I LOVE BEING A RETIREMENT REBEL IN IRELAND

 When I drove onto the ferry at Holyhead to go across to Ireland in the early hours of the morning, I knew that I was in for a magical time over the next month because I had been over to Ireland many times as a child with my family and loved it and latterly to visit various friends.  Little did I know that it would turn out to be far more magical than I had envisaged.

The crossing was very bumpy with force eight gales. Despite that I managed to drop off to sleep for a couple of hours. I arrived at the Port of Dublin around six o clock in the morning. 

I drove to Lucan on the outskirts of Dublin to my friend Anita's house. There was a handy spot to park up just right outside her house. It was marvellous to see a friendly face. She laid on a great Irish welcome for me, a full Irish breakfast. 

We spent a few hours chatting and catching up on the gossip then I headed off to start my month long trip exploring the Emerald Isle.

I drove down the East Coast to a campsite in Roundwood, in County Wicklow. I got such a warm and friendly welcome from the site owner, Jimmy. He spent ages telling me about the best places in the County to visit. Once I had settled in I walked into the village, which was only five minutes down the road. It is pretty and quiet.

 I popped into the local butchers and village store before taking a walk along the shores of the nearby Vartry reservoir. I was so lucky because it had been bucketing it down with rain earlier but it stopped when I set off and just as I stepped foot back into Dora the Explore the heavens opened again.

The next day I decided to go to one of the places Jimmy had recommended that I see. 

The World famous monastic site in the Glendalough Valley, which is in the Wicklow Mountains National Park. When I got there I thought the £15 car parking charge for a motorhome was steep and I said so to the lady in the kiosk. She agreed and quietly told me that if I drove straight out again and took the next turn, there is a car park there where I could park for free! of course I drove straight to the alternative parking spot. Her kindness put me in such a good mood. Then I got a free guided tour of the Monastery because I just tagged along with a group of Americans who had a guide and listened in. Eventually when I had learnt enough I broke free of them and had a walk around the top lake. It was so beautiful. 

I managed to find a spot on a small beach by the lake and just live in the moment and soak up my surroundings. Once again I was blest with sunshine. It felt very calming. Then all of a sudden the group of Americans rounded the corner and broke my silence but I then got a lot of enjoyment out of watching all the tourists taking their photographs by the lake with the stunning scenery. Memories that will last them a lifetime. I imagined them showing them to all their family and friends when they returned from their trip. Reliving their holiday in Ireland. 

Over the week I explored the Wicklow National Park. Following the winding roads up to some breathtaking scenery.

I just let myself drive, stopping at Wicklow Gap for a walk, where I to discovered some old mines and at Sally Gap, where I spent time taking in the scenery and I chatted to a cyclist, who was waiting for his rather overweight friend who was struggling to make his way up the steep incline on his bike. During our encounter he told me the most scenic route to take back to my campsite. I was pleased that I followed his advice because I was treated to stunning areas of marshland and mountains in the distance breaking up the skyline. I kept pulling over to take photographs of the wonderful views . Looking back on them they just do not do the impact of the views justice. I loved the Wicklow Mountains. 

At the top I found a great parking spot, made myself a cup of tea then wandered into a field overlooking the Glendalough Upper Lake and sat for ages, just relishing the fact that this was my life. I really could just stop and stare for as long as I wanted to.

One of the favourite things I did was climb Sugarloaf in West Wicklow. It is 552 metres high and a short hike but the views you get when you reach the summit are incredible. I could not believe how fortunate I was to have sunshine. It is ranked as an easy climb but I have to say my legs were wobbly at the last section, I found it pretty steep and I was glad to get to the top. 

My Sister-in-law, Maggie, flew out from England and met up with me. We drove for five hours to Durras in West Cork where our dear friend Ann lived.

We have all known each other since we were 18,  from our nursing days in 1977. Ann has an incredible AirBnb that she lets out. Fortunately for us it was free for three nights so she invited Maggie and me to stay in the luxurious setting. We squealed with delight when we arrived. 

TIMBERLODGE Airbnb in West Durras is amazing. We all sat outside with a few drinks and lots of chocolate and spent ages catching up on life. We are lifelong friends but we are rubbish about seeing one another, life gets in the way. So it was great to have this time together. 

Maggie and I had a great walk along the Sheeps Head Mount Corrin loop. It was very boggy underfoot because there had been a lot of rain in the previous weeks but once again the sun shone and we were able to see for miles and the views were incredible.  I did loose my footing a couple of times and ended up on my backside. My ankle took a battering but I was alright. When we finished the walk we treated ourselves to a lovely pint of Guinness in the local pub in Durras. There is nothing like that first Guinness when you are in Ireland. 

During our time in West Cork we visited Graham Norton's local "The Tin Pub" in Ahkista, with Anne's friends, Pearl and Miriam. 

Part of it is built with corrugated iron and it is a wonderful quirky place and well worth a visit, if only for the views of the sea out the back of he pub. 

It just so happened that Graham was getting married that weekend, so there was a lot of security around his house.

 A big marquee was being put up on his lawn, which leads down to the sea. Wanting to get a closer look I went for a swim in the sea in front of his house. I could not stop laughing to myself as I watched the security guards eyeing me in the water, not far from his lawn. I was tempted to climb out but thought better of it. 

There was a buzz among the locals speculating who would be arriving for his nuptuals, but no-one was giving anything away. It is a testament to how loved he is in the local community. He is able to just go about his everyday life. He apparently married at nearby Bantry House and they had a party at his place in the Marquee.

I loved that there were so many places to swim along the rugged West Cork coastline. I was determined to get in the water at every opportunity because it always makes me feel so alive and when I get out of the water I feel so energised. I am so glad that I decided to spend a month exploring Ireland because I feel like I have only just scratched the surface and I have been blown away by what I have seen

so far and the friendliness of the people that I have come across.