First day of Trip to Ireland Tuesday 28.3.23

 Left Shrewsbury at 9.15 am , heading for Holyhead , Anglesey  to catch our Stena Line ferry to Dublin at 2.45 pm. Pouring with rain all the way to Holyhead  and very windy as we drove past Mount Snowdon 

Winds of 5-7 force forecast , occasionally rough. Queued for an hour at the ferry terminal before boarding . The sea  was indeed  heaving on  leaving Anglesey and the swell was quite heavy for  the first two hours  of the journey , so I sought out  the greater stability  found at the rear of the ferry ( as advised by a friendly steward)

Intrepid sailor Andy , remained up front watching the bow dip, roll and rise with great relish, munching tuna sandwiches . As we approached Dublin, the sun came out and the sea became much calmer. I need a lot of persuasion and reassurance to get on a ferry now after the  horrendous crossing of the Bay of Biscay back  to Portsmouth, sometimes   in  a gale force 9 , 2 years ago . This crossing was totally  bearable though . We  are staying at the Camac Valley  motorhome campsite,  a 40  minute  bus ride outside of Dublin. 

Everything is  in kilometres and euros😊 Andy happy to still  be driving on the left though. Campsite a little noisy , as we are right by  the M50

The last time Andy and I were in Ireland we were both teenagers , Andy working  on the  cross channel ferry for  his step father ,  Captain George Davey  , and me with a boyfriend and Edgbaston  sailing club heading for Belfast  in 1968.