Ireland day 1261. Wednesday 12 March 2025- Guests Day 1

Today’s summary	Had breakfast in the flat then drove with our guests to Howth to have a look at the Summit before lunch at Beshoff’s. A walk along the pier to see the seals afterwards then back to Malahide for a cup of tea. Champagne cocktails and a streamed French language film in the evening
Today’s weather	Dry bright and sunny but cold. Light northerly wind. Appx 9c

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

Commentary

Today we enjoyed a very relaxed day with our friends, who arrived with us from Liverpool yesterday evening, courtesy of Ryanair. After burning the midnight oil with them last night – where I seem to remember a glass or two of something fizzy was consumed – none of us felt in a particular rush to get up early this morning. Anyway, eventually we all surfaced and had a leisurely breakfast in the flat.

Suitably loaded with carbs and caffeine, we decided that now was time to complete our balanced diet by loading up with protein and alcohol. So we jumped into the Trusty Yaris and sped (slowly) down to Howth. Our tour started with a drive up to the Summit (which misleadingly isn’t actually the highest point on the headland), where we got out to have a look around. The air was clear, so we had no difficulty spotting the Mournes and Dublin Mountains, but the Isle of Man and Anglesey remained more elusive.

Once we’d had a good look at the view, we drove down to the harbour and while the others headed off in to Beshoff’s fish restaurant I found somewhere to park the car (it’s all free parking in Howth which is great but does mean it gets very busy – I don’t know how long it can last). We enjoyed a three course fish dinner, which was excellent – though I couldn’t help but reflect that it cost about six times as much as a similar meal out in the Canaries a couple of weeks ago.

After lunch, we rounded off our exploration of Howth with a short walk down the pier to have a look at the resident hungry seals, then got back in the car and drove to Malahide.

A cup of tea rejuvenated us, ready for an evening spent streaming a French language film (very arty) and sampling champagne cocktails. This is turning into a very civilised week indeed. Let there be many more!

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)


Val looking very proprietorial with her flowers on the balcony. They are looking perfect at the moment	With friends on the Summit of Howth

Crabby Joes – one of many fish restaurants along Howth pier	Looking towards the ship repair yard with the rail tracks used for transporting boats from the harbour to the dock



Beshoff’s – a favourite for lunch but VERY expensive