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“I feed the pigeons, I sometimes feed the sparrows too, it gives me a sense of ENORMOUS well-being” – Blur – Parklife A momentary burst whips my attention, particles dispersing in a brief explosion before returning to their centre as if pulled back by the sharp inhale of gravity or a length of bungee cord.…
Not every day can be like this, unfortunately. Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash Enniscrone, Co. Sligo. We are still locked down and Claremorris hasn’t drifted any further towards the sea, so I’m still reminiscing on pre-Level 5 surfing days. The sunny respite today from this strange series of storms reminds me of one of my last day’s…
The waves were big today. Carrowniskey – Ceathrú an uisce – is Irish for ‘washing machine’. This isn’t true, but it’s what comes to mind any time I think of this beach. It lies out on the far fringes of west Mayo, where an uneven and shallow beach receives a large and unpredictable swell. The relentless onward…
Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing” – Some guy I’ve only heard this saying recently, even though it sounds like the most Irish thing anyone could ever say. Except, when you think about it, it isn’t, because nobody in Ireland has suitable clothing, and the…
There are many reasons to run a long-distance race. Achievement is one of them. I’ve done that before, and it did me the world of good. But this time I decided not to ruin a sunny day.
The marking of the Wild Atlantic Way through Mayo and an overdue rise in interest in the great outdoors in Ireland has seen a welcome influx of visitors to a part of the country overlooked compared to Cork, Kerry and Galway. But you still don’t have to go too far to find the Loneliest Place in Ireland – and one of the best spots in the country to get lost.
Photo by Fitsum Admasu on Unsplash After the scorching bank holiday weekend, I’ve realised that I might never have spent so much of my regular time outdoors as during the lockdown. In the last couple of months I’ve taken to running, walking, cycling and even just sitting outside as much as possible, often for a couple of hours…
Who wouldn’t want to live here for a while (and ski down those mountains every day)? Why you should do a ski season in Japan I’ve written before about why I’d wanted to do a ski season in Japan for years before finally going for it last winter. There were two main reasons: snowboarding itself…
The Hakuba Valley is quite a beautiful place on bluebird days, with the backdrop of the Japanese Alps reminiscent of their European namesake. Here’s a resort guide for Honshu, Japan’s main island. If you want a general overview of skiing in Japan, click here. For a guide to some of Hokkaido’s resorts, click here.
The view of active volcano Mt. Yotei from Rusutsu’s Mt. Isola. Bluebird views in Hokkaido are pretty unique in the skiing world. The mountains around here are pretty tasty too. Here’s a resort guide for Hokkaido. If you want a general overview of what to expect from skiing in Japan, check here. Hokkaido is the…