Blankets and Beaches

Ahhh...the signs of summer!  (The road signs in the last post were a clue to what we did yesterday, by the way.) This weekend was the warmest, most beautiful weekend that Ireland  has seen in...well, I don't know how long, but I'm sure it's been a long while!  It was sunny and perfectly clear, and in the sun it felt positively hot.  In actuality, I think the temperature got up into the low 70's Fahrenheit at the most, but it felt unbelievably warm.  Good thing I'm not home in Indiana right now, I guess, sweating through the upper 80's.  I'm a 70's girl all the way!  :) Everyone was walking around in their skirts and shorts, tank tops and sandals.  EVERYONE was in a good mood.  On Sunday we really wanted to just enjoy the weather, so we packed a blanket and headed out to this place.  Do you remember it from another recent post? Yep, it's Old Head.  Yesterday seemed like the perfect day to spread a blanket out on the grass and just lie in the sun and relax, listening to the water, watching the birds, admiring the unbelievable view and scenery.  It was perfect. We had thought about going to the beach, but thought Old Head sounded more relaxing, and the drive home confirmed that we were right!  We ran into a huge traffic jam with cars parked along the roads in all directions as far as the eye could see.  Can you guess why?  (Hint: the brown sign in the previous post.) Garrettstown Strand...a nearby beach.  It was simply swarming with people, even at around 5 p.m.  We just had to park the car and trek to the beach just to get a picture.  So now you have proof...yes, Ireland does have beaches, and yes, people do go there to spend the day.  I'm not sure how warm the water is, but that's why everyone in Ireland has wetsuits.  :)  After Hawaii, I can't say that the beaches particularly impress me, but the locals sure love 'em! There is actually a beach here in Kinsale, about a half hour walk or so from our apartment.  It's small, but nice, and we did walk there earlier last week on another nice day.  It was getting late, so there weren't many people still there, but it will be a nice place for us to go some evening when it's still warm and sunny (it's still light out here until after 10 p.m.). I just love the signs of summer.  Don't you? (Footnote: We leave for Paris this Friday!  The next few days, I'll be really busy finalizing our plans and getting the apartment ready for company, since my family will be here to visit the day we get home - yay!  I don't expect to post again this week, but check back after next Tuesday for a Paris trip report, pictures of the City of Light, and to read about all the fun we're having with my family!)