Springtime Adventure Part 2 - CrawCrafts Beasties

Springtime with Explorer Beastie

Hey there everyone! Wow, you’d barely know you were in Ireland today – it’s so warm and sunny outside! So I thought it might be the perfect day to catch up with the rest of Explorer Beastie’s springtime wanderings, after our slight digression last week.

Oh, and if you missed part one, you’ll find that here. We’ll kick back and relax while you get caught up.
Explorer Beastie Enjoying the Irish Countryside - CrawCrafts BeastiesSpringtime in the Irish countryside is a very colourful time. The fields are full of blue…
Springtime Colours - CrawCrafts Beasties… And white…
Springtime Daisies - CrawCrafts Beasties… And yellow!
Springtime Gorse - CrawCrafts BeastiesThose gorgeous golden gorse flowers are always a treat. Take a good big sniff there, Explorer Beastie – being careful of those spines, of course!
Gorse Perfume - CrawCrafts Beasties“Mmmmm! It smells like… Coconut!”

He’s right, it really does. It makes a stroll in the countryside feel like a holiday in the tropics!

And the plants aren’t the only ones putting on a show in glorious technicolour.

First Ladybird - CrawCrafts Beasties
“Look! It’s the first ladybird of the season!”

There were also plenty of butterflies to admire, but the ladybird was the only colourful critter who stayed put long enough to be photographed… Next time I’ll know to bring along my proper camera! But never mind, there’s still plenty of exploring to do.
In the long grass - Springtime - CrawCrafts BeastiesThrough the long grass and rushes, and up a staircase made of tree roots…
Tree Roots - CrawCrafts Beasties
… To discover traces left behind by other visitors.

What’s this?
Traces of Other Visitors - CrawCrafts Beasties“Someone’s stopped here for dinner recently! It looks like they ordered escargots…”
Springtime Snacks - CrawCrafts BeastiesOh yes! Flat rocks and broken snail shells are a sign that a bird (usually a song thrush) has been enjoying a springtime snack. The birds use the stone as an anvil to break open the shell and extract the snail from within.

Are we having snails for lunch too, then?
“No thanks! I’ll hold out for a sandwich when we get home.”

Fair enough. Oh look, dandelion clocks! Take a deep breath, and…
Dandelion Clock - Springtime - CrawCrafts Beasties… BLOW!
Telling Time, Country Style - CrawCrafts BeastiesSo, what time is it?
“Huh?”
The number of seeds still clinging to the stem after you blow supposedly tells you what time it is. That’s why these seed heads are called clocks! One seed left means it’s one o’clock, two seeds, two o’clock… You get the idea.
“Oh, okay… One, two, three – LUNCHTIME!”

Ah, a Beastie after my own heart! Let’s turn our paws for home, then.
Springtime Countryside Adventures - CrawCrafts Beasties

PS…

For anybody outside Ireland who couldn’t watch me on the telly last week, the nice people at Ireland AM sent me a video clip of my segment! I’ve popped it on the Beasties’ Facebook page, here, if you’d like to see it!

And we’ll be back next week with another new Beastie for you to meet… See you then!

Explorer Beastie Enjoying the Irish Countryside - CrawCrafts Beasties

Spring in the Irish Countryside

Hello there everyone! How are things where you are? Our county borders reopened here in Ireland last week… And maybe it was this, or possibly I was inspired by Paddy and Plunkett’s “great escape” last week, but I decided it might be a good time to escape to the lovely Irish countryside for a couple of days!

Explorer Beastie came along too, looking very dapper in his new Aran sweater.
Beastie in an Apple Tree - Irish Countryside - CrawCrafts BeastiesUm, can you maybe turn around so we can see?
Beastie Aran Sweater - CrawCrafts BeastiesMuch better! That’ll keep you nice and cosy while we go exploring. Although it looks like we’ve been uncommonly lucky with the weather – you’d hardly know we’re in Ireland at all!

