Ireland...

First time in Ireland and...it's wet. The radio said that it's the wettest summer since 1866 when records began. I'm currently in Wexford Library, where they won't let me upload any images so they'll have to wait.

I got there via Coed Hills, which is a great place full of nice people. They've got a good thing going there, especially the Yurt-making bit.

I was waiting around at the western end of the M4 when this old hippy type (called Keith) saw me and offered me a lift - to Carmarthen - where I'd hoped to hook up with Will and Ed, buskers extraordinaire for a few days walking and singing. As it happened, I got a lift straight to Fishguard that afternoon, after Keith had dropped me off. Keith chained-smoked spliffs as he drove and gave me one to smoke later, which made the ferfy journey from Fishguard to Rosslare a relaxing one.

I arrived in Rosslare at 6am Saturday morning, having forgotten to change any money. I'm in no rush so I whiled away a couple of days on the beach at Rosslare, which was a bit damp but OK (I have a funny feeling that dampness is going to feature strongly on this trip). The landscape there is beautiful but the best bit of all was the seals: a dozen or so at any one time live near this reef. Seals are naturally curious and while I was watching them, I learned a new trick. A bloke came walking down the beach and stopped by a small group of seals and made a howling noise, similar to a dog or suchlike. The seals seemed attracted to it...

I tried this later and it works! If you give it a go, make sure you stand absolutely still. The seal that approached me was about 15 yards away when I reached for my camera. He didn't like the movement and swam off with a huge splash, which must be their 'alarm' sign.

Hitching out of Rosslare yesterday was hard. It was bucketing down, between bouts of heavy drizzle. Eventually it stopped and I ended up walking a few miles out of town and spending a (dry) night under my tarp by a hedge in a field: probably the only bit of land round here that isn't waterlogged.

I'll try to upload the pics I took another day.