Ireland day 1033. Saturday 27 July 2024- Clonsilla

Today’s summary	Had a lazy morning then drove round to the Beechpark Eco Farm (aka Farmers’ Market) at Clonsilla. Bought some wholesome vegetables (complete with slugs(!)) and some sandwiches. Had lunch in the adjacent Shackleton garden, which was looking lovely. Called in at the Decathlon in Ballymun on the way way back to Malahide.
Today’s weather	Bright and dry with long sunny intervals after overnight rain had cleared. Hardly any wind. Appx 19c

Today’s overview location (The blue mark shows the location of our route)		Close-up location (The blue line shows where we walked) (No GPX today)

Commentary

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

Today we decided to kill three birds with one stone, so to speak. Vegetables, Gardens and Sportswear.

After we’d had what was, to be frank, a pretty lazy morning, we set off round the M50 (again) but this time only as far as Junction 6 for the N3. From there we took a rather convoluted route to Clonsilla, aiming to get to the Beechpark Eco Farm (aka farmers’ market) before it closed at 2:30pm.

As it turned out, we eventually got there before 1 o’clock, so had plenty of time for a good look round the greenery on display. All super-healthy vegetables, grown in the fields right behind the market. We treated ourselves to some cabbage, Kohl Rabi (never had that before) and lettuce which the lady at the till confidently told us “probably” wouldn’t have any slugs in it (but that we better give it a good wash just-in-case).

After stocking up on dietary fibre and possibly also unwanted protein, we called in at the adjacent caravan-café and got a couple of coffees and some sandwiches for lunch. We had them as a carry-out and enjoyed them sitting on a bench in the adjacent Shackleton Garden. It was absolutely lovely. In fact in at least half-a-dozen visits, I don’t think I have ever seen the garden quite so stunning. Another beneficiary of the mild wet weather, perhaps.

After lunch and a good look round the gardens (including harvesting a couple of windfall apples which Val has cunningly mixed with the vegetables into a delicious looking cabbage-bake), we took our leave and headed off back to the M50. Rather than hot-footing it all the way back to Malahide, we stopped off at Junction 4 and dropped in to Decathlon at Ballymun.

I was on the hunt for some new walking tops and shorts, and Val wanted some exercise weights. Today, unusually for one of my shopping expeditions, we were successful on all fronts, so we came away with a very full chopping trolley and a very empty bank account. The only downside of the trip was that I caught sight of myself in a mirror when I was trying on my new T-shirt in one of the changing rooms and it wasn’t pretty. I realised I have put on a lot of weight since we came to Ireland and after several false starts, this time I am determined to do something about it. I want that beach body by next summer so the diet starts today! Let’s see how long my willpower lasts.

And on that note, I’m going to sign off and pour ourselves a large and well deserved glass of wine.

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)


Lunch in the garden	Massive Peking Duck sandwiches. A bit unusual but very tasty

Overview of the garden complete with the Vine House	Some of the brightest Crocosmias I’ve ever seen

Consumer heaven in the form of Decathlon Ballymun	Val modelling the latest in on-trend headgear

Portal from a drab carpark into another world