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.
Springtime in the Irish countryside is a very colourful time. The fields are full of blue…
… And white…
… And yellow!
Those gorgeous golden gorse flowers are always a treat. Take a good big sniff there, Explorer Beastie – being careful of those spines, of course!
“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.
“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.
Through the long grass and rushes, and up a staircase made of tree roots…
… To discover traces left behind by other visitors.
What’s this?
“Someone’s stopped here for dinner recently! It looks like they ordered escargots…”
Oh 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…
… BLOW!
So, 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.
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!
Um, can you maybe turn around so we can see?
Much 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!
“Yes, and it smells AMAZING!”
“Hey, what’s over there?”
“I’ll stand next to them, for scale!”
It’s always nice to see their sunny yellow faces peeking out of shaded, Beastie-sized hollows in the hedgerows.
“Pop it in the side of the computer here… We’re on our way! Look at all those photos.”
Let’s swing in for a closer look.
I don’t know about you, but this is EXACTLY the kind of view I needed to see today! And the boys’ tour isn’t finished yet… Now they’re off to Carlingford town.
“Yes, Paddy! Carlingford Castle was built by King John of England, and has been here on the shores of the Lough since the 12th century.”
There’s a medieval church too. Plunkett is in raptures over all that lovely stonework.
“I’ll just zoom in here, for a closer look…”
I can think of worse places to spend a day looking for the “little people”! The Mourne mountains are also nearby.
“And there are some incredible beaches, too.”
“I’d love to go there sometime, Plunkett!”
“… We can!”
Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to walk this off later.
Glengesh 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.
Mind you, it’s not all sunshine and sand dunes here. Sometimes it can be a bit on the breezy side…
… And the traffic is terrible.
All 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.
Alright, 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…
… And rocks to scramble over.
Next, we can journey to the northernmost point of the island of Ireland – Malin Head.
Then we can cruise by the wide sandy beach at Five Finger Strand…
… Before catching the last of the daylight on our way home.
Don’t forget to leave a rock monster behind to show we were here!
And once we get home, we can warm up by the fire and swap adventuring stories.
Aaaaah! Toasty.
And while some shadowy thickets retained a feeling of chilly mystery when the clouds parted…
… In some places the winter sun broke through the trees and made the empty fields glow.
And there are wonders right at your feet in the undergrowth, too.
These 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.
But where was Explorer Beastie while all this was going on? Ummm…
Well, I suppose the holidays are a time to rest up and recharge your batteries.
Looks good, lads… But check out the size of that portion! Where do they put it all?!
“Oh Plunkett, can we have a go?”
“… It really does!”
But once they’d untangled themselves from these coiled ship’s ropes, Paddy demanded more shoreline sightseeing.
In certain places along the north Antrim coast, the sea has created a number of large rock pools… Perfect for a cooling dip away from the currents and waves. There’s this one, above…
“Who’s Peggy, Plunkett?”
And then, to wrap up today’s coastal sightseeing tour, let’s swing by what might be one of the most beautiful beaches anywhere – Whitepark Bay.
On a bright day, the sands on this beach gleam white in the sunshine. But even when it’s a bit overcast, it’s a lovely spot to stroll and look for fossils. As Plunkett contemplates the wilder side of the beach…
“Look how big this beach is, Plunkett! Those people look Beastie-sized from up here!”
“Look, Plunkett! I think there might be another staycation in the pipeline. Shall we?”
“If we climb into the knitting bag, we’ll get to travel in the car, not the boot. Then we can look out the window all the way to our destination… Wherever that might be!”
“If we end up in an escape-proof prisoner of war camp, Paddy, I’m holding you responsible!”
“There! What did I tell you? Floor-to-ceiling windows, soft carpeting under our paws… And the humans will never spot us back here!”
“… Is this a castle?”
You wouldn’t mind being locked in here though. Look at these beautiful gardens!
The locals seem friendly too… And it looks like there might be a happy event in the not-too-distant future!
Huh. I always wondered where new scarecrows came from – I guess we know now!
… Explorer Beastie strolled off to see if there might be any other Beasties about.
He didn’t have to go far… There’s one!
Hey there, 
And we got a special guided tour of the displays, too. There’s plenty of floral colour everywhere for visitors to enjoy!
Visitors of all sizes.
And just as we were about to leave, Explorer Beastie spotted a familar face. Look who’s hanging out in the hanging baskets!
“What’s going on here, Paddy?”
“… But hop in here and we’ll soon find out!”
“We’re here! Um, where is here?”
“We’re in the west. Sligo, I think!”
“Aaaaaaah!”
So many waterfalls! You probably won’t be surprised to learn that this town, Ballysadare, takes its name from these beautiful rushing rivers. It’s called “Baile Easa Dara” in Irish, which means “town of the waterfall of the oak”. Clearly Paddy has gone in search of the oak!
And Plunkett LOVES these.
“Fine. But we’re definitely going to the beach tomorrow!”
“Look, there’s still cherry blossom here!”
Hey, who’s that?
Yay! 
A little further up the hill, we wandered into the rose garden. And although there aren’t many roses in bloom yet, there was plenty of other greenery to explore!
We’ll definitely have to schedule another visit later in the year to catch it at its best!
And 