Sunburn and optimism at return of sunny clothes and sunscreen
THE annual arrival of the Mammy from the United States of chaos has brought order and also sunshine to the daily grind. The children have been on their best behaviour and the house hasn’t looked as good since her last visit.
Getting to see (in person and not glued to a phone reliant on good reception/wi-fi) family only once a year meaning there is a heightened desire to make the most of every day. Shortly after picking her up at Dublin Airport last week the sun came out and it has pretty much stayed fixed in the sky since, with far more blue than grey to occupy the mind.
Ever the optimist I’ve stocked up on bottles upon bottles of sunscreen to protect young, old and older. The freezer has a shelf devoted to ice creams, Mocchis and ice pops and the wine press is well stocked.
Nothing like the arrival of an important guest to make you rise to the occasion.
The wonderful thing about Ireland in the sunshine – as opposed to the storms and floods and rain – is that within a few minutes radius there are so many things to enjoy.
We explored The Garden County of Wicklow over the weekend, staying near Greaystones with my partner and you kinda forget just how great Ireland can be. From Glendalough to the stony beach of Greystones and on to its beachside cafes, the place was an abundance of joys all rolled into one geographical spot.
The smell of fresh cut grass and newly bloomed flowers combined with the longer evenings has Ireland and all its inhabitants in a state of rapture.
It’s like a switch has been flicked. You look at the weather app and feel the sun burning your skin and it just doesn’t tally. It has to be way hotter than 13 degrees!
As I type the lads are making plans for what to do with Granny during her visit.
Needless to say the chauffeur here will be busy, but happily so. In another life I may well have been a holiday booking agent or a tour guide, as one of my enduring passions has been travel.
The offer of an apartment in Paris and Montenegro later this year looms and there are numerous bucket list destinations to be visited before I kick the , you know what, hopefully not for many decades yet.
The fabulous woman and I were discussing ideal holidays lately and to wind her up I said mine would be spent all week on the beach. She being a culture vulture, gawped in disapproval.
Thankfully we’re on the same page and between touring around, exploring cities, meeting people, eating out and taking in some galleries, museums etc, and finding time to unwind, destress and enjoy a good book, all should be great.
Oh, sunshine, too. Always makes the holiday that bit better.
The arrival of more visitors in August means I’m going to have to keep up the allowance and ensuring the lads are doing their chores.
A half hearted attempt to de-weed the garden and tear lily-pad looking creations from the stone wall descended into a water gun fight last week and very little has been done since, so I predict some busy summer evenings in the gardens picking up rocks and weeds and generally doing everything human beings possessed with supple, bendy backs can do and older folk like me struggle with. fair is fair, afterall and clearly the summer doesn’t pay for itself!