Dazed in Donegal

My friend Dara arrived on Monday 12 May. On Tuesday, I worked then played golf in the weekly competition then had a prize-giving dinner at Shandon. So I invited friends over whom I knew Dara would enjoy meeting. Dara and I want to the Asian supermarket in the afternoon and she bought food she was inspired by and made an amazing meal. My friends were very impressed. The meal started at 6pm. I got home from the golf dinner at 9:10 pm and the conversation was going strong – a good sign.

Wednesday morning we headed to Derry, where Dara toured the city walls. Then on to Donegal. We stopped at Killahoey beach near Dunfanaghy for the dogs to stretch their legs and swim. Then to Gortahork. Here's our charming wee cottage.

There are two horses in the field in front of the cottage – the old gray mare shown with Mount Errigal in the background.

Thursday morning we went to Magheragroarty beach near the ferry to Tory Island.

The beach is on the left as you walk along a spine of dunes; on the right is an inlet. The dogs had a high time in the dunes.

There are four boat carcasses that don't show up that well because they were quite distant from where I was standing.

Then we drove west to meet my neighbour Fiona in Lettermacaward. From there, we followed her 10-15 minutes to Dooey beach, which we would never have found on our own. Here are Paddy and Fiona's dog Jackson. Daphne was probably heading toward the dunes – I had to call her back repeatedly.

Dara and me, with Daphne in range this time. I'm wearing a jacket not because I'm cold but because I'm trying to reduce my exposure to the sun. It's been in the 70s the whole trip, which may not sound high to Americans but I'm not acclimated to hot weather anymore. It's mostly in the 50s and 60s in Belfast, so this is a heatwave.

This cottage has been in Fiona's family for 60 years. Her father was a BBC producer and would have hosted Seamus Heaney and Brian Friel in this house. If walls could talk!

The house looks onto this beach:

Here is Fiona's regal dog Jackson:

And our hostess with myself after we enjoyed a lovely lunch in the cottage.

Friday morning I returned to Magheragroarty beach with the dogs for a run. Daphne has mostly been good, sticking with Paddy, but today she went on a tear through the dunes (chasing rabbits) and it took me a while to get her back. Then I took Dara to climb Mount Errigal. Below is Dara surveying the trek on the way up.

And here she is taking a breather.

And here am I taking a breather. Paddy is hiding behind a rock in the shade, bless him, and Daphne is by my right foot. She did very well today, staying near Paddy.

I didn't go all the way to the top. Dara took this photo at the top:

Not many visitors get the views she's enjoying. Next up, lunch at Batch in Falcarragh, then a quick trip to the beach by Ballyness pier to give the dogs a cooling dip. None of my photos do justice to the colours of the waters and beaches.

And here are my otter dogs:

to be continued