Bray

Bray is a seaside town on the east coast of Ireland just about 12 miles (20k) south of Dublin in County Wicklow.

I visited in June so the summer season was yet to be in full swing with its bandstand concerts.

but the little striped huts selling ice cream and all the usual beach paraphernalia were open. The mound in the background is Bray Head from where can be seen the

full sweep of the bay

Someone rock pooling or bait digging is intent on a smaller universe here.  In the summer there are also outdoor movies on the beach every fortnight which is appropriate because

Bray is also the centre of the Irish film industry and we happened to catch one of the studios setting up the cameras here at The Bray Head Hotel as we walked past. The hotel is located on the path up to Bray Head at the end of the promenade.   Built in 1862 it has been used in a number of films in the past including The Commitments, a film which happens to be set in Dublin which is just a train ride away

on the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport) seen here rounding Bray Head on the Dublin-Wicklow line which was designed by the great Isambard Kingdom Brunel although at the time it was called Brunel's Folly because of the high maintenance cost of running the line along cliff edges.

Time to relax and take a dip in the Irish Sea, the red and yellow flags are flying meaning its safe, the colour coordinated lifeguards are also in place so

 dive in.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at B here

 

Tootling Along the Anglesey Coast

We were travelling to Ireland last month but took the opportunity to stay overnight on the Welsh island of Anglesey at a hotel on Bull Bay on the north coast. Our hotel window looked over the bay and as we were in the middle of a heatwave the waters glistened in the sunlight.

The coast weaves and crimkles in a mixture of bays, inlets and caves.  It is a popular destination for geology field trips because of the complexity and age of the rocks.

They can share their enthusiasm with those who prefer flora and fauna

and who walk along the coastal path.

The next day we took a leisurely drive along the coast road

Standing Stone and Wylfa Nuclear Power Station, near Cemaes Bay

and admired some of the standing stones we passed along the way. The area is rich in megalithic monuments.

Trefadog

We were nearing our destination of Holyhead whose hill can be seen in the distance when we stopped at this little shingle and sand bay.

and my little Lumix zoomed to its limit to catch the high speed ferry making its way into port.

The Dublin Swift catamaran  twin hulls lowered now makes a leisurely entrance. Although the name suggests speed it is actually named after the Irish poet, satirist and political pamphleteer Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)

Later in the day I'm standing on the deck of rather rather more sedate transport while trying to get a framed picture of a passing ship as the vessel sways and we are on our way from Anglesey across the Irish Sea to Dublin. 

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, now in its new home with Melody at the helm.  The 21st round starts here
 

 

Zoom

Briefly settling among the Rose of Sharon or Hypericum is a Meadow Brown butterfly which are on the wing from June to August but before I could zoom in any further it had flown on its busy way to make the most of summer.  These little brown butterflies are quite similar to the Gatekeeper butterfly but can be distinguished by the fact that they have only one dot in their wing 'eye' whereas the Gatekeeper has two.

I imagine the dots on these rhododendron would identify them but all I know is I thought them pretty as I zoomed in for a closer look.

This is the nearest I could find to a letter Z in my collection for the last letter of the alphabet

which warns that one could by zapped by electricity if vaulting over the fence, not only that but the double helix sign warns that the "premises are marked by a security system using a DNA system" so when laying comatose or dead  perhaps one would be adding even more DNA.

Stay safe, heed the warning, but don't ignore the post box for sending words on paper 

but for those in electronic format next week's post will be in the new home of ABC Wednesday hosted by Melody so the invite is for everyone to zoom over there and zap in your entry on July the 12th and begin the  21st Round of ABC Wednesday.  

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet this week  for the last time at Z here