Weekly Photo Challenge: Relax

Tags

beach, photography, photos, relax, sand, sea, Weekly Photo Challenge, Weekly Photo Challenge: Relax

It may be winter and it may be wet and cold and windy outside but when I think about relaxation I always think of the beach.

Just sitting on a bench or the sand, my bare feet tucked into the sand listing to the lapping of waves, tasting taste the sea salt on my lips,feeling the wind ruffle my hair and the sun on my face. Or maybe walking with my feet in the cold ocean my eyes on the horizon or looking for shells hidden in the sand.

But at this time of year my walks on the beach are brisk, my shoes water tight and my scarf is pulled up above my ears. So for now I will just smile at the knowledge that there will be warmer days again and look forward to my first day relaxing on the beach again.

afternoon on the beach

Tags

beach, Dublin, Ireland, kites, photography, photos, sandthorn, sea buckthorns, windy

Yesterday my neighbour, her little boy and I took a trip to the beach. Our main mission was to pick some sea buckthorns  (sandthorns). It’s tricky business cutting the berries from the branches, they are too soft to pluck as they burst between your fingers, so you need to cut them.  And since they are armed with long, pointy thorns cloves are a must. But since they are really healthy and yummy too it’s well worth – even if you have to freeze them for 24hours before you can use them.

Once we had filled our bags we decided to enjoy some time on the beach and unpacked spades, buckets and a kite. With the wind  reaching blustery heights the kite took of and a bee danced above our heads. Sadly the wind soon got too much, we had sand in our ears, our mouths and in our eyes, making it impossible to stay. So we built a final sand castle and said good-bye.

sunshine and kites

Tags

beach, Bull Island, Dublin, photography, photos, summer, surfing

It looks like it’s going to be a  beautiful day today – clear blue skies and a bright happy sun. So to make the most of this glorious weather I will be heading down to the beach today to watch surfers battle with the bay.

Every year a hoard of surfers (both kite and wind) and volleyball players, boggie boarders and beach lovers spend a weekend on Bull Island showing off their skills and competing for a win. The event is called Battle for the Bay and has been running for the past ten years, no matter the weather, so luckily for them this year the sun is shining down on them.

Before I head out I need to charge my camera and hopefully I’ll find a few pictures to snap once I get there.

waiting to save some lives

on the rise

a bit of orange in the sky

deflated

fleeing wet weather

Tags

beach, Dublin, holidays, Ireland, miscellaneous, random, sun, thougths, travel, vacation, weather, weather woman

Yesterday the weather woman told Ireland that July had been the wettest, bleakest, coldest and dullest one of modern times, and when I look out of my window August looks to be following in July’s footsteps in a big pair of wellies.

The next segment on the news was about the surge in people booking package deal holidays and how small loans applications had gone up. Normally most people book their sunny trips back in January but this year July has been the busiest month with people hopping on flights last minute style, suitcase in hand and dusty sunglasses perched on their heads.

Of course we all know that the sun can effect our emotions, helping our brains produce serotonin, the happy hormone,  making our moods rise with the temperature. For us Irish that means we got stuck somewhere in spring and since then our moods have been at an all time low, along with our finances and the sun.

Beside the loss of sun people need breaks from there everyday life. We need time to relax, wind down and be the person we really want to be, maybe its a beach bum or babe, maybe its a sky- or a scuba diver, maybe we just want to spend time painting, writing or indulging in hours of other fantastic hobbies reflecting the true us.

Studies have even shown that it is not just a break we need but actually spending time on the beach is good for us. Why is unclear, but the sound of the waves lapping up on the beach, sand between our toes and the sun making the water sparkle and glisten seems to affect us more positively than a stroll in the park or a weekend in any great city would. That we feel happier and more relaxed when walking on the beach or sunbathing beside the sea seems to just be hardwired into us.

