Having a fantastic time in Sandycove, the current home of my brother and his young family and interestingly, the setting of part of James Joyce’s novel, Ulysses. Joyce stayed in the Martello Tower there (now the James Joyce Museum) in 1904 for six nights before fleeing gunshots discharged by the university friend he was staying there with. The novel Ulysses is set the morning after this altercation. Bloomsday, an annual celebration of Joyce’s life takes place at the Museum on June 16 – a week too late for us!
Luckily, there are plenty of other things to do. We spent the first day exploring the cove, skimming stones, eating ice cream at Teddy’s and enjoying the refreshing change of climate. We drew the line at swimming however – not my favourite thing to do when it is 18 degrees! That didn’t stop some mad elderly and not so elderly folk plunging into the bone-chilling waters at the local bathing place, the Forty Foot. This idyllic swimming spot used to be reserved for gentleman only however women can now bathe there, thankfully. Mind you, the gentleman can keep their bath as far as I am concerned – there is no way my forty year old feet (or any other part of my body, for that matter) are going anywhere near that water. Brrr!
The second day, Ryker and his cousins spotted a seal in the water (a fairly common occurrence apparently) and enjoyed walking along the craggy rocks and scrutinising the rock pools for signs of life. Huck Finn – eat your heart out.
travelling with a rykersaurus 