Blogging at 22:00 on Tuesday 8th August from intended overnighting spot N 53.19958°, W 04.36643° / http://maps.google.com/maps?q=loc:53.19958%2C-04.36643
We shouldn't be here. We should, right now, be on Svalbard.
Unfortunately, on the day we were due to depart on this summer's extended trip, Emma-the-Host was nurturing a particularly pernicious virus that meant we just couldn't set off. Instead, we had to embark on an altogether different journey, and one which I suspect will ultimately prove to be entirely futile: a wrangle with our purported 'insurers'.
Such companies' business models are actually hard to fault, really: set up as they seemingly are to take in substantial premiums and then simply use a fraction of those to employ unscrupulous legal teams to avoid ever paying out on perfectly legitimate claims.
Anyway, in an effort to at least have something of a break this summer we've decided to return once again to Ireland, this time with a view to having a closer look at the southern coast: a region we've previously just glanced by.
Today's basically been a commute from home to within striking distance of Holyhead, from where we're due to sail in the morning. We're currently at the coordinates show, a spot we've kipped at before, and which is discreet and quiet. It's also benignly pleasant and good for birds. Most notably this evening the adjacent river and wetland has supported clouds of swallows and martins. It would be beyond me to attempt an accurate assessment of numbers but we're talking multiple thousands. It's probably the most I've ever seen in one place at one time.
It's not easy to find discreet and quiet overnighting spots on Anglesey these days, strewn liberally as the island is with about a billion questionably parked vehicles equipped with some-or-other living accommodation.
In this slightly depressing vein, we first called off at a spot we'd used a few years ago only to find new 'No Overnight Parking' signs well and truly erected. Ironically these signs were partially obscured by at least eight vans ranging from posh flimsies, through blinged-up T6s, to truly horrifying grunge wagons, all of which were levelled up, spilling out, and most definitely supporting activity that even more definitely was about to include parking overnight.
It's heart-sinking stuff.
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