TeamChallis: Ireland Holiday. Days 4

Tuesday 2nd August

The votes this morning from the girls were for “beach-beach-beach-beach!!!”, however I was keen to have a trip out. This area is fairly sparsely populated so you do have to travel a fair way for some attractions which I wasn’t keen on, but within a reasonable shout is a place M and I have visited a couple of times before. I am a big fan of the Burren Perfumery (http://www.burrenperfumery.com/), they have a lovely herb garden, a fairly low-key visitors centre (have a look at the process and a video if you fancy it, but if not, well hey!) and a super shop with the most gorgeous smelly things made there in a very idyllic setting. When M and I had a holiday in Ireland quite a few years back we had stayed in Galway for one part of it and had happened on the Burren Perfumery (I think we must have intended to go as it is not the sort of place you happen on unless you are very very lost), when we came with Fidget 3 years ago we visited again. Fidget loved the garden (and I bought more stuff).

We explored the garden first

They had done lots more to the garden, with more secret pathways and surprising things to find, the best of which was a life-size “moss-man” asleep on a cast iron bed, next to a fireplace, the girls thought it was brill especially when they found his boots and kettle hidden in the flower bed too. I had a good wander round the shop, making a few purchases, with Squidge helping me try out some creams

After a few more wanders into the garden we drove back to the nearest town to a pub we had seen on the way. It had the most spectacular views across the valley but was a very unassuming place. M went for the goat-burger and I took a picture of the menu as it really was the description of it that hooked him in.

The food was very good and the service friendly, though we were really prompted to leave a tip by a note on the menu advising us that “tipping is not a city in China”.

We drove on to a stone fort, as we arrived Fidget looked out and said with great excitement “I can see a stone from my window!!” if you have any idea of the rocky landscape of the Burren (you can’t move but hit a huge boulder) you will get a sense of how hilarious this was. After I stopped laughing, we went in, we wavered when we realised there was an entrance fee but I am really glad we went for it.

There was an archaeological dig on, we were the only ones around and the team were really friendly though the dig leader didn’t get off to a good start when he approached Fidget and said “hey would you like to see a tooth?”, Fidget turned on her heel and properly ran for the hills! She returned when he gave me the tooth to show Fidget. It was probably a sheep tooth he said, and he was full of interesting information about the dig. We then drove a bit further to see the portal dolmen that we had visited before with Fidget. On our way out there was a chap making necklaces with names based on an ancient Celtic script “Ogham” apparently, could be all baloney (it certainly looks like they made up the symbols for Q, X, Y and Z) but he was a cheery chappy, they were only E15 and they looked cool. So I had one made with each of the girls names on and am very chuffed with them

After that it was getting time to head back. The girls dropped off, so we stopped on the coast road. M had a scramble up the hillside and took some photos…

then I went out to the cliff edge and took some more photos…

Back at the cottage we gave the girls some tea then walked down to the beach. We had a lovely time, Fidget and M built another super sandcastle, Squidge and I paddled in the waves.

We wandered along to a tidal pool where Squidge managed to squat down and get her shorts soaking.

The tide was on its way in which forced us homeward, we realised it was well past bedtime, gave the girls a quick rinse in the bath and got them to bed.

It has been a glorious day, including the weather – as I type this I am trying to avoid being blinded by the glorious setting sun – going down over the Galway bay.

Tomorrow had been voted a beach day, so here’s hoping we are blessed with similar weather.

Wednesday 3rd August

Woke up this morning to rather cloudier skies and a noticeable whistle of the wind around the cottage. Got kitted up for the beach anyway and set off with Squidge in the carrier (me carrying), most of our stuff in the backpack and Fidget (M carrying).

It was about 10am, the beach was deserted. We camped up at the same spot as 2 days previous as it offered a bit of shelter from the wind coming across the top of the dunes.

The tide was heading out, we all had a wander down to the rock pools. The paddling was lovely, the waves were shallow and gentle, the water was crystal clear (no jellyfish today also). Squidge and I had a lovely time paddling and running about together.

There was some obligatory sandcastle building, but the wind was building and soon a light misting came in on the wind so we all took shelter in the shelter.

