Ireland day 0364. Tuesday 27 September 2022- Pretending

Today’s summary	Val was at work so I went to the gym in the morning then in the afternoon walked up to the castle gardens and pretended I was in the Mediterranean while standing in the greenhouses. Spanish class in the evening
Today’s weather	Cool and cloudy. Moderate westerly wind. Looked threatening but never actually rained. About 13C

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): Castle and greenhouses (Click button below for TCX of the morning’s gym session): Tuesday gym

Commentary

While Val was out at work, I decided to combine exercise, daydreaming and learning into my day today.

After yesterday’s various wine and crisp mishaps, my first priority, somewhat reluctantly I suppose, was exercise. Now I have forked out for a year’s membership of the gym, I feel obliged to make full use of it so as soon as Val was safely on her way, complete with hastily-prepared packed lunch, I scuttled out of the door and made my way to the chamber of horrors. Actually it wasn’t too bad. Now that the holiday season has finished, it’s much quieter so there’s none of that annoying hanging around trying to look busy while you’re waiting for that vital leg-press machine or crosstrainer to become free.

So I whizzed through my exercises and even managed to fit in a 500m swim, but was still back at the flat by lunchtime. As soon as I’d had my sandwiches and a couple of coffees, I thought I would take advantage of the fine weather to go up to the castle gardens, which I hadn’t visited for a few weeks, to see what was going on. (It had looked like it was about to pour down at any moment – hence the haste to get out while it was still dry – but in fact it stayed dry all afternoon).

I think I must have a few reptilian genes in my DNA, because I really do like being warm. Even if I’m not really warm I can pretend that I should be, by wearing shorts. And I am fortunate to be living in Malahide because I can extend the pretence even further by visiting the greenhouses up in the castle gardens and stand inside, dreaming that I am in the Mediterranean. The plants, the smells and – and even the sight of the peacock strolling around outside – remind me of warm summer afternoons with the cicadas chirping. A real tonic for mind and body.

The final part of my triptych day took me back to the community school for my “Intermediate Spanish” lesson this evening. I am constantly surprised by how little I know and by how awful my accent is. But I’m not going to be deterred. I’m not aiming to become a bilingual Iberophile – I’ll be happy if I’m just competent enough to bludgeon my way through a hotel booking or a lunch order in a restaurant.

So the lesson is finished now and I’ve come away armed with lots of notes – and a tonne of homework. But right now, we’re going to have a late dinner and tonight I’ve pulled together una ensalada de pollo con tomates y lechuga, y con unas aceitunas al lado. Muy buena!

Hasta mañana.
Today’s photos (click to enlarge)


Here I am desperately trying to pretend it’s still summer. The down jacket is a bit of a giveaway though I must admit	The conservatory – one of several greenhouses in the castle gardens. A wonderful retreat on a chilly afternoon

A butterfly. It’s in the butterfly house, surprisingly enough. It’s another good place for chilly afternoons.	*I do like these Lantana* flowers – because they come in a variety of different colours and are always almost luminously bright**

Phalaenopsis orchid, also in the butterfly house.	Portmarnock Community College – de donde yo aprendo español

You could almost be on the Riviera, with these frost hardy palms decorating the skyline in the depths of the castle gardens.