Dunfanaghy Day

Paddy and I were out early to the Boardwalk beach. There's a restaurant on a quiet horseshoe bay (last photo from yesterday) and a very long, snaking boardwalk that leads to Downings beach and a crashing sea. The photo below is taken from the point, where you can see the bay on your right and the sea on the left. I probably should edit the photos to make them a bit brighter but I love the morning light.

I love how the hues of the light changes constantly, and with it the sand and sea.

My experiences of beaches growing up was in Atlantic City. Sea on one side, heavy development on the other, seaweed and deep sand in between. Nothing like Donegal beaches.

Home to make breakfast. We both read in the conservatory then off to Dunfanaghy. First for lunch at Muck and Muffins (mom had a chicken sandwich with warm sliced chicken) then McAuliffe’s gift shop. Then Marble Hill beach, where mom marveled at Paddy's Frisbee skills.

I marveled at how far mom walked. We watched surfers, mom collected sea shells, we just enjoyed basking in the sun and changing colours of the surf.

I took the back road from Marble Hill beach to Portnablagh, which was spectacular. Horn head in the distance, small undulating fields with sheep in the foreground and crashing waves in between. The road was a bit tricky so I didn't stop for photos. Like a lot of people, I find Donegal endlessly enchanting.

I drove up to the Workhouse north of Dunfanaghy, now a craft shop but once the  horrible place where the destitute went during the famine. Men and women separated, women and children separated, they worked in exchange for porridge.

We went back into Dunfanaghy for early dinner at Arnold’s Hotel. A lot of restaurants are open to locals only due to chef shortages, but Arnold's was open and I had made reservations earlier. Mom’s verdict on salmon: delicious. A rare treat to have fresh salmon. Casey: butter beans, green beans, butternut squash, black rice, curry coconut sauce. Also in the restaurant: three first holy communion parties. It was very festive. Home to watch some TV and then bed.

Oct. 3