Tag: Canary Islands

Strangers in a Strange Land

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

It’s been a while since we heard from intrepid globetrotting Beasties Paddy and Plunkett, hasn’t it? And now I’m beginning to think there might be a good reason for that… Take a look at their most recent set of holiday snaps and you’ll see what I mean!

What a weird, alien landscape… Are they even still on Earth?
Paddy, Plunkett and some Crazy Rock Towers - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“Paddy, look at these – they go on for miles!”
Unusual Rock Towers - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesOf course, Plunkett was in his element – a field full of precariously-balanced rock towers? YES PLEASE!
Investigating the Rock Towers - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesBut then Paddy spotted something else off in the distance, and he just had to climb down for a closer peek.
Paddy's Off Exploring Again! H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“Hey! Plunkett! Check it out…”
Paddy Discovers Rock Pools - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“…ROCK POOLS!”
Paddy at the Water's Edge - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd they were absolutely teeming with wildlife…
Sea Anemone and Hermit Crab - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties…Including this sea anemone, hermit crabs and one rather luxuriant sea slug!
Sea Slug - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesPaddy could quite happily have watched this fellow grazing away on the rich pastures of underwater algae all day, but Plunkett was a little less keen…
Plunkett's Take on Sea Life - H crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesSorry, Plunkett! I promise we’ll stick to rocks next time!

What’s the strangest creature you’ve ever found at the beach? Let us know in the comments!

Oh, and be sure to join us again on Friday… I’m doing an extra bonus post this week to share photos from the day trip Explorer Beastie and I took to Ireland’s northernmost point! See you then!

Paddy Scales the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett Rock Out!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

All the leaves are brown… and the sky certainly is grey here in Dublin today! But it seems like not all Beasties are reaching for their hats and scarves, or bedding down on the sofa to rewatch “The Muppet Christmas Carol”.

Not Paddy and Plunkett, anyway… They’re still on holiday in Lanzarote!
Rock On, Paddy and Plunkett! H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesToday, their wandering paws have brought them to a part of the island that’s all rocks. Paddy’s not impressed – he had his fuzzy little heart set on building sandcastles. But Plunkett is in his element!
Plunkett and the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesThese local rocks are ideal for making stone walls, and Plunkett is determined to examine all of them!
Plunkett and the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesThis is starting to remind Paddy a lot of their trip to Arundel Castle, back in the summer!

Some of these walls even deserve a closer look…
Plunkett, with a Particularly Interesting Specimen - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties…And at least that’s something Paddy can enjoy!
Paddy Scales the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesBy the end of the day, I reckon he’d even forgotten about those sandcastles!
Paddy, Plunkett and the Pebbles - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesWhere would you like to be spending this wintry Tuesday? Let us know in the comments!

Aaaaand don’t forget to pick up your Beastie calendar, while they’re still hot! A mere €12 each, with free postage within Ireland, or €3 to anywhere else*. Get in touch to reserve yours!

*These rates are for one calendar – larger orders might cost a little more!
Get Your Beastie Calendars! CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett, Livin’ it up in Lanzarote!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

After last week’s post, some eagle-eyed readers were able to figure out that Paddy and Plunkett are currently enjoying a bit of winter (or late autumn!) sun in Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands. Lucky them! Shall we see where their wandering paws have taken them this week?

It seems like they’ve been making friends with some more of the locals, for starters!
Paddy and Plunkett make another new friend - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesHaving spent a lot of the early part of their stay enjoying the delights of the hotel they’d snuck into, this week they decided to venture further afield.

“Come on Plunkett, let’s head for the hills!”
Paddy and Plunkett go for a Trek - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesPaddy – full of beans as usual – was keen to see the island from the top of this mountain. All the more so after he found out that it used to be…
Paddy and Plunkett go for a Trek - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties…A VOLCANO!

Plunkett was a little less enthused at the prospect of encountering pyroclastic flow and rivers of red-hot lava – he hid behind the sofa when we were checking out Grim Reaper Beastie’s last set of travel pics – but once we’d confirmed that it’s a looooong time since this volcano last erupted, he was happy enough to continue with the climb.

Well, as long as there were frequent stops to admire the view, of course…
The View from the Volcano - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“Are we nearly there yet, Paddy?”

“Almost… Just around the next corner!”
Volcano View - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“Woooooooah! Look at that!”

Mind you, it was pretty breezy on the edge of the crater, so the boys didn’t stay long. On their way back down to sea level, Paddy spotted their next destination – he was all for making tracks to visit that lighthouse, way off in the distance!
Next Stop, Lighthouse! H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesHowever, Plunkett put his paw down.

“We’re supposed to be on holiday!”
Paddy and Plunkett Catch Some Rays - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd it turns out that it was surprisingly easy to win Paddy over to catching a few late-afternoon rays!