This apple blossom is great, isn’t it?
Apple Blossom - Irish Countryside - CrawCrafts Beasties“Yes, and it smells AMAZING!”
What's Over There? Irish Countryside - CrawCrafts Beasties“Hey, what’s over there?”

Oooh, good idea! Let’s head off over the fields and see what we can find.

It wasn’t long before we came across these very delicate flowers – does anyone know what they are?
Mystery Flowers - Irish Countryside - CrawCrafts Beasties“I’ll stand next to them, for scale!”

Identifying these was easy enough though – hello, primroses!
Primroses - Irish Countryside - CrawCrafts BeastiesIt’s always nice to see their sunny yellow faces peeking out of shaded, Beastie-sized hollows in the hedgerows.

And even though we were there last week, it looks like we only just caught the end of the May blossom! The Irish countryside is white with flowers at this time of year, thanks to the many hawthorn and blackthorn trees that make up our hedges. This is a blackthorn tree, I believe…
Beastie Blackthorn Blossom - CrawCrafts Beasties

Ahhhh! I think we might just hang out here for a while, and watch the clouds drift by…

Big Skies - Irish Countryside - CrawCrafts Beasties

… And listen to the birds singing in the background. Make sure you have the sound on when you watch the video, so you can hear them too!

See you next time!

 

Mulroy Bay, Co Donegal - CrawCrafts Beasties

Memory Lane: Donegal Road Trips

Hello there Beastie friends! And hey, look at this – we’re nearly halfway through January already. That HAS to be worth celebrating! Now normally at this time of year, my brother and I (often with a certain small blue and yellow woolly monster in tow) would spend a day driving around beautiful Co Donegal, in the extreme north-west of Ireland. For obvious reasons, we haven’t managed a Donegal road trip in a good few months – possibly since last Christmas. Yikes!

So, I thought I would use today’s post to take a virtual road trip instead. Quick, put on the kettle for a nice cup of tea, or grab a can of the black stuff… Ready? Okay, let’s go!

First of all, it’s never advisable to start a road trip on an empty stomach. How about we kick off with a nice healthy Full Irish Breakfast?
Explorer Beastie, Eyeing up my Breakfast - CrawCrafts BeastiesDon’t worry, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to walk this off later.

Now that we’re properly fuelled up, let’s go and enjoy some scenery.
Explorer Beastie at Glengesh Pass, Donegal - CrawCrafts BeastiesGlengesh Pass is pretty spectacular at any time of the year. The last time we were there it was late summer – look at those rolling green hills! It’s also on the way to Glencolmcille, where a Beastie can dip his paws in the Atlantic if the mood takes him.
Paddling on Glencolmcille Beach - CrawCrafts BeastiesMind you, it’s not all sunshine and sand dunes here. Sometimes it can be a bit on the breezy side…
Windy Out Today! CrawCrafts Beasties… And the traffic is terrible.
Rush Hour, Glencolmcille - CrawCrafts BeastiesAll this would really give you an appetite. Lunchtime! Conveniently enough, we’re just passing through Ardara… Nancy’s Bar here does a cracking lunch, and a very tasty homemade cider.

Also, you feel like you’re hanging out in someone’s cosy living room.
Nancy's Dresser - Spot the Beastie! CrawCrafts BeastiesAlright, time to head north! And because we’re travelling by blog, we can enjoy two sunsets at two different locations. First, Fanad Head, where there’s a beautiful lighthouse to admire…
Can we reach the Lighthouse? CrawCrafts Beasties… And rocks to scramble over.
Explorer Beastie by the Sea, Fanad Head - CrawCrafts BeastiesNext, we can journey to the northernmost point of the island of Ireland – Malin Head.
Malin Head Viewpoint - CrawCrafts BeastiesThen we can cruise by the wide sandy beach at Five Finger Strand…
Explorer Beastie on Five Finger Strand - CrawCrafts Beasties… Before catching the last of the daylight on our way home.
Explorer Beastie at Sunset - CrawCrafts BeastiesDon’t forget to leave a rock monster behind to show we were here!
Rock Monster in Donegal - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd once we get home, we can warm up by the fire and swap adventuring stories.
Warming up by the fire - CrawCrafts BeastiesAaaaah! Toasty.

