Ireland day 0359. Thursday 22 September 2022- Clearing

WP GPX Maps Error: GPX file not found! /home/loe4m53hjo2z/public_html/wp-content/uploads/gpx/Paddy’s Hill And Coast compressed corrected.gpx

Ireland day 0359. Thursday 22 September 2022- Clearing

Today’s summary	Video call with friend in the UK first thing then went to the gym while it continued to pour down outside. Short walk round Paddy’s Hill in the evening, while Val was out at a work event
Today’s weather	Continuous heavy rain from early morning until mid-afternoon. Dried up and much brighter in the evening. Hardly any wind. About 16C

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): Paddys Hill and coast after rain (Click button below for TCX of today’s gym session): Thursday gym session

Commentary

I’d like to be able to say that I had lots of rugged outdoorsy activities planned for today, because if I had I would also be able, conveniently, to say that I had had to abandon them all in view of the awful weather. But although the weather was indeed awful for most of the day, I didn’t have a packed diary of fun outdoors explorations laid on. So I had no excuse for my day which was in reality quite indolent.

Val was out at work first thing, then had a work event in the evening, so I had pretty much the whole day to myself. First thing though, I had one of those all-important catch ups with a friend back in the UK. It takes a long time to cultivate lasting friendships and I don’t want to let go of them just because I am on the other side of the sea. We chewed the fat for an enjoyable couple of hours while it continued to pour down outside (as my weather app had correctly predicted last night that it would) and we put the world to rights.

I had hoped that it would have dried up a bit by the time we finished but it hadn’t. I revised such plans as I did have, and elected to aim for a late lunch and slot in another session at the torture chamber beforehand. I spent what was actually quite an enjoyable three hours cycling furiously nowhere and rowing without being anywhere near the water, and then marvelling at my newly buoyant head in the swimming pool.

This time, when I came out at about 3pm, it had just about finished raining. It was heavily overcast and soaking everywhere, but there was at least a hint of a brighter interlude heading our way, out on the western horizon. I was definitely feeling in need of lunch by then, so after a brief cruise round the shops to see if there were any double-sticker bargains (there weren’t) I headed for the flat and made myself a tuna and sweetcorn sandwich. Very good source of fibre, I’m told. Then the washing went on and all those days of accumulated blood sweat and tears from the torture chamber could finally be committed to the Fingal sewerage system.

Then, at last, the sun came out. OK it was only a brief glimmer but it did look like it might last long enough for me to get the newly cleansed washing out onto the rack on the balcony hopefully to dry without me having to resort to the tumble drier. I definitely didn’t want to do that as it would probably be more effective and possibly quite a lot cheaper just to burn a heap of ten euro notes and dry the washing over the flames.

Eventually, lunch was completed and the washing was sorted and the weather had settled down into a much drier and brighter pattern. So I pulled my trainers on and headed on a short walk over Paddy’s Hill to the coast, to enjoy the fresh air and dying embers of the day down on Lithostrotion beach.

Now we are both back in the flat and it’s well and truly dark outside. It’s remarkable how fast the days are shortening at the moment – though as it was the equinox yesterday and d2y/dx2 was zero, perhaps not altogether surprising. Anyway from now on until late December the days are getting shorter more slowly, so on that optimistic note I’m going to sign off and retrieve the washing from the balcony before it gets soaked with dew.

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)


It absolutely bucketed down all morning and I even got soaked just walking to the gym at lunchtime. Still, at least it will guarantee green grass for a month or two	Once the rain eventually stopped, it turned out to be quite a decent evening. The various flowers that are still in full bloom certainly seemed to appreciate the refreshment. These roses looked particularly stunning today. I’m going to renew my effort to see flowering roses in Ireland every month of the next year. February was the only month I missed last time.

Even the buddleias were still going strong	If you squint your eyes a bit you might just be able to see the Mournes on the horizon in this long telephoto shot from the top of Paddy’s Hill. During the morning, it was so murky you could barely see to the end of the street, let alone a range of mountains 100km / 60miles away

Continuing my survey of the manhole covers of Malahide.. This one is made by PAM Rexel and a bit of research reveals that PAM is part of the French St Gobain group. It looks suspiciously similar to the Pont-à-Mousson one I saw on the coast path yesterday, which was definitely French, so I am beginning to wonder if they might actually be made at the same place	This block of flats has been under construction on the Coast Road ever since we arrived in Ireland. With apologies to anyone reading this who actually lives there, but I think it’s absolutely hideous.

The bedding planes on what I call Lithostrotion beach, on account of the numerous fossilised coral beds you find there, were beautifully displayed this evening. They were laid down in the Carboniferous era, some 320 million years ago when Ireland was in a much warmer place.