera keeps

returning

to pictures of the sea

and the life beside it.

We took a short walk, up a farm road, to stretch after the long (5 hour) car ride.

I guess the farmer had some trouble with unwanted visitors.

We have been surprised by the brilliant wild flowers and hedges made of flowering shrubs.

We had our wine and cheese sitting at a picnic table watching the waves

We have seen jackdaws, dippers, tits, wrens and this wagtail with Nicola reluctantly joining in the birdwatching.

The resident, very friendly, Pomeranian.

After dinner, chicken and pesto stir fry, we again took our wine down to the beach,

watched some people swimming,

the islands gradually disappear

and the sun set.