It wasn't a typical time. The weather, for one thing.

I have, through years of indoctrination, come to expect and enjoy the typical (i.e. generally miserable) Connemara weather. I have learned that it is an intrinsic part of the experience to be wind-swept and damp; cold and wet. You haven't seen the place properly unless it's been through a veil of mist. Sunshine? You can keep it!

We arrived and it was cloudy but not yet wet and when day two was gray and drizzly, no one was particularly surprised or upset. We had all come prepared. But when day three soaked us in sunshine, and it didn't really go away, things like swimming in the lake, or going to the beach became pleasures rather than things you thought about and rejected out of hand on the grounds of, well, the weather.

So it was really glorious.

There were no wild ponies this time but I was graced with the company of a small otter for half an hour one afternoon, while sitting on the pier. There was attempts made to catch trout in the lake which were largely unsuccessful. One was landed, but it was a fluke and despite getting up the hopes of the various fishers of fish, there were no further fish caught. When that one fish was caught, I asked it's catcher to slap me in the face with it. He did. A double whammy. Having heard may times that something was better than a slap in the face with a wet fish, I was intrigued to find out how bad that was really. And you know -- it's not that bad. I smelled a bit fishy for a while, but application of soap and water cured that problem.

In addition to otters, the house is home to a colony of bats. These are a protected species and live in their protected splendour in the attic. They do come out at night (as you might expect) and on evening by the lakeside, I watched them eating rather than watch the fisherpersons fish. They fly around the bedrooms a bit too -- clicking faintly. They don't catch in your hair. Really.

Getting home was a bit of a let down (despite breaking our journey in Galway city). Week long holidays are not long enough. We didn't learn after the Venice episode. Oh yes, I know we are lucky etc. etc. But I always want to shoot myself on the morning I start work after a holiday. It's usually the emails that get me.