Strandhill .... one of those places ....

There won't be too much text in this post at first. Too many other posts to write ;-)

But no worries, it's not needed.  Because Strandhill is .... one of those places .... where pictures speak for themselves.

Let's start around 5:30 am

I decide to go for a walk at 7 am.

I've found my dream house.  Even though it doesn't seem to have any chimney pipes and the condensation on those windows is worrisome. 

Three houses communicating with the mother ship?

NO, I am NOT in Iceland, even though it looks like it

At the end of the walk, almost back at the hotel, I start laughing.  Remember how on the bike trip from Paris to Frankfurt last fall I kept an eye out for the dying breed of Garden Gnomes, but couldn't find a single one ?

Well.  I found one today !   Did they all emigrate to Ireland?

With all that walking and freezing behind me, I feel as if I deserve some breakfast. The croissant & pain au chocolate are almost as good as the ones in Paris or Phnom Penh.

But what is that?

There is only one comment I can think of:

Some blog writing and napping later, it's about noon now, I decide to head out again.  But a completely different, and intrinsically circular route instead.

There is a beach down there that I have to get to ....

I aim to the left of the hill above and enter Dune Wonderland ....

Now WHAT is THAT giant sand dune.  Must scale !

Naturally, at some point I start heading UP the dunes ....

 Now get ready to scroll:

Normally I could play up here forever, but it's cold and my feet hurt.  Time to go back to the hotel.   Let's see when the bus to Sligo leaves ....

A bit of vegging out in my room and I'm treated to a show from my veranda:

It's sunset time ....

Just after sunset I catch the local bus at the station down the hill.   It's time to head into Sligo.  

Two things about the bus are stuck in memory.         One is the comparatively HIGH fare of Euro 4.30.     The other is that this bus has Seat Belts !

I'm meeting Seamus, Jemma, and 8 of their Sligo-based friends in a restaurant in Sligo.

 Pictures were taken by the waitress, LOL

 Nice people, great company, great food.  I even get a lift to my hotel at the end of the evening from a couple who lives in Stranhill.

Another GREAT day !

Rage, rage against the dying of the light!