Well 2022 seems to be the great escape for most people, if they can and especially with the costs rising as they are both for flights, accommodation and anything else you need for spending money has to be recalculated, inflation everywhere is so much fun. For us it was another staycation, but this time in the South West of Ireland, Kerry to be precise, as we continue to explore the stunning Wild Atlantic Way and the Coastline on the opposite side of the Country to where we live. But holidays and trips away at the moment are much more than just a vacation, they really can be therapeutic.
Beautiful peaceful place, but perhaps when you are feeling down that is not enough, I know that even during the depths I was in last year getting out and checking out the local scenery around my walking routes did a lot of good, and the same has to be said about being on a trip away, getting out to parks, gardens etc provides additional help without doing anything else. One big additional bonus on this trip was nighttime, the area we stayed in is a Dark Sky Preserve, what this means is that there is a lot less light pollution and the Night Sky should be more visible. While we have beautiful weather a lot during the daytime, nights were often quite cloudy, one night I noticed the Moon being bright and visible so took a walk outside around midnight and wow, what an amazing sight, spirits were lifted immediately, the whole Sky was fully illuminated with stars, constellations and sheer beauty,I had never seen so much clarity above me and the brightness of the illumination was just amazing.
Sadly I have no Night Sky photos with the exception of a couple of shots of the moon, will pus one below. But there are photos here around Valentia, Kerry Cliffs and the Beaches.
Times to reflect and sit out in the evening sunshine, just putting your feet up and watching life pass by, boats on the lake beside us, cars climbing hills on the Island opposite, this was just what we needed. Don’t get me wrong we always have our struggles, and we are never sure that plans will ever be what the little guy wants to do or if it’s just going to be one of those days, but the 10 minutes of joy can make up for anything else when away on a trip. The Kerry Cliffs were simply beautiful to check out from different angles and we would definitely recommend them for the small entrance fee, it’s well worth it. Plenty of islands to check out other than the Skelligs and I’m sure the many species of birds to be spotted around the Cliffs adds to any visit.
After getting back we were already looking at organising trips for next year and the area we were in this time around remains very much in our thoughts, alongside a return to Donegal next Easter.
But please remember, you don’t need to get away far, but a break anywhere can do wonders for the mind, your mental health or just to get a rest and fresh air, even if you can only afford or take a day trip somewhere then do it. We all need it, we have rolled into September now but the weather is still decent and perhaps last minute deals are looking better than they were. From the time I started writing this to the time I finished it there’s no doubt I got caught up in my own head for a while, and then all of a sudden some Festival Trips took over. Please remember to keep the mind active, get out of the house get some fresh air, enjoy your surroundings if you can or take a trip to the nearest park or green area.
