Horse Racing on the Beach!

I'm told the experience of horse racing on the beach is very Irish.  All day long I was excited, one because I'd never been to a proper horse race before, and two because I'd be there with Alie and her family, the same family who had adopted me as one of their own when I visited them in Mullingar.

Alie and I met at her house after work, and from there we all took a taxi down to the beach.  We had packed bottles of champagne for the occasion, and the weather was a picture perfect BEAUTIFUL sunny and 70 degrees.

We picked a spot along the fence and laid out our blankets and lawn chairs.  Mick and Marge were big fans of the races, and Marge in particular knew her stuff when it came to playing the bets.  Since I am not a betting person in general, I was fairly intimidated.  Greg took me up to where the bookies were lined up, under a series of umbrellas, taking people's bets big and small.  He placed the wagers for the family, and we took back a series of paper slips.

The announcer came over the audio system and said the horses were lining up.  A few minutes later, "THEY'RE OFF" accompanied the start.  The horses and their jockeys came flying down the beach amidst cheers and encouragements from the crowd.  The announcer kept us up on the leads, and once they all crossed the finish line, winners were cheering and losers were strategizing for the next race. 

The cycle repeated itself six times over the course of a few hours.  I was happily bouncing around, energetic and loving life.  The champagne was helping.  After the third race I left the group in search of new people to talk to.  Alie kept a close eye on me as I wandered about.  First, I honed in on a pair of guys wearing interesting hats.  I went up and asked what the deal was with the hats, and they were happy to give me the breakdown.  Apparently one was wearing a summer hat and the other a winter hat.  The guy wearing the summer hat was also wearing a suit jacket, and since it was warm outside, I inquired as to why.  "Sweetie, a gentleman always wears a jacket."  Was the reply.  I tilted my head, batted my eyes, smiled and said "If you says so Darlin."  They were great fun, or "a good crack" as we would say in Ireland.

After a bit I moved on to a group of guys who were hanging about by the bookie stations.  One of them had a bandaged hand and was holding two beers.  Perfect.  I went up and asked if the two-at-once strategy was for good luck.  He took a decent swig and with a smile said, "Of course!"  That led to a long conversation about the races, where everyone was from, the hand injury, and so on.  They were just as lost when it came to picking their bets as I was.  I told them the one bet I was sure to make was the last race, a horse named "USA" who had a female jockey.  They gave me a good amount of grief for that choice, at which point I started losing interest in them and gaining interest in the smell of freshly cooked onion rings coming from a nearby stand.  I wished them luck, excused myself, and went out in search of tasty foods to bring back to the group. 

Upon my return to the beach, Alie, who had been watching, was shaking her head and smiling.  I passed a carton of chips around and everyone was happy for a bite.  After the second-to-last race Greg took me back up to the bookie area and helped me to place my bet.  10 euro on USA to win!  We went down and waited for the race to start.  As soon as the horses took off, I tried to make USA out from the others, but they were packed in a bunch and it was nearly impossible to see until they were right in front of us.  A couple second later they crossed the finish line.  "And the winner is USA!"  WOOOHOOOOO.  I went back up, collected my money, and displayed a very proud grin all the way home.

Hook's Head Lighthouse

I was up with the sun around 5:45 AM.  It was going to be a day for driving around and finding adventure.  Around two and a half hours south of Dublin is Hook's Head, a beautiful point off the coast in County Wexford, and I thought that would be a great place to start. 

 

That early in the morning the roads were relatively clear, so I sailed along the motorway at the equivalent of around 75 MPH, which was the speed limit, mind you.  120 km/hr to be exact.   My little POS car could barely stand it.  Man did I miss my Challenger...I pictured her sleeping soundly in the garage, covered and quiet, just waiting for me to come home and rev her up. 

I watched as the sun broke through a deep blue sky filled with grey and white puffed up clouds.  They looked like huge mounds of meringue piled high and waiting for someone to take that first sweet bite.  It was a gorgeous Irish day, only a few showers expected here and there.  My luck with weather continued.   As the rays of light filtered through, the green, farm-dotted countryside was a breathtaking sight. 

Fields of hay were dotted across the scene, some harvested and filled with huge hay rolls.  Some farms had scores of dairy cows.  Others had beautiful horses.  Some green fields were occupied with sheep, grazing among the hillsides.  It was natural magnificence in every sense. 
Since I was driving through farmland, every so often there would be large tractors in the road, and they would very kindly wave me by when the street was free of oncoming traffic.  Slow-moving drivers would always move over should I wish to go at a speedy pace, and when I passed I waved a thank you, as was customary.  Everyone in Ireland waves thank yous on the road, and it's such a wonderful break from the ridiculous road-rage on California highways.   Here, even if you cut someone off, which I've had the misfortune of doing accidentally, they come up and look at you as if to say "why are you being rude on the road?" and if you simply wave apologetically, they will accept the apology and wave a "forgiven" back.  People are so much more empathetic here, and I think it is due, in large part, to the fact that Irish people are humble by nature.  In my experience, they don't see themselves as the center of the universe, and so they don't treat people as if they are.  Very refreshing. 

