okaybee

Summer in Dublin is a tricky one.

We’re not known for our glorious weather. Lazy days at the beach. Sipping cocktails on a rooftop. It’s not our thing. It’s weird, I always remember my summers as a kid were really sunny, really warm. We played outside all day long and would come in when the t-shirt we’d been wearing all day would no longer cut it now that that the sun had gone down. Having said that, we’ve been having some incredible weather in Dublin recently. Blue skies, sitting out in bikinis until sunset, sipping rosé in the grass kind of days.

A couple of weekends ago, I met up with my lovely friend Ailsa to do the Bray to Greystones walk. If you’re from Dublin or Wicklow, you’ve heard all about this walk! It’s a coastal walk from one town to another, about 7km long, and takes between 1.5 – 2.5 hours depending on your fitness level (and how busy the route is to be honest). It really is a gorgeous walk, one that has to end in the Happy Pear for breakfast, lunch or a coffee. I don’t make the rules! Normally, I get the DART back to Bray after walking one way, as I’m an unfit sloth and the 7km takes it out of me.

That afternoon, after my walk, a few of us went to Le Drunch in the Marker Hotel to celebrate one of the girls birthdays. If you’ve been to Dublin then you’ll know that the Marker is known for it’s rooftop bar. It’s not a particularly spectacular view, but it is one of the nicest places to chill out when the sun is shining (and not when it’s raining as myself and Peppermint Dolly found out that one time).

We stayed on the rooftop for hours, drinking, soaking up the sun, and singing happy birthday (for the second time that day thanks to Aisling!). The Marker had some nice touches like having a basket with various sun lotions available for people to use, which I thought was pretty cute. After hanging out there for a few hours, we headed to L’Gueuleton for some drinks. If you’re looking for a good place to people watch, have a nice cheeseboard and some good drinks, L’Gueuleton is a great spot for all that.

Last weekend, I went to Seafield in Wexford with a few friends for a relaxed weekend of walks, drinks, and lots of food. Wexford is a gorgeous place to visit, and really close to Dublin in the car. And there’s the added bonus of getting to buy Wexford strawberries when you’re down there. I’ll hear no debate on this, Wexford strawberries will not be beaten by any other strawberry in the world. Ok? Ok. On the Saturday, we sat out sipping rosé in our swimsuits for hours, just having the chats, relaxing in the sunshine. The following day, we grabbed breakfast before heading down to the beach. It was so hazy and warm. The dream! Obviously I bought a kilo, no joke, of strawberries on the way home with a jar of gorgeous honey. You need to try the following – meringue, with strawberries (Wexford preferred obviously) and honey drizzled over the top. Literal heaven.

One of my favourite things about summer is all the random little things you do in the evenings and on the weekends. Like, going for a drink after work, getting to chat with your friends and just unwind after a busy day. Last week, I was on a boat sailing out to Howth after work. Sun setting, sea breeze, it was so much fun! I think summer makes me realise how many things there are to do in Dublin (and yes I’m aware that Wicklow and Wexford are both mentioned on this post, but they’re super easy to get to from Dublin!).

While I don’t have much happening in the way of trips and holidays this summer, in comparison to previous years I mean, that doesn’t really matter. I’m enjoying my weekends, exploring the city, catching up with friends, having barbecues, sitting in the sun, making ice cream sundaes. I’ve often said it, but if Ireland had a consistently lovely summer every year, no one would want to leave!

What are your summer plans?