Hello there Beastie friends! How are things where you are? Here on the Emerald Isle, we’re getting ready to start opening things up again… And I know two intrepid little monsters who are looking forward to setting out on some new adventures this summer!
Sure, they’ve enjoyed their virtual travels over the last few months…
… But it’s not really a substitute for the real thing, is it?
So that’s probably why they started hatching travel plans the very second they spotted this unattended knitting bag.
“That looks like it might be going somewhere interesting! What do you reckon?”
“Possibly, Paddy… But how on earth are we going to get up there? Normally the humans leave their bags on the floor.”
“Don’t worry, Plunkett…”
“… I have a cunning plan!”
Unfortunately, Plunkett didn’t realise that this cunning plan involved using him as a stepladder.
“Ouch! Paddy, you’re going to have to start going easy on the Full Irish breakfasts… You weigh a TON!”
“Neeeeearly there. Hold steady, Plunkett!”
Finally…
“Success!”
“That’s all well and good for you, Paddy. How do I get up there?”
“I told you, I have a plan. Hold on a sec…”
“Here you go! Now climb up.”
“Oooh, very clever!”
And much huffing and puffing later…
“There, I knew you could do it!”
“…”
Ah. Sounds like Plunkett was still catching his breath. So Paddy packed all the wool back into the knitting bag, making a nice cosy place for them both to hide.
“Where do you think we’re off to, Paddy?”
“I’m not sure…”
“… But I bet it’s going to be fun!”
Hopefully they won’t have to wait too long for the adventures to begin! Have you any interesting journeys in your future? Be sure to tell us all about them in the comments!
We’ll be back next week to catch up with Explorer Beastie. I’m sure he’s got some adventures up his woolly little sleeves too!
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.
… 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!
“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 
I had visited Bruges before, many years ago… But I’d forgotten how impossibly pretty it is. Here, take a look!
So, where are we off to first?
“Are we really climbing THAT?”
Explorer Beastie was supposed to stay tucked away until we got to the top, but he couldn’t resist popping out for photo ops in the Treasury…
… And the bell tower itself.
On the left is the Triumph Bell, which is the biggest of the 47 bells (47!) housed in the tower. It’s a shrimpy little thing, weighing a mere 6,000kg! On the right, Explorer Beastie is taking a closer look at the playing drum, which allows some of the lesser bells to play recognisable tunes every quarter hour. Each of those pins is actually a nut and bolt, so their positions could be changed….
Totally worth it!
“Gaaaah! Help!”
There was one very obvious reason why we were here.
“All you can eat”? Really? Is that wise?
In fact, he was still feeling chipper enough at the end to pose with these guys – does anyone else recognise the 
Cheers for travelling with us!
The last time I saw that sweet teal-coloured Beastie in the red scarf was at the Christmas on the Square market back at the end of November. He was hoping to find a home to call his own, and he really lucked out! A few weeks later, I received a lovely email from his new family. They told me he was settling in well, and they’d called him Felix because he’d brought them so much happiness. Well, that Beastie has some serious happy-making powers, because hearing that made me smile too!
… Learning to ride a bike (I’m not sure how he’s working the pedals, but that doesn’t lessen the achievement)…
… And taking the family car for a spin.
Let’s hope he’s a better driver than our good friend Paddy!
Well held!
Well, an ice cream would definitely be a good start. Hopefully he’s planning to share all that with someone… It’s nearly as big as he is!
To further his career, he asked me to share this photo of him recreating a classic pic of U2 (image not my own, I should say), taken around 2000 in Dublin’s Grand Canal Dock.
That’s the 
But what a difference this time around! Look at all this greenery! It’s the perfect place for a pair of woolly monsters to hang out.
And while there were plenty of interesting things to see at ground level…
“Check us out! We’re flowers!”
… The Beasties couldn’t wait to climb up the spiral staircase to the balcony and feel tall!
From our high perch, you really see how huge the Temperate House is. It’s the largest Victorian glasshouse in the world today… And it needs to be big! Since “temperate” covers pretty much any part of the world outside of the tropics and the polar regions, 1500 species of plants from 5 continents and 16 islands call this giant greenhouse home.
But they were soon distracted by many more curious plants and idyllic quiet corners.
Eventually though…
But the weather outside the Temperate House is decidedly less temperate…
What now? Should the Beasties stay indoors, or risk getting their paws wet as they explore the rest of Kew? We’ll find out next time we catch up with them… But be sure to join us next week when I’ll have some new Beasties for you to meet!
“
It’s our old buddy 
“Ooooh, check this out!”
It’s almost possible for Beasties to get lost in among all that colour. Can you spot them?
The treetop walkway is really spectacular… But the boys really had to hold on tight! It was a little breezy up there!
What’s this then? Perhaps it will help if we zoom out a little.
This is “Memory Palace”, an 18-metre-wide sculpture by British designer and artist Es Devlin. It’s named after the mnemonic technique where memories are preserved by mentally linking them to familiar locations – I’m sure any fans of “Sherlock” out there will recognise the idea! In “Memory Palace”, each feature on this curved white landscape is a place where a significant societal shift took place.
Mirrors on one wall and the ceiling expand the boundaries of the sculpture, and slightly change the way you see the individual elements… The same way memory can, I suppose!
“Greetings from Powerscourt House, everyone!”
Powerscourt House is in County Wicklow, and it’s only about half an hour south of Dublin. You wouldn’t think it, would you? The house is set in spectacular and varied gardens, and has made Lonely Planet’s list of the 
So, while Plunkett has been enjoying the spectacle of the house, Triton Lake and the Italian Gardens, all set against the backdrop of the Sugar Loaf Mountain, where has Paddy gone? I thought he’d at least be trying to persuade one of those winged horses to take off and give him an aerial view of the grounds… Oh wait, there he is.
… And wait by the stone lantern for Plunkett to catch up!
The Japanese Garden was created in 1908 by the 8th Viscount and Viscountess Powerscourt, making it one of the newer features of the grounds. But funnily enough, the boys stumbled on one of the oldest parts just around the corner – the grotto!
“Paddy, look at all this wonderful moss!”
“Paddy! It’s a Beastie-sized waterfall! I could stay and watch it all day…”