So, where would you next like to take a road trip to? Be sure to share your travelling daydreams with us in the comments!

Makeshift Gate - Countryside Christmas - CrawCrafts Beasties

Countryside Christmas

Hello there Beastie friends! I hope you’re all staying safe and keeping well in these strange times. I thought I’d do something a little different today, and share a behind-the-scenes story… My Christmas in the countryside!

I usually head north of the border to spend the festive season with my family in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, Coronavirus laughed in the face of my holiday plans. But luckily, Boyfriend’s family stepped in and “adopted” me for a couple of days, and Christmas Eve saw us both scooting westwards on the train to the peace and quiet of County Roscommon.

It was so nice to leave the city behind for a couple of days, and I made sure to head out for a walk every day to enjoy the sights and sounds of the countryside! Care to join me?

Now, we are in Ireland here, so it rained A LOT. Can you tell?
Rainy Ireland - Countryside Christmas - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd while some shadowy thickets retained a feeling of chilly mystery when the clouds parted…
Thicket - Countryside Christmas - CrawCrafts Beasties… In some places the winter sun broke through the trees and made the empty fields glow.
Willows - Countryside Christmas - CrawCrafts Beasties

Gotta love those quiet roads and wide open skies.Countryside Christmas Wander - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd there are wonders right at your feet in the undergrowth, too.
Earthstars - CrawCrafts BeastiesThese alien-looking marvels are fungi called earthstars. They pop up in the same place every year, so I always make sure to check in on them when I’m in the neighbourhood.

Then as the sun slipped below the horizon, I headed for home… Just as the moon started to rise over the fields.
The Moon & the Fields - CrawCrafts BeastiesBut where was Explorer Beastie while all this was going on? Ummm…
Sleepy Explorer Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesWell, I suppose the holidays are a time to rest up and recharge your batteries.

So, did the pandemic throw a spanner in the works of your usual end-of-year activities? And did you end up doing something different but equally fun? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!

Explorer Beastie at the Canal - CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasties in the Great Outdoors

Hello there everyone! You know, after writing up Paddy and Plunkett’s garden adventure in last week’s post, I started thinking about how being outdoors is one thing that the pandemic hasn’t really been able to affect that much. In fact, if anything, we’re all outside a lot more than we might have been in a more normal year!

And the Beasties love a bit of outdoorsy time too! It’s a great way to catch up with friends…
Beastie Fall Knitwear Collection - CrawCrafts Beasties… Or enjoy a picnic together.
Burger Beastie and Friends - CrawCrafts BeastiesYum!

So for today’s post, I thought I’d revisit some of the Beasties’ favourite outdoors places… Care to come along?

As you all probably already know, we live in Dublin – and pretty close to the city centre. For us, “outdoors” usually means “the park”, and luckily we have plenty to choose from around here. Earlier in the year, when everyone in Ireland was confined to within 2km of home, we discovered the springtime joys of the National War Memorial Gardens.
Cookie Beastie in our local Park - CrawCrafts Beasties

We’ve also got the Phoenix Park, the largest enclosed park in Europe, on our doorstep. It’s so big that there are herds of deer living there!Deer in the Phoenix Park, Dublin - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd if that wasn’t enough, we’re also within walking distance of the National Botanic Gardens…
Gardener Beastie, meet Explorer Beastie! CrawCrafts Beasties…The city centre parks of St Stephen’s Green and Iveagh Gardens…
A quiet path in Iveagh Gardens - CrawCrafts Beasties… And spooky St Kevin’s Park, as featured in our pre-Hallowe’en post a couple of weeks back!
No Vampires near the Gravestones - CrawCrafts Beasties

But our wanderings don’t always involve the city’s green spaces. One of my favourite walks is along the banks of the Grand Canal – it’s a joy even in the depths of winter.

