Ireland day 0485. Thursday 26 January 2023- Armchair travel

Today’s summary	Val was at work and I went to the gym then did some Spanish homework in the afternoon.   Chatted with family in Canada in the evening
Today’s weather	A mostly bright, dry and sunny day.   Light north westerly wind.   Appx 8C
Today’s overview location (The chequered black and white mark shows the location of my route)			Close-up location (The grey line shows where I walked) (No GPX today)

Commentary

(Summary blog only.   Last full blog was Day 0368).

Val was at work today, so I had a relatively quiet time of things.

I kicked off proceedings with a couple of hours at the gym – cycling, rowing, cross training and swimming.   And then a few minutes in the steam room.   Very relaxing.  On the way out to the gym, I noticed a curious laurel-like plant in bloom at the side of the path.   I don’t know what it is, but you can see it in the featured image at the top of this blog.   I might get round to identifying it one day.

After lunch, I tackled some particularly difficult Spanish homework (translating a “Shakira” song – I have to admit I resorted to Google more than once) and then started researching a possible Summer holiday.  We are both quite attracted to the idea of cycling from Mizen to Malin – the Irish equivalent of Land’s End to John O’Groats – but it looks quite logistically complex and we don’t have bikes (other than my folding Brompton) over here.   So it might not actually be possible.   But some interesting food for thought anyway.

Then a nice chat with family in Canada later in the evening.

(PS I subsequently discovered that the white flowered plant is Ilex Canariensis, the small-leaved holly.   It is endemic to Macaronesia (Canary Islands and Madeira etc) and normally only flowers in May and June.   Quite unusual to see it as far north as Ireland, and flowering so early in the year, I should have thought)

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)

Some of the useful items you can get at Paperweight.   In this case, paper for the printer (it is simply incredible just how much paperwork you have to print off just to keep up with the admin) and a document folder to put all the paperwork you have just printed off in, here shown in convenient squashed-flat form
Paperweight office suppliers.   Possibly my favourite shop in Malahide

Interactive map

(No map today)

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