On the way up the coast I saw ruins of crumbling stone houses, hundreds of years old, and next door would be a brand new home.  It perfectly represented the way in which the past fades and gives way to the future.  There is no stopping change. 

At one point I came upon an abandoned house in the middle of a field just off the road, and I simply had to take a picture.  It looked like it was straight out of The Chainsaw Massacre.  I was actually so nervous getting out of the car that I stayed on the road with the car between myself and the house, keys in the the ignition, just in case I needed to make a quick getaway.  iphone zoom was just fine, there was no WAY I was going off the road.  Yes, I'm a total scaredy-cat, but this is not a surprise to anyone who knows me well.  As I was taking the picture (here on the left), my overactive imagination started to kick in and I swore I could see the curtains inside the house moving.  In my mind, they were suddenly pulled back to reveal a dark figure I couldn't make out, then I would blink and the house would be still and silent, as it was.  It's all in my head, and while an overactive imagination can be a wonderful creative tool, it can also scare the shite out of you, as the Irish would say.  As I pulled back onto the road and quickly drove away I imagined a mummy inside the house coming down the pitch black stairway, approaching the door slowly as I left to open it and watch me go.  I have a horrible fear of mummies, so of course that's what I pictured would be in the house.  Tangent- if any of you have a recurring nightmare, you know how horrible it is.  In mine, I'm trapped in a tomb being chased by a mummy...that's why I sleep with a nightlight. :)

BACK to the journey!  Once I arrived at Hook's Head, I saw the wonderful, working lighthouse.  I walked around, took a ton of pictures, and then meandered along the coast.  This was a slightly less sheltered part of Ireland, and it was the first time I had seen real waves since being here.  Dublin is like a bay and the water is always calm.  Seeing the waves crash up against the rocks was wonderful, and I got right up against the surf and wandered around the tide pools.  One of my favorite childhood memories is going to Monterey and Big Sur with the family, wandering around tide pools together and pointing out all the cool creatures inside. 

Once I had my fill of the waves, I went back up to the lighthouse gift shop, poked around a bit, and was on my way in search of other adventures.  If nothing else, driving around and taking in the surreal cloudy sky was enough.  With the huge clouds adding perspective, the sky seemed to go on endlessly, and as I watched the formations, I imagined being able to fly into the heavens, playing in the fluffy playground I could see overhead.

Harrods in London- commercial sensory overload

If you're ever looking to be distracted in London, Harrods is a place where you could literally wander aimlessly for days.  It's a shopping mecca, and unlike any commercial institution I've ever visited.  Whether you're looking for fine jewelry and handbags or a new golf club, outdoor garden furniture or a sculpture for your sitting room, a new set of kitchen knives or a chandelier, Harrods is the place to be.  You could spend whole fortunes here in hours.  I was happy to get a snack and wander around with my mouth open the entire time...  The building literally takes up an entire London block, and I spent three hours getting from one side to the other, top to bottom.  Here's what I saw-

 

The GREAT FOOD HALLS- Separate Halls for Coffee and Tea, Chocolates and Bakery, Meats and Fish, Fruits and Vegetables....anything and everything a person could ever want to satiate hunger....I tried not to drool!

 

 

Next I wandered through the hall for crystal, silver and gold table settings, tea settings, and overall table decoration

 

 

 

Then came fine home decor

 

 

Followed by the Fine Art Exhibit

 

 

Then on to the "Great Writing Room"...yes, a room devoted to pens!

 

 

Next was a walk through the bath department...yes, that is a crystal studded tub, and then onto the luggage department

 

 

On to Sporting Goods...representing every sport and area of recreation and fitness you can imagine!

 

 

Then onto Holiday Lane and the Toy Floor...these were my favorite stops and I dilly-dallied here the longest, thinking about how the family goes out to see the holiday shops every year, and how I wanted to buy every other toy for Posey and JacJac!

 

 

I then stopped at the CRAZY fancy ice cream bar...just to look :)

 

 

Furniture and bedding was next...made me want a nap!

 

General housewares, kitchen gadgets, knives, pots n pans and appliances

 

Up and down the Egyptian escalators

 

 

A quick run through the Pet Spa

 

 

 

And to wrap it all up, jewelry...like a monkey, I love shiny things! :D