Explorer Beastie at the Canal - CrawCrafts BeastiesPlus you never know who you might bump into along the way.
Swan and Gulls on the Grand Canal - CrawCrafts BeastiesDublin is also packed full of interesting old buildings to admire. The city is especially well-known for its Georgian-era architecture – a style that was popular for just over a century, beginning in the early 1710s.
Georgian Doors in Dublin - CrawCrafts Beasties

Of course, there are other places to visit that have nothing to do with architecture. I wonder if that’s really tea in Tae Beastie’s mug?

Tae Beastie at the Guinness Storehouse - CrawCrafts Beasties

The touristy visitor-attraction part of the Guinness brewery may be closed, but don’t worry! They’re still making beer… And filling the air with the delicious smell of toasted barley on roasting days.

And sometimes it’s just nice to stroll, and admire the crazy jumble of old and new that is the streets of Dublin.
City Streets - Outdoors in Dublin - CrawCrafts BeastiesHow about you? Have you been seeing what’s on your doorstep with fresh eyes these past couple of months? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!

Vampires, Monsters and… A Graveyard Park?

We haven’t seen Explorer Beastie in a while, have we? Well, this might explain why… With Hallowe’en looming, he has been watching A LOT of horror films. He especially likes any that feature vampires, and his absolute favourite is…
Vampires Rule! CrawCrafts BeastiesSo when I suggested we take a trip to Dublin’s spookiest park, he was more than willing to tag along.

St Kevin’s Park is right in the city centre… But since it’s smaller than other nearby parks like St Stephen’s Green and Iveagh Gardens, it tends to attract fewer visitors, most of them locals. Why is it spooky? Because it was originally a church and graveyard!
St Kevin's Park, Dublin - CrawCrafts BeastiesThe ivy-covered shell of the church stands in the centre of the park, while the gravestones of the old churchyard are propped against the boundary walls. The park officially opened in 1971, and in preparation for this change of use, all the graves were catalogued and the headstones (but not the graves!) relocated. So it’s hardly surprising that stories abound of the place being haunted!

Perfect for a pre-Hallowe’en wander, I’m sure you’ll agree.

“And we’ll definitely see a vampire!”

Right, Explorer Beastie. We definitely will.

But first, lunch!

“It’s nice here…”
Lunchtime! CrawCrafts Beasties“… Disappointing lack of vampires though.”

No Vampires at Lunch - CrawCrafts Beasties

Explorer Beastie also failed to see any vampires as he looked at the old headstones…
No Vampires near the Gravestones - CrawCrafts Beasties… Studied the fallen leaves…
No Vampires in the Leaves - CrawCrafts Beasties… Walked on the lawns…
No Vampires on the Lawns - CrawCrafts Beasties… Or enjoyed the abundant Autumn colours.
Autumn Colours - CrawCrafts Beasties

“Hmmm, I wonder how the renovations are coming along?”
Renovations at St Kevin's Church Park - CrawCrafts BeastiesJust then, I heard another small, possibly Beastie-like voice.

“Um, excuse me?”
Beastie Meets Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesThen…
Dracula Beastie says hello - CrawCrafts BeastiesRun Away! CrawCrafts Beasties“He’s a bit skittish, isn’t he? I only wanted to ask if he had a spare sandwich. I’m STARVING!”

Sorry, Dracula Beastie, he’s just seen too many movies. Finally, with much coaxing, we were able to convince Explorer Beastie to come back. And as it happens…
Sharing Sandwiches - CrawCrafts Beasties… He did have a spare sandwich.

“Here you go!”
“Yum, thanks!”
Vampires eat Sandwiches, who knew? CrawCrafts BeastiesThen there was just time to take a quick photo for the Beastie family album before we headed for home.
Dracula Beastie and Explorer Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesAll in all, a spooktacular day out!
Beasties in the Park - CrawCrafts BeastiesSo, what are you up to for Hallowe’en? Be sure to scare us silly with your plans by telling us about them in the comments!

