💗 Fish, Chips & The Seals!

There are so many beautiful nature spots around Dublin and Howth is one of them. Every August our community offers day trips to many different places and today it is Howth.

The rain this summer has made all the other trips really miserable, but today it is bright and cheerful. As the bus winds its way through the roads while the passengers chat noisily awaiting their destination, you can feel the excitement. 

I saw a little post on Facebook recently with a picture of the seaside on it, and a tagline, ‘This is the only place where salt doesn’t raise your blood pressure’! I giggled but it is so true though! 

The familiar smell of the salt air, wafts in through the open window of the bus, as we arrived on the promenade.  The sound of the seagulls, the waves splashing in and the chatter of people, enjoying their day out. The ice cream shop is opening up and lots of coffee shops too.

The strongest aroma is that of fish and chips. It just smells so gorgeous at the sea don’t you think, but here probably more than ever because it is a fishing port. All the fresh fish coming in and being boxed off and sold. Not as nice a smell as the one from the chip shop!

So who is in the water? Lots of people gather around and take photos.  A beautiful seal threading water patiently. His two big black eyes stared up in expectation. What a beautiful creature. How graceful peaceful and focussed he is! What a surprise! Be still my beating heart! Imagine seeing the world from his point of view. Hoping and waiting in anticipation of a good deed or an accidental drop of a fish!

Memories are precious, those I have of the sea are anyway. My Dad was great for watching the tide and bringing me to swim in the summer evenings when the water was quite warm. (Many moons ago) Old people then thought very highly of salt water's healing properties, the value of the air at the seaside, and of course, the day out away from the kitchen sink.

My favourite place was the forty-foot in Sandycove when the tide was right in! But the sea is the sea, wherever it is, beautiful, powerful, calming, and relaxing.

Time for fish and chips!