Portmagee is just over the bridge and water to Valentia island.

This afternoon we had a wander around Portmagee.

Even on a foggy damp day just a few days after Christmas. The few guest houses and restaurants they all seemed quite busy. People were taking an afternoon, wander up and down the small street.

We ourself stopped in at the local post office to buy some kindling for the fire that evening.

We looked back over where we had come from over the bridge at valentia island to see it covered in low fog and mist.

What a cute little beach.

So many different colour shades in the rocks and peoples.

The sand is deep red with golden sand whipped on top.

Rocky areas to explore with some interesting sea urchins, mussels, limpets and seaweeds.

Walking along the jetty looking down into the clear waters! We spy a large starfish😊.

It’s just a few days after Christmas and we see a car pull up near the jetty.

3 adults in swimwear get out the car walk down the steps of the jetty and take a jump into the cold sea.

Screeching and squealing they fly out as fast as they had leapt into it.

A fast dip in and out dressing gown robes on into the car and of they drive.

Must be an after Christmas ritual 🤔.

A short stroll about and some pictures were taken.

One thing I’ve noticed since being in Ireland. So all the places I’ve been have been kept wonderfully clean.

Tidy and no rubbish.

It’s really made a big difference to the enjoyment of being out and about somewhere clean and tidy is so pleasant.

In the UK where I was living before south-east was getting so rubbishy, it was truly the pits 😢.

I found this sign today!

It made me smile from ear to ear.

I think parts of UK could do with that sign.

Well, we’ve never been ones for the hype and over commercialised Christmas season.

With spending and spending and any true meaning of Christmas in the UK seems to have vanished in a puff of smoke.

Therefore it was heartwarming to see the nativity scene in most of the towns and adoring a lot of the houses.

Something we seem to have lost sight of within the UK.

Just my opinion.

So this filled my heart with some joy.😊

Our own Christmas was just the 3 of us.

A simple dinner and relaxing day.

Nothing more.

The boys, meaning hubby and son kindly go into Aldi to do the Christmas shop 🎄/two-week shop. Hopefully, we can stretch the food that long. Aldi is about 1hour 30 from where we are staying so a big shop is required. I escape the food shop as I wanted a quick look round Killorglin town. Christmas is in a few days time, as we are on the move with no fixed abode at present. Carrying all our belonging in our small car each time we move. There is not room for large Christmas gifts. Lucky we’ve never gone overboard at Christmas time. Our son has always had a simple few gifts. There’s a nice looking bookstore which I take a look around. I purchased a nature book of poems 365 poems one for each day of the year. I am sure he will enjoy this gift.

The mist and rain is all around in the air. However, I really want a quick walk to take a look at the brightly painted shops and the lovely Christmas manger in the centre of the High Street. A short look about but worth it.

Walking the long wide stretches of sand.

My son in his wellies happily jumping in and out of the waves.

He’s got such an amazing imagination, I adore it. I truly hope he keeps that fun spirit, imagination going into adulthood because then he will always have his own world to retreat to 😉.

Today a stick found on the beach inspires an imagination game.

He’s stick is a conductors stick.

He’s leaping about conducting the waves and sea foam as the waves lap his wellies.

Arm outstretched waggling his stick in the air and talking to the sea giving it commands! Oh, this boy makes me smiles.

I myself enjoy a brisk wander and some fresh air.

The sea is bringing spongy clumps of sea foam all along the shoreline.

Haven’t seen them like that since I was small.

Almost magical foamy mounds wibbling about in the breeze.

A joy to be out.

Just a short late afternoon walk to blow the cobwebs away.

Ambling along with nowhere particular to go.

Just breathing fresh air, taking in the views and of course trying to take some photos as a record of our time here.

Stopping to watch the donkeys in the field, and listening to the waves below crashing on the rocks.

Walking slowly back to the house with birdsong in the air.

The wind and turf fires are new concepts in my daily living. I’ve travelled all over and I’ve never experienced gusts and winds anything like we’ve been getting here in Ireland. Here on the wild Atlantic way! I guess winter here is wild and windy indeed.

The traditional turf fire in Ireland, I’ve enjoyed. We’ve found that on the whole turf burns cooler than coal.  However, it’s very back to nature, an enjoyable experience building and tending to your fire of an evening. Plus I do enjoy the smell of turf burning an earthy smell which also resembles the smell of cow dung which is used on fires in India for cooking. Its a very pleasant smell fills the mind with happy memories of now and the past.

 

This weirdly will take a lot of adapting to!

The mind says “hey this is nice truly it is” common sense says “its good and also healthy”.  You know this new way of life is good for you mentally and physically.

For years your pushed into a box, a system of perpetual drudgery and conditioned this way. You may totally hate and despise this but its what you have grown used to this sad situation, therefore, the new surroundings and situation is almost alien-like at present and definitely will take a period of adjustment.

Years of people busily running around stressed in their daily lives.

Packed roads, traffic jams, people hooting and waving fists at you, when you don’t pull out of the junction quick enough for their liking. As you don’t wish to kill yourself and your son in the process, but hey their life and hurry are worth more than yours to them.

When you’re faced with parking issues on your street.

where neighbours park over your driveway. when only their situation matters to them.

when you walk to your parked car and receive ongoing dirty aggressive looks.  Never a good morning or hellos in its rightful place.

Where your own soul’s energy is a sensitive sponge and is at breaking point. As it picks up the energy and vibration of other desperate, depressed and aggressive souls.

We close our door but still, we ourselves are affected and the impact of seeing this in others daily is too much and the spiral seems to be going downwards fast.

A country fully packed to the limit with 65 million with a large population overworked struggling and living for the next pay cheque, hand to mouth and if they miss just one pay cheque the reality today is homelessness.

It makes for a country and generation of aggressive individuals.

So an island with just 665 people, no streets, no neighbours, no traffic, no noise, and no aggressive looks and only polite hellos with the few people we do see will take the mind some time to adapt to!.

It’s good and hard at the same time.

Sometimes I feel like pinching myself to see if it is really me? Yes me who is walking down a long quiet road looking at the ever-changing weather misty rain, fog coming in over the hills or the ever-changing light changing the colours of the scenes before my eyes. As I walk to the house with the wind in my back blowing my hair to soon step into my houses to light an interesting turf fire to add some glow to the end of my day.

Local to me

We are now in Valentia Island which is one of Irelands most westerly points, in Co Kerry. On the wild Atlantic way. This small island connected to the mainland by a bridge has a population of about 665 people. All I can say is it’s quite different to South East, Sussex and the UK.

So we will experience and adjust to something we are used not to at present.

First view on opening bedroom curtains. The first morning in Ireland.