Exploring – Page 7

A Sunny Stroll by the Grand Canal

Posted on January 8, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie's Dublin

New year, new feature… Welcome to the first instalment of Explorer Beastie’s Dublin!

Explorer Beastie had a bit of a quiet year in 2015…

… So we thought that it would be fun for both of us to get out a little more, and show you the hidden corners of our city from a Beastie’s-eye point of view!

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day, so we scrapped our original plans for an indoor adventure and made for the canal instead. There are two canals in Dublin’s city centre, the Grand Canal in the south and the Royal Canal in the north, and both canals eventually link up with the River Shannon in the west, via a whole string of towns and villages throughout Ireland’s midlands. The Grand Canal is nearer Beastie Towers though, so that’s where we headed.

The first part of our route was along the side of a busy road (boooo!) but once you pass the top of Clanbrassil Street Upper there’s a pedestrian path along one side of the canal, which makes for a much more peaceful walk… and better photos!

There’s plenty of wildlife to see along the canal banks – we spotted mallard ducks, mute swans, moorhens and a couple of different species of gulls.

Explorer Beastie even tried to make friends with one of the swans…

… With limited success.

Never mind, there’s much more to see…

… And sunny streets to explore!

This canal is still in use, and the working lock gates along the way break the waterway into smaller sections, each with its own distinct character!

This stretch beside The Barge pub is especially popular – it looks quiet now, but you should see it in the summer! On a warm evening, you’d think half the city had turned out to enjoy a pint by the water’s edge!

And further along, this wall usually has some interesting graffiti to look at…

We carried on past the top of Leeson Street, right in the city centre. A perfect chance to sit on an old bench and admire the view…

…Before heading to one of our favourite cafés for a sandwich and a warming cup of tea!

Remind us to take you there sometime…

We’ll be back with another slice of Dublin life in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, you can find out more about the Grand Canal here – this site lists all kinds of interesting canal-based activities, including walking tours, food markets and dinner cruises. Or if there’s anywhere you think we should visit, let us know in the comments!

Monster New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Info, Knitted Beasties

Phew! I might already have mentioned how busy December was for me and the Beasties, but with Christmas now under our (considerably tighter) belts, it’s time for us to start looking forward to another year of monster mayhem!

There’s going to be plenty going on over the next couple of months… starting with a veritable deluge of new Beasties! They’ve all had to keep their identities secret up until now, for fear of spoiling Christmas day surprises, but it’s finally time for them each to have their star turn on the BeastieBlog. I’ll be introducing you to a fresh Beastie face every Tuesday, so be sure to stop by! To whet your appetites, here’s an oatmeal stout-swigging Pint Beastie who made it to his new home in the UK just in time for Christmas!

2015 was a great year for Beasties abroad, and I’m so grateful to everybody who shared photos of their little woolly friends exploring the furthest reaches of the planet! When I said “hey, send me photos of your Beasties”, I never expected to see them gadding about in Canada…

… Enjoying ice-dripped coffee in Taiwan…

…Polishing off Christmas dinner in Argentina…

…Or scaling cliff faces in France!

Please please PLEASE keep them coming! I’ll be sharing photos every other Friday, in my Beastie Family posts! And that leaves two other Fridays each month for…

…Explorer Beastie!

He’s had a bit of a quiet time in 2015, but this year I’m hoping we’ll get out and about more to show you a few of our favourite places around Dublin. And of course Paddy and Plunkett will be back with more tales from further afield… Last I heard, they were heading off somewhere in search of some winter sun. I can’t wait to see pictures – they’ll be the perfect antidote to the blustery drizzliness of an Irish January!

So, that’s what you can expect from the BeastieBlog this year… Plus we have lots of other schemes, capers and new ideas in the pipeline. I can’t wait to share them with you all!

But what do you have lined up for 2016? Be sure to share your hopes, dreams and plans for world domination in the comments! And now all that’s left for me to do is to wish you all a happy new year… may 2016 be your beast year EVER! Cheers!

Victorian Explorer Beastie With Hippo - CrawCrafts Beasties

Beastie SOS!

Posted on November 17, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Have you seen this Beastie?

Victorian Explorer Beastie has been a pretty regular contributor to the BeastieBlog over the years. You might remember the trip we took to Bray, Co Wicklow last Spring…

… Or have fond memories of our visit to the Natural History Museum, where he fitted right in with the old-fashioned diplay cases and hand-typed information cards. I know I do!

This Beastie’s thirst for adventure led him to be adopted by a fellow globetrotter, and it wasn’t long before he jetted off on the journey of a lifetime… to see South America!

Here he is in Argentina, enjoying Christmas dinner southern-hemisphere-style, accompanied by Explorer Girl Beastie!

