A day by the seaside, or something...

Howth isn't exactly secret, but thankfully not too well known. It's an island just North of Dublin, connected now to the mainland and with a trainline. I did wonder why there were so many people on the train: I soon found out it's because Howth is such an excellent way to spend a Sunday.

The first thing you see is the harbour, very scenic.

In the water was this lone seal: I think it was a Grey Seal on account of the pointy nose. It seemed to be as interested in us as we were in it. Or maybe it was just hoping for fish.

By the side of the harbour, a mish mash of buildings, including places to eat. Walking a little further and there's a proper village tucked up a valley, with another Martello tower. St Mary's abbey sits on one side of it.

I looked at all that, then took a walk round the headland: it was a bit rainy, but there are nice views: this is Howth Head, with a view south to glowering cloud over the Wicklows and Dublin to the right.

3 miles or so if you don't get lost I think. I did get lost. This was a good thing though, because it meant I ended up walking the back way back to Howth Village, over the top ridge of the island. There used to be an old victorian estate here, and as I walked across I went through what was gardens with 400 varieties of rhododendron. Now, the variety is still there, but gone wild and mixed with the native gorses and woodlands, making one of the most pleasant bits of walking I can remember, with a final view back over Howth.

A day by the seaside, or something...

Howth, Ireland