Today

I was supposed to be flying to Slovenia for my annual holliers.    I travelled to Montenegro this time last year with a group of people I had never met before.   I had a great time and they invited me to join them on their trip to Slovenia this year.  I agreed and paid my deposit in February.  Then Covid came and holiday cancelled.

So I said 'ah well' and decided to drive to Wexford (down to the Hook to see the lighthouse, Loftus Hall (haunted yep!) and Johnstown House and Castle.  Swim on lovely beaches down there and enjoy myself.  Then motor on over to Cork and stay in Baltimore and take the boat trip out to the Fastnet. But no, my car decided it didn't want to drive that far and engine started overheating badly. I am in the process of getting another car and with the cost felt I couldn't justify the days away.   

Ah well I said, sure it could be worse.    I will take my homeholliers today and take the boat (dublinbaycruises.ie) from Dun Laoghaire across to Howth and see the Baily Lighthouse.   So after a tasty breakfast in the Gourmet Cafe, I boarded the boat at the pier and sailed forth up the coast - passing Poolbeg, Lambay, Ireland's Eye and arrived in Howth Harbour with a keen appetite.  Extra shows my tasty lunch (what else) and a larger shot of the Baily.    The main photograph has one of my undulating horizons (it's hard to take a pano at sea) but I do like it as it shows the greeny briny sea, the boat, the lighthouse and the coast of Dublin (but a perfect photo it surely isn't)

So today I had my holliers,    I am getting a quality take away for dinner, a glass of tractor wine (all the way from Belfast) and watching a Michael Caine movie (hint Noel Coward is in it)

I have to do my painting course homework.   The brief was to experience the sea in any way we choose; paint that scene; and search for a famous artist's parrallel (how do you spell that word anyway).  My first extra will be my subject matter and possible similarity would be Hopper's lighthouse.   See link

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/489258

The weather was good for sailing