Bray

In the warm southeast of Ireland, you can't help but go near the coast where the weather is really nice. One of the places you could drop off at is Bray, a small town 20km south of Dublin.

In Bray, you will find "Pizzas n Cream", the oldest pizzeria in Ireland. Don't ask about the weird combination in the title... the prices are reasonable, so it's a good pick for students!

If you head down to the beach, you will find a fresh place with some sandy and some rocky terrain. If you can stand the cold, you can even go swimming! There might be some algae, but it's still nice... if you don't mind the wind of course.

You will also find some parks and pavillons near the beach, as well as some places to eat. I saw many families there, it seems to be a nice place to live! In the background, you can see Bray Head, a mountain I will write about in my next post...

The coast/beach offers some nice perspectives such as this precipice. The forces of wind and water can shape some nice places! Do look out for those views as they can give you material for your Erasmus blog.

As I announced in my last post, here is a preview on Bray Head. It takes about 30 minutes to climb it from the base. It is a great feeling to look back at the progress you made ... almost arrived at the top, you look up at the cross greeting you from above and inviting you to finish the path.

The reward for the work you put in is the great view you get from the mountaintop over the sea, the city and the rest of the countryside. Some of the precipices are steep though, don't fall off! (Though it's certainly fun to climb around!)

The flora changes because of the height ... a few sturdy, more colourful flowers and shrubs prevail.  Looking back at the countryside, you see the normal green landscape for which Ireland is famous.

On the broad mountaintop, you can walk around on the weatherbeaten rocks and look at the other mountains (because it's a group). You can feel like a highlander ... did you know that some scenes of "Braveheart" were shot in Ireland instead of Scotland?

The outlook makes you see not only the green hills and the lively city, but also other remote mountaintops ... maybe worth a next visit?

PS. A top secret tip: At the eastern foot of the hill, Europe's first geocache is hidden ... can you find it?