Beastie Balcony Garden Rescue!

Hello everyone! Wow, it’s definitely starting to feel a little autumnal out there… I’d better start knitting faster to make sure the Beasties and I have enough woollies to see us through the cooler days that are coming! And before the weather turns, I also thought it might be a good idea to sort out my sad and unruly balcony garden.

I thought. I didn’t actually do anything.
Sad Balcony Garden - CrawCrafts BeastiesRegular BeastieBlog readers may remember that we bumped into Gardener Beastie at the Botanic Gardens a couple of weeks ago.
Explorer Beastie with Gardener Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesClearly embarrassed by the state of our little patch of urban green space, Explorer Beastie must have made a call… Because yesterday morning, as I sat down at my craft table, I overheard this…

Balcony Garden Appraisal - CrawCrafts Beasties“Wow, there’s a lot to do here, isn’t there?”

And then,

“Did you say there was a human around somewhere who could help?”

Ears burning, I made the mistake of stepping out onto the balcony.
Roped in! CrawCrafts Beasties“Yes! Here she is now!”

So much for sitting back and letting the Beasties sort it out! It’s lucky I had my old clothes on, because the rest of my day was looking a bit like this:

Beasties in Charge - CrawCrafts Beasties
Lifted from http://www.gmbinder.com

Explorer Beastie and I started with some weeding…
Weeding the Balcony Garden - CrawCrafts Beasties… While Gardener Beastie planned our next move.
Gardener Beastie Plans Ahead - Balcony Garden - CrawCrafts BeastiesAs the only one with hands big enough to manage the secateurs, I was on pruning duty.
Pruning Duty - Balcony Garden - CrawCrafts BeastiesThese chives might even bounce back if we trim away the dead flower heads and repot the rest.
Saving Chives - CrawCrafts BeastiesBut some things in the balcony garden were very much alive.

“These strawberry runners can all go into pots to become new plants!”
Strawberry runners - Balcony Garden - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd to make sure the wind doesn’t blow the baby plants out of their pots before they have a chance to grow real roots, we put some of the squillions of wire twisty ties that come free with any electronics purchase to use.

“Bend each one into an arch, and pin the plant to the soil. That’ll keep them in place!”

Thanks, Gardener Beastie!

Now, what can we do with this big pot, which I found down by the recycling bins earlier? (How lucky!)
A New(ish) Pot for the Balcony Garden - CrawCrafts Beasties“How about pairing up one of the little trees with some cyclamen? Cyclamen loves shade and doesn’t take much from the soil… Should work out nicely!”

Tree and Cyclamen - CrawCrafts Beasties
So, I moved the two plants in together, and added another cyclamen from indoors that seemed to be finding it a bit warm. I also discovered some seeds in the pot with the white-flowered plant, which I spread around over the extra “blank space” in the new container.

Are we done now? Not quite.

“Is there anything in here?”
“Ohhh, yes! This basket has bulbs in it! They still flower every spring, no matter what the weather’s doing…”
What's in the Basket - CrawCrafts Beasties“…But the basket might have seen better days.”

“Okay! Let’s get them out of there…”
Repotting Bulbs - CrawCrafts Beasties“… And into something bigger. You should have a great display to look forward to this spring!”

And speaking of the future…

“Don’t forget to pick those up and plant them! They’re nasturtium seeds. Nasturtiums mean free salad leaves for you, and a feast for your local bees too!”
Free Nasturtiums! CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd now we’re finished!
Balcony Garden, All Done! - CrawCrafts Beasties“Much better. Time for a cup of tea!”

Oh yes, I think we’ve earned it!

If you’ve any extra garden tips and tricks, please share them with us in the comments… And I’ll send Explorer Beastie outside to put them into action.

