July 9th, Day 25. A pretty good day, left Blind Strand and went around Seven Heads. Big rollers came and lifted me up up up and a crest at the top then down down down. A bit daunting when you see the big 3 meter wave behind you like that. Made it around and then took the straight shot to Galley Head to Red Strand. Beach is nice and it was much windier before, it’s died down now. Watched the waves really build from my tent while frying up some meatballs and making pesto pasta. Good to have something different. Got lost in watching the swell and the way it comes in sets and three or four big waves that crash and then settle. Beautiful.
There’s a family in a campervan from Switzerland parked a bit away up on the road and they watched me pull in earlier and the dad just came down, got close looking at me in my tent and offered if I needed anything. I said no thank you I’m all good, I appreciate it. He asked what I was doing and I said “I’m paddling all the way around the country” and he said just stared at me and blank face said “what country”. I said “..the one that we are in..? Ireland?” And he stared and said “Northern Ireland too?” I said “well it’s an island so..yes”. Some interactions I have just make me wonder. Did he think there was a canal splitting the republic from Northern Ireland? But on the other hand, a man who read Jasper Winns book understood what this was and said “good for you that’s fantastic” and later brought me a bag with bracken bread and butter in it for my breakfast.
