A sunny day and a serendipitous visit with an old friend leads to a lovely day at the beach…
An old CouchSurfing friend contacted me just before I headed out the door this morning. He was in town and wanted to know if I was available for tea. We met up an hour or two later and scrounged up some lunch.
On his previous visits to County Cork he'd stayed with a wonderful host out toward Kinsale. She and her family were now in the city center (or "centre", if you'd like to spell it the more correct, Irish way), so he stayed with them there. We met up with her as she planned to head out to the coast to meet a friend. I was spontaneously invited along and, with the sunshine being so glorious, how could I say no?
Above photo taken with my phone and uploaded from inside the cave – amazing!
The weather was balmy, the small beach – usually empty – was packed with families and a myriad of small children and the occasional canine companion. Our motley group included both a small child and a dog, so we fit right in.
I happened to have my big camera with me and snapped bunches of pictures of pale-skinned Irish folks out generating as much Vitamin D as they could, the green headlands, and a marvelous sea cave. There were tidepools present, but the residents therein were shy – crabs hiding under rocks, anemones curled up defensively – so not too many photo ops. The cave, on other other hand, provided a lovely picture frame for the beautiful waves and sunny sky.
Incredibly, I had cell phone service at the beach. In addition to the photos I shot with the Canon, I snapped a few things with my Android phone. I realized that I could upload to the blog right from the beach – amazing! I do have some higher resolution photos on the big camera and may add them at some later time, but for right now, I'm just tickled that I was able to share this with you from inside the cave. I love technology!
How was your weekend?
Lovely shot. I love impromptu trips out like that and to be able to share it at a click of a button is certainly an advantage of living during this advanced time.
I experienced the patchiness of new technology today. I’m in Scotland at the moment and only occasionally have access to the internet on my phone. It’s great when it works. When traveling, it’s both a let down and a relief when it doesn’t. I’m just a little more free to live in the moment and not worry about blogging when there’s no wireless access.
Gorgeous. And unexpected is the best.
Yes, it was a nice surprise. And once again, despite the fact that I was thinking, “Folks, get out of my way!”, having people in the shot makes it much nicer.
I guess it proves that even if you live in a cave you can still do some pretty incredible things!
Are you calling me a troglodyte, Hoggapants? ;)
What a great shot from inside the cave! No easy feat in the dark interior… Always wanted to come to Ireland…. one day, one day!
Let me know when you make it here, Andrea. I’ll point you to the best tea and scones in the city! (Not in a cave, sadly. ;)
What a great story, Katrina! I love the fact you uploaded this post from a cave. Yes, technology does rock (when it works).
I’m sure there is a pun about caves and rocks in there somewhere… ;)
What a lovely unexpected surprise! It looks and sounds like a wonderful way to while away the time. My weekend was great, I’m in Germany so not much could be wrong with that :)
Indeed it was. And a lovely way to cheer up, too. Oh, the sun felt so good! I think I will contact Pranav’s pal and see when she’s going out again. :D
oh, it’s such a pretty place! where exactly is it located? I’ll be in Cork in November and if the weather allows I’d love to go there!
You know, I wish I could tell you! It’s waaaay out in the countryside along a little twisting road that I am not sure I could find again. It was Rocky something… County Cork, anyway! If you really want to know, drop me a line on the contact page and I’ll track down Pranav’s host to get the info. :)
Wait! I found it! :D Rocky Bay Beach: https://plus.google.com/114207051209184012415/about?hl=en
oh cool, thanks! I wrote it down, hopefully when I’m in Cork I’ll be able to get there somehow, it looks really great!
I will perhaps remember this day for a really long time! There was a certain magic in meeting up after over a year and connecting. And the shore was just amazing, the kind that disappears when the tide comes in!
It’s true, Pranav! I wish you could have stayed longer so that you could tell me more about your family and your plans for the future. Hope to see you in India soon! *hugs* :)
I just love those serendipitous excursions. They often happen just when we need them the most. Great shot with your phone. Modern technology is a wonderful thing.
Thanks, Cathy! Yes, today was marvelous. It was so nice to see my friend – and make more friends! The weather was amazing and I had been just dying to go to the seashore. There is something magical about saltwater and the sound of waves. The air, too… I feel rejuvenated! :D