We’ll be back next Tuesday to catch up with Paddy and Plunkett, so be sure to join us then!

Gardener Beastie, meet Explorer Beastie! CrawCrafts Beasties

Botanic Beasties 2 – Back to the Gardens!

Hello Beastie friends! Wow, is it really Tuesday again already? How about we kick off this week with a continuing tour of Dublin’s Botanic Gardens, then? And don’t worry if you missed the first part last week, you can catch up here!

After encountering a very busy BumbleBeastie last time…
Beasties in the Botanic Gardens - CrawCrafts Beasties… Explorer Beastie strolled off to see if there might be any other Beasties about.
Strolling through the Botanic Gardens - CrawCrafts BeastiesHe didn’t have to go far… There’s one!
Gardener Beastie in the Botanic Gardens, Dubin - CrawCrafts BeastiesHey there, Gardener Beastie!
Gardener Beastie, meet Explorer Beastie! CrawCrafts Beasties

This little horticultural monster is super-busy keeping all the beautiful seasonal plantings in order… But there’s still time to pose for a quick photo!
Explorer Beastie with Gardener Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd we got a special guided tour of the displays, too. There’s plenty of floral colour everywhere for visitors to enjoy!
Floral Colours at the Botanic Gardens - CrawCrafts BeastiesVisitors of all sizes.
Red Admiral Butterfly at Dublin's Botanic Gardens - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd just as we were about to leave, Explorer Beastie spotted a familar face. Look who’s hanging out in the hanging baskets!
BumbleBeastie in the Hanging Baskets - Botanic Gardens - CrawCrafts Beasties
Nice to see you again, BumbleBeastie! Maybe we’ll bump into each other again on a future visit to the Botanic Gardens?

And speaking of the future, join us next Tuesday to meet another new Beastie! See you then…

Botanic Gardens Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasties in the Botanic Gardens

Hello everyone! Welcome back to Beastieland… We’ve missed you! And just to show that I haven’t spent the last couple of weeks sitting on the sofa eating crisps (well, not all of them), I’ve got a brand new Explorer Beastie adventure to share over the next two posts. Where did we go? Well, when the sun breaks through the rainclouds here in Dublin, one of the nicest places to be is the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland.

So, if you go down to the woods today…
Arboretum at the National Botanic Gardens - CrawCrafts Beasties… You’ll see BEASTIES!
Explorer Beastie in the Botanic Gardens - CrawCrafts Beasties
Explorer Beastie wasn’t the only monster in the gardens that day, either. Check out this spooky tree we found, with what looks like eyes all over its trunk!
Spooky Tree - Botanic Gardens Dublin - CrawCrafts Beasties

Our Botanic Gardens aren’t especially big – they’re nowhere near as massive as Kew Gardens, for instance. But there are lots of quiet hideaways and secret corners where a little monster can relax and enjoy being outdoors among the plants.

We both really liked the Chaintent, with its human-sized benches and twisty wisteria branches for a Beastie to climb!
Chaintent, National Botanic Gardens - CrawCrafts BeastiesEven as summer here draws to a close, there are plenty of bright blooms to enjoy too. The hydrangeas are very much in flower!
Beastie in the Blooms - CrawCrafts BeastiesNext, we made our way down to the lily pond.
Explorer Beastie at the Lily Pond - CrawCrafts BeastiesThere are still enough lily pads on the surface that Explorer Beastie figured he could cross to the other side by walking over them, but I encouraged him to use the picturesque bridge instead.
Lily Pond Bridge, National Botanic Gardens - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd further on… HERE BE MONSTERS!
Monster trees, that is.
Monster Trees at the Botanic Gardens - CrawCrafts BeastiesI’m not exactly sure what species it is – I couldn’t see a sign or tag near it. Anyone want to help us out here?

As I tried to figure out the identity of the mysterious giant tree, Explorer Beastie decided to have a go at climbing it.
Climbing Trees - CrawCrafts BeastiesI think we’re going to be here a while.

