Ballinskelligs Castle

My heart dropped a little the previous evening when I dared to look at the weather forecast and saw the symbol for rain covering all of the next few days. Looking at the detailed forecast revealed better news and the reality of the day was better still. The early showers soon gave way to almost unbroken sunshine for the whole afternoon. We found an incredibly beautiful and totally secluded spot for lunch looking out over to the Skelligs from Valencia Island. It was actually warm enough to strip off and sunbathe.

It was very much a day of wandering, chancing upon things and exploring what took our fancy: megalithic tombs, castles, sandy bays, dramatic cliff walks, and unending views of extraordinary beauty. Although we covered a lot of ground and did a fair bit of walking the day never felt rushed. It's been hard to choose a blip but I keep coming back to this shot of McCarthy Mor's castle on Ballinskelligs Bay, one of many built in this area in the 16th century. The drama in the skies adds wonderfully to the dramatic setting. It was all stunningly beautiful.