Unfortunately, this is the last known photograph of Victorian Explorer Beastie. One day, while out on the road, he took advantage of the long journey to catch forty winks in his travelling companion’s backpack, which was stolen while he dozed inside!

So, fellow travellers, I’d like to ask a favour. Please keep an eye out for Victorian Explorer Beastie as you jetset around the world… and if you do spot him, be sure to share a photo! Or, if he looks like he’s in need of rescuing, pick him up and bring him home with you. He can be treated for any injuries in my Beastie Hospital, and then he (or another Beastie of your choosing) will be yours to keep.

Thank you all, and good hunting!

PS WordPress tells me that the Beasties and I have been hanging out on the BeastieBlog for TWO WHOLE YEARS now! Thanks to all of you who read, like and comment on my tales of monster mayhem… you make this blog a really fun place to be!

Reader Beastie… Or Cowboy Beastie?

Posted on November 13, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

It’s widely assumed that bookworms tend to be stay-at-home types, who like nothing more than curling up on the sofa and losing themselves in a good story. Not so for Reader Beastie! Since moving to Canada earlier in the year, he’s really flung himself into the life of a ranch hand… although as you can see from the photo above, he’s yet to find a proper pair of cowboy boots in his size!

However, there are other ways for a Beastie to get about…

…And it looks like he’s waaaaay better at horseriding than I ever was, too!

We’ve just caught him on his way out to the community pasture, where he’ll be checking up on the livestock. This huge stretch of land (around 6000 acres) is owned by the Saskatchewan government and is leased by a group of local farmers every summer. It’s a great opportunity for the cattle to stretch their legs and raise their calves in the great outdoors! Everything seems to be in order here, anyway…

…And it’s also fun to catch up with all the gossip at the water cooler.

You never know who else you might meet out here… Hey there, baby hawks!

Reader Beastie decided not to hang around until mum came back, though. He figured it was probably safer to take a break a little further down the road, where his buddy the cowdog could keep sketch…

…While he took a weight off in the sagebrush…

…And enjoyed the view!

All in a day’s work for this intrepid little monster… at this rate, he’ll be able to write his own book!

Thanks to Nicole for sending me pictures from Reader Beastie’s latest adventure. I love to see what the Beasties get up to once they leave Beastie Towers, so keep those photos coming!

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Helen's Bay Beach - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett’s Seaside Adventure!

Posted on October 16, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Autumn may be in full swing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a day by the sea! And this isn’t any old seaside – Paddy and Plunkett took a day trip to my childhood stomping grounds, where I spent many happy hours (at all times of the year) clambering over the stones and poking around in rock pools. Come and see for yourself!

Our tour starts at the local railway station. Getting here from Belfast only takes about half an hour, and then it’s just a short walk to the beach!

See?

Plunkett’s certainly enjoying the view!

The next stop if you carry on along the coast is Crawfordsburn Country Park. Formerly a private house and grounds, the park is now open to the public year-round, and is great for walking, cycling and picnics! It’s also home to all kinds of wildlife, since it contains a variety of different habitats – you’ll find seashore, woodlands and meadows here. Paddy and Plunkett bumped into a couple of the local residents at the Countryside Centre when they dropped in for a quick cup of tea!

Since it was such a lovely sunny day (we’ve really been enjoying some very un-Irish weather these last few weeks), the boys decided to carry on walking. There’s a coastal route that takes you all the way around to Bangor, a seaside town which was a popular local holiday destination back in the day. Of course, there’s a proper human-sized path you can use to get there, but the lads thought it would be more fun to take the scenic route…

Much later (they do only have little short legs, after all) they arrived at journey’s end! They resisted the urge to set sail on one of the swan boats at Pickie Fun Park…

… But they were really kicking themselves when they found out that
they could have done part of their travelling on the Beastie-sized Pickie Puffer train!

Oh well, at least they still had time to enjoy the walled garden at Bangor Castle before they had to head for home!

All in all, a great day out! Where was your favourite childhood haunt?

Head West

Posted on October 11, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Weekly Photo Challenge

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Happy Place.”

Anyone who checks in with the BeastieBlog regularly will know that my favourite place to spend some downtime is at Boyfriend’s family farm, in County Roscommon. Roscommon is one of the semi-forgotten counties in the centre-west of Ireland, which makes it a great place to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet away from the hubbub of central Dublin. And the changing seasons mean that there’s always something new to enjoy, from springtime blossom in the fields…

… To new arrivals in the cattle shed!

Autumn here isn’t bad either! The hedgerows are loaded with free snacks…

… And a misty morning walk can make you feel like you’ve entered some forgotten magical country.