So maybe the fleeing Irish are really just following the lure or the sea and by taking time away from the wet world of Ireland they will come home, happier, healthier and much more able for a probably equally wet winter ahead.

beside beach babes and bums

Tags

beach, coast, Dublin, miscellaneous, peaches and cream, photography, random, sea, sport, sun on my face, vacation

Yesterday, after spending the morning jam(m)ing and dancing in my pj’s, I got dressed and decided to get on my own high-horse and go for a spin on my bike. I have been neglecting my sturdy two-wheeler since a bus came to close last year and knocked me to the ground so it needed a little bit of TLC and lots of air before I could pedal out into the sun.

I hadn’t clue where I was going but out towards the beach seemed like the perfect option. So as I used muscles I haven’t in a while and let the wind tousle my hair I enjoyed the warm sun on my face and grinned at the droves of people who had very similar ideas to mine. But I do have to admit when the sun comes out to play there are few places that can compete with Dublin. And since my bike is not made for speed but for city traffic with big wheels and only three gears I took my time and a few photos along the way.

bike path on the coast road

a small pier

yes, palm trees do grow here

When I reached the beach I felt happy and hopeful that maybe my white extremities may embrace the sun and get a little bit of colour, as I am not really of the peaches and cream complexion but more of the mozzarella cheese variety. I wasn’t really surprised at how many families were getting their toes wet and sandy, nor did the kite-surfers, but I was amazed at how many braved the cold waters and went for a swim. Since I didn’t have my swimsuit with me I just enjoyed a stroll and the activities around me. Camera in hand I wandered up the pier and down the beach snapping up any images beside the beach babes and bums, enjoying a colourful and interesting day in the sun.

my bike safely locked waiting for my return

the beginning of the pier

the view behind me

and yes that is a swimsuit drying on the railing

waiting to save some lives

a bit of orange in the sky

the end of the pier

growing out of the sand

inviting water

high in the sky

a place to rest

left behind

in the wind

on the rise

flying high

deflated

washed ashore

not dandelions, but still white and fluffy

light and dark in the park

Tags

barking dogs, beach, contentment, crying children, Dublin, light and dark, miscellaneous, nature, outdoors, park, photograpy, photos, random, St Anne's Park, sun, sunday, thoughts

Yesterday was a close to perfect day. After a leisurely morning at home and some chocolate spread on toast I decided to enjoy the sun and spent the day in the park. At first I was going to go to the beach and enjoy the sea, sand and air but because it was literally a  Sun-day I decided against it. You see when it’s hot, sunny and the weekend the beach fills up with loud teenagers, crying children, barking dogs, barbequing families and lobster people, those weirdos who lie out in the sun till they go bright red and then just flop over to burn the other side. I normally don’t mind but yesterday I wanted a bit more peace and quite.

I packed a small bag with a picnic for one, my camera and lenses, a book and applied a lot of suncream, not wanting to join the multitudes of lobsters walking around Dublin today. I jumped on the bus and enjoyed the short trip down the coast to my favourite park, St Anne’s. I have been going there ever since I was a little girl and love the variety and space it has to offer. As the light was beautiful and I had all the time in the world I was looking forward to taking some photos, a hobby of mine even if most of the time I have no idea what I am doing. Sadly after just a  few clicks my battery told me I needed to charge it, yes I had made the vital error of not checking before I left the house.

A little annoyed with myself I decided to continue my stroll underneath the arches of the trees and enjoy the play of light and shadow. I loved how the leaves varied in their shades of green and how they were back-lit from the sun, casting shadows and shapes on the ground, trucks and branches around me.  Later I sat leaning against a tree and watched as a dad blew bubbles for his toddling child, couples kissed in the grass and a family played tag running laughing across the field. As I observed from a distance I felt a little sad to be on my own, not having someone to share the moment with. But I suddenly realised that without sadness you can’t feel happiness, just like light can’t exist without the dark.

After a few hours of reading, dreaming and ambling barefoot in a field laced with daisies and buttercups I treated myself to cup of cappuccino and strolled around the rose-garden. With the smell of BBQ in the air and birds song welcoming the evening I started to walk home along the coast as the sun began to sink slowly in the sky. And as the sun lit up the sea I felt content to be on my own, a feeling like dusk, where light meets dark and creates its own unique light, contentment is a feeling that can be both sad and happy but simply enjoys the fleeting moment you are in.

The last photo I took before my camera died … shadows on bark