Bray of light

I decided to make the most of the fact that Wicklow isn't out of bounds just yet and cycled down to the Dart to head off to Bray. From there I walked to Greystone on the mostly deserted cliff walk. 
My plan was to have a quick swim somewhere along the way. It was too rough to swim in places I am not familiar with. I'll go for my swim off the West Pier tomorrow. The Forty Foot, Sandycove and Seapoint will be closed off. I reckon it is safer that way as otherwise it would mean hundreds and hundreds of people on top of each other. Even without a pandemic, the Forty Foot would be dangerous from the sheer number of people trying to simultaneously get in and out of the water, some doing it as a Christmas dare and possibly not equipped to linger in the cold water until a landing spot become available. 
The walk was great. It felt strange and uplifting to feel the sunlight on my face for the best part of the walk. 
I was ravenous when I got back to my bike in Dun Laoghaire and decided to grab a portion of Kyoto "Special Noodles", eaten at one of the little tables outside, on Patrick Street. 
They should have called them the Kyoto "Extra Super Hyper Special Noodles". Maybe it was the fact that they were close to closing time, the chef threw all he had in the wok. I could barely see the noodles under a mountain of sliced duck, prawns and beef. 
The cycle back home was on the slow side. 

The fire is now lit as is the tradition on Christmas Eve. And it is not superfluous. It is bleedin' freezin' outside. With is good, as I have to massive pots of couscous (a departure from the halal version as it includes some pork sausages from Mrs Hicks...) in the back garden, with my special anti-theft-by-fox devices on the lids. 

The fox that manages to get to the lamb/beef/turkey/Hicks halal sausages/courgettes/aubergines/chick peas mix will be one on steroids who has been pumping iron all his adult life. 

Have a safe, pleasant Christmas all, as much as the circumstance allows.