watchingthedaisies

A Walk Down Memory Lane

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“Walking is a man’s best medicine.”

                                             Hippocrates

I recently took a hike near my late mother’s childhood home.

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Travelling through quiet country lanes

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Past ancient peat bogs, with Errigal Mountain in the distance

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Enjoying the view across Mullaghderg Lake towards the Atlantic Ocean

My mother took us back to her homeland every year but one, to enjoy six weeks of idyllic summer holidays.

We children enjoyed swimming in Mullaghderg Lake in ALL weathers!

If it was was sunny, we walked a few miles to Mullaghderg Beach via well beaten paths, laced with heather and mossy stepping stones, scrambling over rocks and fording streams, to experience a refreshing swim in the very cold waters of the mighty Atlantic.

After a few hours of swimming and playing on beautiful, white, soft sands, we enjoyed a simple picnic of sandwiches and juice, before heading homeward.  We always slept well afterwards.

 

On less sunny days, we played for hours amongst trees and rocks, creating imaginary houses; we were never bored!

You can imagine how my heart broke on leaving Donegal each summer. It took me weeks to overcome my sense of loss.  Happily, I was able to move here permanently in 1999.

 

On Saturday’s walk, a little goat came to greet us…

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He scrambled down from his rocky perch to say “Hello”.

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He then smiled for my camera.

All in all, it was a delightful ending to my walk down memory lane. 

71 comments

  9. How fortunate you are to have such a lovely place at the center of your heart to cherish. I haven’t been to Ireland for 40 years but you are tempting me to visit Donegal. My first and only visit was in Sligo, to rendezvous with a lovely young man I met in Paris. That area, too, was lovely, as well as Connemarra which he and I visited together. But Donegal knocks it out of the ballpark!

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  12. going back to where the heart remembers the most is bitter sweet. love how you captured the sunlight in just each corner of the photo. another lovely walk and I know why you were so sad to leave each year. this place just says stay with me. thank you for sharing the memories of your mother.

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  24. Thanks for yet another gorgeous tour Brigid! Your homeland is so beautiful, and I love having the chance to go along on your walks. That little goat is adorable – I used to tell my hubby when we retired and settled down somewhere I wanted a pet goat. We ended up settling in the city, so now, pictures of cute goats like that one will have to suffice. 😊

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  26. Walking cures all ills, including depression and unhappiness. But even better, walking brings us joy better than from any other source. I also find walking as meditative as a prayer. Your photos are incredible!

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