St Patrick's Day seems like an appropriate day to blog some photos I took while visiting Ireland last summer. It is a trip we had been wanting to make for some time as we have family there and I'd always wanted to explore Ireland having only ever being as far as Dublin previously. The trip started off in the usual Matcham fashion with a last minuet crisis; we found out the day before leaving that we would need a passport for our dog Dug to come on the ferry! We did not have this but our fantastic neighbours straight away offered to look after him for the 2 weeks, they also have a girl Pug, so a happy Dug! Phew!
After a couple of days searching the area with family we found a campsite we loved, Eagle Point in Bantry. We went for the prettiest spot closest to the sea, also furthest away from the toilets - cue midnight 1/2 mile round trips to the loos! A perfect spot when the sun shone but a slightly dangerous spot when quite a big storm came! After a night of very strong winds we abandoned ship and decided to take off to do the wild and wonderful ring of Kerry. As this was unplanned finding an empty B + B proved quite a task, so much so that we didn't manage it on the 2nd night and returned to the campsite at 10.30pm with the storm still raging. Much relief to see our tent was still up though!
Neals's brother Johnny and his family live on the the edge of Baltimore, a stunning place right by the sea. They have vegetable gardens, chickens, donkeys and Sally has the best succulent collection ever! We ate homemade pizza in a homemade pizza oven, bliss!
There was so many things I loved about Ireland on this trip; the food was delicious, most places offered healthy homemade options, even the shop attached to our local garage had a healthy food isle. We saw some amazing art work in many of the little towns. Although it was not quaint and pretty as I expected it was wild and beautiful with a real magical hippy vibe. We spent a day in Cork city as well which we loved. Above all spending time with family was the best bit. We left feeling like we all wanted to move there! We won't be but we will definitely be going back soon.
We left Ireland as we entered, in medium to high panic as we got lost on the way to the Ferry port in Dublin and made in on board with 2 minuets to spare! Hope you enjoy these photos, Happy St Patrick's Day everyone!
