With the locals

We joined everyone else in heading for the local market-town this morning. Clifden has a population of around 1300 and is home to three supermarkets and numerous pubs. It has a history tied to being on the opposite side of the Atlantic to the USA – the first non-stop trans-Atlantic flight landed down the road and Marconi built the first trans-Atlantic telegraph station here. We, in a far more prosaic fashion, did our grocery shopping and browsed the local bookshop.

After lunch it was a walk around the house, down the road to the headland of our little inlet from the Atlantic. Looking out to sea there are many, many islands in view with little boats wending their way between them. Crab fishing is a major traditional industry around here and we found quite a lot of crab bits along the shore.

We were accompanied by a variety of local dogs and met up with several horses and cows along the way.

Upon returning home, the boys found some locals of the same age and a game of football ensued in a local field. That was followed by a water-balloon fight and hide and seek. Cal added to his countryside experience by finding out why barbed wire came by its name and ending the useful life of yet another shirt.