We’ll be back with more monster madness on Tuesday. In the meantime, have a great weekend… And Dubliners, don’t forget that you can catch us at the Creative Collective Ireland Craft Fair in Ranelagh this Saturday and Sunday!
Creative Collective Poster - Creative Collective Ireland/CrawCrafts Beasties

Fun In The Winter Sun II – Monster Holiday!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Knitted Beasties

Beasties at the Beach - Paddy Admires the View (H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties)It’s a hard life, being a Beastie… All that travelling, exploring and discovery can really take it out of a little woolly monster! Sometimes you just have to put your paws up and relax by the seaside. And that is exactly what Paddy and Plunkett have been doing these last couple of weeks! Let’s see what they’ve been up to since last time.

Well, Plunkett decided to really take a weight off, and check out the spa…
Plunkett Visits the Spa - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd Paddy? Um, Paddy decided to check out something else…
Paddy, In Search of the Perfect Tan - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesBut what’s going on here?

RAIN?!
Beasties Sheltering From the Rain - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“This is exactly what we were trying to avoid by coming here! Still, it seems to be easing up now…”
Beastie Road Trip In The Rain - H Crawfor/CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd sure enough, it wasn’t long before the sun came back out again…
Plunkett Catching Some Rays - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties… And the boys were able to get back to their sunbathing!

“Aaaaaaah, this is the life! Eh, Paddy?”

“Not bad, Plunkett. Not bad at all.”
Paddy and Plunkett Sunbathing - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesLater, they met up with some friends for drinks…
The Birds and the Beasties - H Crawford/Crawcrafts BeastiesAnd then there was just time to pose for one last photo in the garden before heading to the airport!
Beasties in the Garden - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“Hang on. Did you feel that? Is that…?”

Gaaaaaah! More rain!
Paddy and Plunkett, Marooned at the Airport - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“It’s not looking good, Paddy. The board says we’re delayed by 3 hours… Still, isn’t it lucky you remembered to pack the Travel Scrabble?”

“Ummm… About that…”

Uh-oh! Will the lads ever make it back home? Or will the combination of foul weather and a lack of miniaturised board games to pass the time prove fatal to their friendship? Stay tuned to the BeastieBlog to find out!

 

Paddy and Plunkett on Holiday - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Fun in the Winter Sun, Part One!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Paddy and Plunkett on Holiday - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesIt’s been a while since we heard from Paddy and Plunkett, and now I can reveal why… These two intrepid Beasties, clever little monsters that they are, decided to head south to escape the rather grey and gloomy winter we’ve been having! Like I always say, it’s pretty easy for a Beastie to sneak aboard a suitcase or stow away in a handbag… after that, it’s just a case of choosing where they want to go.

And this time, it was destination Gran Canaria! A bit of sun, sea and sand always helps the Northern winter pass a little more quickly. The boys made landfall after sunset…
Paddy and Plunkett Arrive at the Hotel - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties… And made sure they got an early night, so they could make the most of…
Breakfast with the Boys - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesFry-Up Time! H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

…The breakfast buffet!

Recipe for a healthy Beastie: One bowl of cereal with fruit juice, then a big ol’ Full Irish, and then…
BAKED GOODS! H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties… Hit the baked goods!

“Hey Plunkett, grab me a few of those Beastie-sized doughnuts from the basket in the middle, would you?”

Next, feeling pleasantly full (but having effectively bankrupted the hotel restaurant), the boys headed out to explore! First, they found a giant sundial… A much more useful thing here than at home in Ireland!
Paddy and Plunkett at the Sundial - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties(Loving the sunglasses, lads!)

Then, a jaunt on a penny farthing bicycle!

“Gaaaaaah! Paddy! Why do I always let you drive?!”
Paddy, Plunkett and the Penny Farthing - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd now, a quick cup of coffee – just to keep their strength up.
Caffeine Break for Paddy and Plunkett! H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesIt’s also a good opportunity to check out the photos they’ve taken!
Paddy and Plunkett on Camera - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesSo far, so good… But it’s not the whole story! Be sure to drop back in next week for the second instalment! See you then…

Mystery Solved!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie

Explorer Beastie Sunbathing on a Cactus

Hurrah! Thanks to an eagle-eyed Beastie fan on my Facebook page, I’ve been able to trace Explorer Beastie to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands! No wonder he’s looking so relaxed!

You know, I had always written Lanzarote off as an island of packed beaches and sprawling resort hotels, and I have to say that I’m surprised by what Explorer Beastie has found on his travels. It looks like he has definitely strayed from the beaten track…
Explorer Beastie on Path

…and discovered everything from crystal clear rock pools…
Rock Pool

… to prickly cactus trees…
Cactus Tree

… to out-of-the-way wine bodegas.
Beastie Bodega

He also seems to have had no trouble finding quiet beaches there, either…
Deserted Beach

… which he can claim all for himself!
Explorer Beastie on Black Sand Beach

All the same, I hope he comes home soon. I need someone to accompany me to the new Muppets film.

See you next time… I have some freshly-hatched Beasties for you to meet!