The Wild West

We are all familiar with that ‘Friday Feeling’, that lovely fuzzy feeling when we are on the cusp of a weekend and the possibility of good times for a day or two are tangible. Time to sit and swirl a medium sized glass of vino tinto and unwind… blissful bliss. This day last week, it was Tuesday but it was my Friday and we were heading to the west of Ireland on holidays.
Suitcases packed with wet gear and a hardy determination to conquer whatever elements we met, we were embarking on our third summer holiday on Irish soil as a family of 5.

We have heard many opinions and advices on this decision to holiday Ireland… it would cost you less to go abroad, and, what about the weather? However, all welcome advices were missing the point of our decision to holiday in Ireland. We don’t go on summer holidays in Ireland to save money or for the weather. We simply holiday in Ireland because it is truly one beautiful country.  Seeing what our country has to offer is just good for the soul. An Irish holiday is just so wholesome. The geography, the history, the art, the food, whatever you are into it is just wholesome.

We were fortunate as children to have foreign holidays where we had sea, sun and sand. They were lovely times but the more richly engraved memories are those of our Irish holidays. These memories are so full of flavour, more personal, and seem somewhat less generic, if you understand me. Soaking up the music sessions in Irish pubs, the ambience of a festival, dipping toes in the cold Atlantic, going for walks and taking in the sights and history.

Last week I was privy to the most beautiful sunset over the Quays in Westport, and while I had perhaps 2 glasses of wine, I was mesmerised by it, I clicked away at the changing sky for 20 minutes and got some gorgeous shots. For that short deluded while, I believed that sunset was actually all mine and no one else was seeing it.

There really is beauty in the simplest things and I am so grateful to be awake to this. These are the things that make my holidays, that, and seeing my family enjoying their own favourite elements as we try to do something that each of us love. Everyone is different, and everyone holidays different. I just think it’s my age bringing out the wisdom to know what holidays we like as a family so we can all benefit from them, even us parents!

We work hard all year, and to be honest, our holiday is the single most luxury we indulge in annually, and we can never afford it, but it is a precious time for any family. Particularly these times when life is just too busy. It is so important to get the right holiday for 5 people so we all reap the benefits. We like to be active and on the go. We like seeing new things and touring, the kids like swimming and cycling, one likes arts and crafts, none of them like sunscreen and heck, we like the Irish weather really.  For now our holiday prerequisites will remain; a higher end hotel with a swimming pool accessible to kids, preferably in the countryside or by the sea, no towns for us yet, lots of history and geography to explore nearby, and bikes to hire. This is our delicious recipe to a super family holiday in Ireland. We might have to pack for 4 seasons but we #loveireland. xxx