Explorer Beastie likes it here too, of course…

… But his favourite place to recharge his Beastie batteries is beside the fire at my parents’ house. Cosy!

Explorer Beastie's Jigsaw Angel - CrawCrafts Beasties

Teatime with Explorer Beastie!

Posted on September 25, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie

Poor Explorer Beastie hasn’t got out and about much recently. In fact, he’s been spending an unreasonable amount of time hanging out on my desk, watching me type up the adventures of other Beasties instead! So when I went out last Saturday to somewhere that wasn’t Other Work or the supermarket, it only seemed fair to bring him along.

First stop – the Canal Bank Market! We even met some of the local residents on the way there…

And there was plenty to see at the market itself too!

After a lot of wandering, and only a little bit of shopping, we decided to grab some tea at Wall & Keogh – one of my favourite Dublin tea emporiums! Well, it was just around the corner from the market… Even so, Explorer Beastie decided to hitch a lift in my bag for the journey!

At least I didn’t have to buy him lunch – as usual, he brought his own.

Hey, what’s that?

Oh, cool! Let’s do the jigsaw!

Um, not sure you’ve quite got the right idea here…

Nope. Definitely not.

Ah, now we’re getting somewhere!

…Or not.

Well, at least he’s having a good time!

More tea?

Yes please!

How are your weekend plans shaping up? Have a good one, wherever you are!

Statue in the Temperate House, Kew Gardens - CrawCrafts Beasties

Weekly Photo Challenge – “Grid”

Posted on September 23, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Weekly Photo Challenge

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Grid.”

Turns out that I didn’t need to look too far for pictures for this week’s Photo Challenge! Going through the holiday snaps from the trip Explorer Beastie and I took to London last year, I found a surprising number of grids – in Kew Gardens (above and below)…

… At Shakespeare’s Globe…

… And on the banks of the Thames!

Lucky we decided to take a city break, isn’t it? Grids are a lot harder to come by in the country!

See you next time!

So, Where Are Paddy and Plunkett This Week?

Posted on September 18, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

We left them here last week… but what on earth is that in the background?

(If anyone guessed correctly, I’ll be super impressed!)

This unusal-looking bridge is part of the newly revamped and reopened Gobbins Cliff Path, which is about half an hour’s journey outside Belfast, on the County Antrim coast! The original Gobbins path opened in 1902, as the expansion of Northern Ireland’s railways helped to open up parts of the province which had been difficult to reach before. The Gobbins was a genuine old-school tourist attraction, purpose-built by the Chief Engineer of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Company to encourage people to visit this part of the country, and to show off the area’s spectacular coastline!

However, the Depression in the 1930s and the growing popularity of cars meant that the railway company could no longer afford to maintain the system of bridges and walkways that made up the path. And when the Second World War broke out, finding people to look after The Gobbins was hardly a priority! It started to fall into disrepair, and a partial reopening of the path in the early 1950s was scuppered by a landfall shortly afterwards. The Gobbins closed in 1954, and was fully abandoned seven years later. Since then, there have been a couple of attempts to reopen the attraction, but nothing came of them… until now! Thanks to a combined effort (and some all-important funds) from the local council, the EU and the Ulster Garden Villages charity, a full restoration started in 2014… And now it’s open for business!

Hey, it looks like the boys are ready to start the tour!
Here we go! It was a bit breezy, so they had to hitch a ride with some of the human visitors…

…But not the whole way! Here’s Plunkett posing with the restored Tubular Bridge, the most distinctive part of the path.

And again, at Sandy Cave. Apparently, this spot was popular with Victorian picnic parties… and smugglers! My Secret Seven-reading 8-year-old self would have loved this place!

The path carries on for nearly a mile and a half, and includes five bridges and a narrow cave tunnel! Check out some of the highlights…
https://me.sh/vhdbvd4

But even walking on little short Beastie legs, the tour was over all too soon… Time to get the train home, lads!

We’ll see Paddy and Plunkett again soon, I’m sure… And if you’re in the neighbourhood, why not take a trip to The Gobbins yourself? You can find out more about booking here.

See you next time!

Weekly Photo Challenge – Monochromatic

Posted on September 16, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Weekly Photo Challenge

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Monochromatic.”

Beasties tend to be quite colourful little creatures, so a monochrome Photo Challenge really is a tricky one! However, I thought it might be a good opportunity to fiddle around with some effects… so I sepia-tinted some photos of Victorian Explorer Beastie’s day out in the old seaside resort of Bray, which is just over half an hour south of Dublin city centre by train!

The retro effect quite suits him, doesn’t it?

If colour’s more your thing, though, you can check out the original pictures here!

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