So, I headed off to take a look at the herbaceous border. It’s a riot of colour at this time of year, and is humming with insects making the most of the last days of summer.

Wait, what’s that?
BumbleBeastie in the Herbaceous Border - CrawCrafts BeastiesIt’s a bit hard to see among all those yellow flowers but…
BumbleBeastie at the Botanic Gardens - CrawCrafts BeastiesYes, it’s a BumbleBeastie!

I followed her until she landed on a nice purple thistle, where I could get a clearer photo.
BumbleBeastie on a Thistle - CrawCrafts BeastiesThen Explorer Beastie found us.

Beasties in the Botanic Gardens - CrawCrafts Beasties“Hello! Want to join us for lunch?”
“Love to, but I’m soooooo busy! You’re welcome to stick around while I work though… If you can keep up!”

She wasn’t kidding. She must have visited every flower in that border!
BumbleBeastie at the Herbaceous Border - CrawCrafts BeastiesWe even met some of her six-legged insect counterparts along the way.
Bees and BumbleBeastie at the Botanic Gardens - CrawCrafts BeastiesWe left her tucking into some lamb’s ear – a favourite bee treat!
BumbleBeastie and Lamb's Ear - Botanic Gardens - CrawCrafts BeastiesI wonder who else might be in the Botanic Gardens today? You’ll have to join us next time to find out!

PS If you can keep up with their hectic pace, you can adopt a BumbleBeastie of your very own. Have a look in the Beastie Store!

Time for a Rest! CrawCrafts Beasties

Flashback Friday – Beasties on Holiday!

Hey there everyone! Summer has returned to Dublin – I think temperatures climbed to their highest heights of the year so far yesterday! And that’s got me in a holiday sort of mood… So I thought I might use this week’s Flashback Friday to revisit some of my favourite “Beasties on tour” moments. Hopefully it will tide us over until we can all travel again!

Let’s start with Explorer Beastie’s trip to Germany in 2018… A rare example of a Beastie holiday where I was allowed to tag along.
View from the Train - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQAnd thanks to the themed gardens in Düsseldorf’s Nordpark, you might have even thought we were briefly in Japan! Explorer Beastie does enjoy a bit of zen serenity now and again.
Sunbathing by the Stream, Nordpark, Dusseldorf - CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett are also fond of an away trip. Here’s one of my favourite pictures of them, lurking in the tulips around Arundel Castle in Kent.
Paddy and Plunkett at Arundel Castle - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesWhile I was looking for this photo, I found some other travel souvenirs – pictures from Antonello and Tiziana Beastie’s visit to Abruzzo!
Beasties at Pescasseroli Park Zoo - A de Girolamo/CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd yes, that is a real live BEAR in the background!
A Poorly Bear at the Park Zoo, Pescasseroli - A de Girolamo/CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd speaking of dangerous exploits… One of my favourite Beastie holiday snaps of all time comes courtesy of Tammie Painter, who encouraged her Beastie Finn McSpool to try his paw at scuba diving whilst on holiday in Hawaii!

Underwater Adventuring - Extreme Beastie Photography
Extreme Underwater Beastie photo borrowed from tammiepainter.com

He wasn’t the only one having fun in the sun in Hawaii, either. Grim Reaper Beastie went there too! Doesn’t he look right at home among all that lava?
A Fitting Backdrop for a Grim Reaper Beastie! N Depping/CrawCrafts BeastiesThen again, holidays don’t have to be all non-stop action and dramatic scenery. They can also give you the opportunity to take a moment to pursue a favourite hobby…
Monster Lunchtime! L Döring/CrawCrafts Beasties… Or just kick back and relax!
Time for a Rest! CrawCrafts BeastiesAre you dreaming of getting away on holiday when things return to normal? Or are you planning a staycation in your favourite local hideaway? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!

We’ll be back on Tuesday with more monster mischief… Enjoy the weekend and we’ll see you all then!