After a two month break, I’M BACK!! As usual, summer in Ireland had hit or miss weather, but we made the best of any ray we sunshine we got! Before we get back into the usual DIY/interiors posts, I thought I’d share a little bit of what we got up to this summer. It was a huge reminder to get off the phone, put down the paintbrush and go have fun!
Afternoon Tea in Gregans Castle
While on staycation in Doolin, Co. Clare, a few of us went for afternoon tea here in Gregans Castle. It was probably the wettest day of the year. You know the kind of day where you park your car as close to the front door as possible and you still get soaked?! 🙂 So the warm fire and coziness of this place was very welcome! The food was delish, but I couldn’t resist walking around and taking a few snaps… stunning! Especially that bathroom with the funkiest cow wallpaper!! Love it!
Touring Galway
We spent a few days in Galway too and while the Covid restrictions made pub life a little strange, we had a great time! Did you know Galway is the flower arch capital of Ireland?! As we strolled around Galway we noticed so many shops and businesses had beautiful flower arches, like Cupán Tae (which means ‘cup of tea’ in Irish) below. A day was spent driving the Wild Atlantic Way and as usual, stopping to take photos of pretty houses!
Any House Updates?
This summer we took a break from the kitchen reno and focused on the exterior. Every bit of rubbish and recycling from the renovation is now gone and the place has been power-washing to within an inch of it’s life! (We bought this powerwasher and it’s working great!)
While the builders were here earlier this year, I was quietly dividing up the debris etc, making sure anything that could be recycled didn’t go into the dump. This included anything electric, ceramic tiles, glass, metal etc. (In fact we were able to sell the metal to a recycling company for €80, score!) We also placed ads on Facebook for free collection of spare tiles, building materials etc. In all, we saved at least a skip or two from going to the dump. My inner eco-warrior is feeling quietly smug! 😉
In case you wanted proof that I was crazy enough to keep the recycling separate! 🙂
Local is Best
Like so many people these days, our summer in Ireland was mainly spent closer to home. I was delighted to find so many cliff walks and little beaches nearby that I had never heard of! I mean, do you see that massive public lawn in the top photo?! You can literally jump into the water from there and so many people were snorkeling and diving. Amazing!
What did you all get up to this summer??? I’d love to know!
I’m going to leave you with shot of my new-found favourite walk. The colours!!🖤
