Ireland day 0358. Wednesday 21 September 2022- Inspection

Today’s summary	Fingal council inspected our flat this morning (it was OK- phew) and then I went to the gym while Val was at work. Spanish homework over lunch then a short walk by the lagoon in the afternoon
Today’s weather	A carbon copy of the last few days. Dry and bright with some sun and very little wind. About 17C

Today’s overview location (The blue mark shows the location of my route)		Close-up location (The green line shows where I walked) (Click button below to download GPX of today’s walk as recorded, or see interactive map at bottom with elevations corrected): Broadmeadow lagoon short walk (TCX file of gym session below:) Wednesday morning gym session

Commentary

Today we were Officially Inspected. Yes, first thing this morning, almost as soon as Val had gone off to work, a man from the Council came round and made sure that our flat (and presumably its occupants) was ok. The advance notice of the impending visit precipitated a flurry of cleaning and tidying up but actually the purpose of the visit wasn’t really to see whether we had wrecked the pace, but rather to make sure that the various HS&E guidelines which have to be observed by landlords renting out properties, were all being adhered to.

So the effort involved in sorting the place out was probably in the end unnecessary but at least we have, for a fleeting few days, a clean and tidy flat to live in. But what about the inspection itself? What did he find? Well basically the flat got the all-clear except that we need to have a restraint fitted on our bedroom window to stop us throwing ourselves out when the noise of Iarnród Éireann’s comings and goings all gets too much. Oh and yes we also have to have another alarm installed. This will be in addition to the nine (yes really) which our modest two bedroom flat already accommodates.

But the best thing about all these findings as that we don’t have to do anything at all. Being a tenant not a landlord is in many respects a wonderful thing. The inspector will simply contact the landlords who will then have to fit the necessary new apparatus. Then the council man will come back in six weeks’ time and check that they have done what they were supposed to do. All we have to do is sit back and watch it happen. Well, that’s the theory at least.

The rest of the morning I spent back at the gym manically thrashing away again – but I did discover one interesting thing in the swimming pool. The gym has a new rule that you have to wear a swim hat when using the pool. So I bought one and, looking like a streamlined version of Mark Spitz, I tried it out for the first time today.

I was quite astonished actually by the effect it had on my swimming style. I think it must trap air inside the hat which seems to make your head – and in some way it also seems, your whole body – more buoyant. I felt I could swim up and down a great deal faster and with less effort than before I got a hat. No wonder all these Olympic athletes wear them! I’m quite a convert now, even if they do make me look a bit daft.

After the gym I dropped round to the shops where I was delighted to find a doubly-reduced quiche in the chilled food section at Tesco. I immediately bought it, of course, even though neither of us particularly likes quiche but that’s not the point. It was a bargain. (And I am aware, by the way, of how sad everyone must think my life is when the two highlights of the day are a floaty swim hat and a cheap quiche).

I spent the lunchtime doing my Spanish homework and recovering from the morning’s non-stop excitement. After a couple of cups of tea I had recuperated sufficiently to venture out for a short walk through the castle grounds and then down to the shores of the Broadmeadow lagoon. Everything was looking pretty smart, and nicely green after the rain earlier in the month. And despite it being a pleasant evening outside now, my special weather app tells me there’s a 100% chance of rain this evening so doubtless tomorrow everywhere will be looking even greener.

I need to go now to fetch my gym gear off the balcony where it has been airing, and before it rains. Then we’ve got a catch-up video call with friends back in the UK, which we’re both looking forward to. See you tomorrow!

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)


This swim hat has had a remarkable impact on my swimming style. All positive, I should add. It’s a matter of buoyancy	The Malahide cricket pitch looks lovely pretty much all year round and is endlessly being mown, fertilised, scarified and generally attended to. Goodness knows how the economics work, as it only seems to be actually used for about a week a year. But I am glad that it is properly managed, despite the cost, because it looks very nice.

The floriferous boat guarding the entrance to Killeen Park has looked good pretty much since we got here last year. Even at the end of the summer, it’s still looking colourful and well cared for. It will be interesting to see what pops up to brighten the winter months	Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) – they are supposed to make decent red wine though I have never tried. Apart from being used in some herbal concoctions they don’t seem to be a popular cooking ingredient which makes me wonder if actually they don’t taste very nice.

Unusual and rather decorative drain cover on the shore path alongside the Broadmeadow lagoon. Pont-à-Mousson is an industrial town in northeastern France and it’s presumably where this piece of ironwork came from. Anyway it was fascinating to look at	A lone egret (just visible as the white splodge in the middle of the photo) standing sentinel on the mudflats exposed by the exceptionally low tide today in the Broadmeadow lagoon. I have no idea, by the way, why the water level in the lagoon was so low. The tides in the outer estuary (the other side of the railway embankment) are unexceptional at the moment, and at the time I took this photo, the tide was rising, halfway to being high. I have pretty much given up ascribing any form of logic to the level of the water in the lagoon now. It a law unto itself.

This is what we scientists call a double-sticker bargain. If you see one, you should always buy it, no matter what it is.