Yesterday afternoon we were all sitting around the house. I was contemplating tackling the washing mountain, when Andy suggested we go to the beach.

Tough call – the washing mountain or the seaside? The seaside won! We headed to Strandhill which is about a 15 minute drive from home. We are so lucky because we are surrounded by the most magnificent beaches here in Sligo.

Although Strandhill isn’t safe for swimming it’s always well worth a visit for a walk along the beach or to watch the surfers. It’s a busy little village with a friendly atmosphere and there’s always something to see and do.

Yesterday there was a windsurfer and a kite surfer out. I want to try both of those! I haven’t been into the sea since my adventures last year and I really miss it. I never thought I’d hear myself say that as not long ago I was terrified of it.

We had a lovely walk along the beach, walking up an appetite. Shells Cafe is now open until 8pm so we went in there for lunch/dinner. It was fabulous! Huge portions and so tasty.

I had a gorgeous seasonal salad made with goats cheese and strawberries. I would never have thought this would work but it was delicious.

Of course you all know what I think about cake and there happened to be a chocolate cake screaming at me from the counter. Sure it would have been rude not to eat it! It was so moist and chocolatey, it was slightly heated and served with a mountain of cream – actually I’m starving now just typing this!

After our feast we had a look around Shells Little Shop, a really quirky shop with gifts, food and more. The tomatoes were the size of tennis balls! We checked out the amusements – lost a couple of euro – and headed to The Strand pub to round off our evening.

It was so lovely to sit outside with our drinks, listening to the waves and watching the clouds roll in. Such a wonderful way to spend an evening. We really should do it more often.