I could tell the girls were getting a bit fed up as they were fixated on how many minutes it was to lunch. At 11:43 I cracked and the pack-up came out. After eating it was getting wetter and windier out so we packed up and headed back.

At the cottage Squidge tried to nap, Fidget and I filled out her travel journal then watched some Mary Poppins. Squidge and M joined us eventually and as the sun have some out we decided to head back to the beach with the kite.

This was a mistake.

The wind had really got up from the morning and was driving the sand into the girls bare legs – which caused them to yell and scream. After about 5 minutes on the beach we turned around and trudged back (into the wind) – more screaming as they were carried home. After tea we finished off the Mary Poppins, had a bath and put 2 very tired and sandblasted girls to bed.

Thursday 4th August

Woke this morning to rain and a thick mist hanging over the cottage. Definitely not a beach day. Got ready and headed out towards Ballyvaghan. The sun cutting through the clouds onto the exposed rain-soaked rocky hills was spectacular.

We drove through to Bishop’s Quarter beach. It was very quiet; us and a pair of fellas fishing. This was not really a swimming, sandcastle type beach. It was very stoney, the girls really enjoyed collecting shells and filling their coat pockets. The sun was trying to come out and it wasn’t raining so it was a really pleasant wander along the beach.

At the entrance to the beach was a bridge where we spent a short while spotting crabs in the clear water – lovely.

We drove further along the N67 to Kinvarra to Dunguaire Castle. Squidge had dropped off, so I stayed in the car with her while Fidget and Daddy went around the castle.

Squidge woke up, so we wandered along to join the guys, M and Fidget were just coming out of looking around the place so we had a wander around the outside of the castle then walked back to the car.

We drove back to New Quay, where we were keen to return to Linnane’s Seafood restaurant. We’d visited this place back on the last visit when Fidget was 1. The food had been lovely, it was really friendly and Fidget had charmed the other diners including 2 American ladies who were on a cycling tour. We arrived at 12, but it wasn’t open until 12:30 so we hung around the jetty looking at the fishing boat that had just brought in a box of crabs and the other goings-on.

The food was lovely, M had clams in pasta, I had smoked salmon pasta and the girls shared a plate of crab-cakes and veg’.

We drove back to Ballyvaghan to pick up some groceries, then back to the cottage for tea. The wind is still quite wild so we avoided a walk down to the beach and instead spent the rest of the afternoon doing activity books in the sitting room.

Friday 5th August

Last proper day at Fanore and had been promised as a beach day. Woke to find the wind had calmed down, Fidget was quoting M.P. and saying “I’ll stay until the wind changes” to which I was thinking - “that wont be very long me dear”.

Not long after breakfast a heavy mist descended, the girls were already dressed in their beach suits and towelling dresses so there was no turning back. I was busily flicking through leaflets for Doolin Cave A secret kept for thousands of years – that’s the Great Stalactite of Doolin…, Liscannor Stone Story & Rock Shop (I’m in the Burren and struggling to find some stones) When you think you cannot view the Cliffs of Moher come into our informative audio visual (appealing to vertigo sufferers – I’m on board!) or Moher Hill Open Farm We can’t guarantee sun but we can certainly guarantee fun! – “Hey kids how about Betty the Llama rather than the beach?”…”no? you sure? but they have a host of rare fowl!”

But by the time the sandwiches were made the skies were starting to brighten. So the TeamChallis camel-train set of for Fanore beach for the last time. We went for our usual spot, with a slightly different orientation given the strong wind from the South. It wasn’t ideal beach weather but the kids made the best of it, going for a walk with Daddy to explore while I did some painting. Building sandcastles, knocking down sandcastles, paddling – the full works.

We had some lunch snuggled together, then M decided it was time to head into the water, Fidget asked “are you going to swim to those islands Daddy?” the islands in question being the Arran Islands he replied that “he wasn’t intending to”, I think Fidget saw this as a missed opportunity.

He said it was a lovely swim, but he also said there were lots of jelly-fish (one stung him) and seaweed. So I think he is putting a brave face on it.

The girls were getting tired and cold so we came back. They did a bit of painting before tea.

Then spent the rest of the afternoon tearing around the kitchen, before a bath, journal writing, Mr Men cartoons and bed. They were fast asleep after about 5 minutes.