Burren Bathing

...soothes a troubled mind

The village of Kinvara, seen from the harbour.

I am on my way to Kinvara, a few miles south of my home in Galway, to put a new set of paints to the test. The test isn’t for my benefit, seeing as I’ve been using these particular colours, in this particular brand, for years. But I want to make a video for YouTube of the paints in use, since I sell them, and I need to supply a few paintings for an exhibition that’s coming up in early June: I figure I might be able to kill two birds with one stone.

Just before I leave, I get a text from my youngest. She is in her last two weeks of school - ever - and has been working like a demon for the last year. Her nerves are fraying around the edges and although her final exams are only a few weeks away, the whole thing can’t be over soon enough for her.

“Any chance you can come and get me?” says the text. “Half the teachers and students aren’t in.”