Day 4 ~ Beach Time

We had had a bit of a rough night with Liam. He decided to have a very bad screaming tantrum from 12:30 - 2 am. Most stressful. We woke up very groggy.

Sinead, Ceara and I treked out to the grocery store so I could get supplies to make dinner that night. I was looking forward to checking out a 'foreign' grocery store. I wanted to see new products and all that. We went to Tesco and it took me over an hour to find the things I needed. The shelves are sorted differently and some things I just simply could not find ( like plain white vinegar). A few interesting differences I noticed. First of all eggs are kept on the shelf...not the fridge. The containers of all dairy products are very small. The biggest milk you can buy is 2 litres. That being said the dairy is extremely affordable. Cheese is so cheap! Most packages of anything was quite small. I don't think people like to stockpile in Ireland like us Canadians. Costco would NOT do well as most kitchens do not have too much space in the cupboards or fridge! The baking aisle is very very small. Not really any cake mixes to chose from, the chocolate chip package has about 1/4 of a cup of chips and is pricey (mail Sinead choc. chips everyone!), the biggest flour is about 1 lb and the brown sugar package has only slightly over 2 cups in it! The produce is generally shrink wrapped or pacakged. Not many open bins to select that way our produce department runs. Another interesting thing is that all the cashiers sit in chairs at the till at the grocery stores I visited.

There...now you have your lesson in grocery shopping in Ireland. One more thing I neglected to mention is that their ice cream is amazingly delicious! It's a good thing it only came in a small carton....total portion control!

We always took two cars when we went out sight seeing. The kids enjoyed the back of the Volvo even though it often made them slightly queasy.


Buckling up all the babies was always a time consuming ordeal. Thanks to the men for always taking care of that detail!

We went to Rathmullen Beach for the afternoon. It was breezy but not cold at all. The landscapes were gorgeous and we walked a long length of the beach with the wind. Coming back was a challenge with the soft sand and fighting the wind! We worked up a good appetite.

The day wasn't bright so my pictures are a bit dark. I wish I had a fancy camera sometimes!

We stopped at a 'chippie' next to the beach for some hot chips and drinks. Darryl and Sinead warned Keith this drink was nasty which of course made him curious to try it. It was like swamp water. I do not recommend!

Yum! We were all feeling peckish and the hot greasy chips went down a treat.

Volvo vs. touring coach. The roads aren't wide but somehow everyone manages to squeeze by one another.
We took the long way home from the beach so they could show us more stunning views. Every corner one turns in Ireland shows a completely new vista. The pictures will never do it justice.

I didn't know the beaches would look so tropical!

We finally came home and I made sweet and sour chicken with rice for dinner. Dessert followed with fresh cream puffs and whipped cream.