Tramore, Ireland
Today was sunny and warm again so we thought it might be fun to visit the nearest beach town. Tramore, Irish: Trá Mhór, meaning 'big beach') is a seaside town in County Waterford, on the southeast coast of Ireland. So we walked down to the nearest bus stop and caught the bus to Tramore.
It was definitely a beach day for Ireland. The Beach was crowded with sunworshippers , people playing in the water and walking the boardwalk. The weather was perfect 69 degrees with a nice light wind.
Adjacent to the beach is a huge amusement park with rollercoasters, games, food and rides. It reminded us of Santa Monica beach, or Santa Cruz Beach in California.
The town has long been associated with Irish tourists and offered a traditional seaside experience of ice cream, fairground and sand. The beachfront features a long promenade and an amusement park. It is a popular resort for tourists in the summer and has 5 km (3 mi) of beach and sand dunes looking out onto the Atlantic Ocean.
We walked along the boardwalk and which had a couple of musicians and some craft and souvenir and water toy vendors, before deciding to have lunch on the patio at one of the restaurants in the area.
Japanese Gardens
The Tramore Beach was a must see but we wanted to get away from the madding crowd, so we visited the Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens which were up the hill from the busy beach area. The gardens have a wonderful and unique story to tell. In their style and planting they contain elements of the gardening traditions of the countries and cultures traversed by the Irish born writer Hearn during his varied life.
The gardens supplied us with a narrative guide explaining the meaning of the various plantings and areas of the gardens as they related to Herns life journey and his love of Japan. It was very interesting and relaxing in the plush plantings. There were not many people there so we were able to take in all the ambiance and quiet peacefuness of the beautiful garden, which was the polar opposite to the Beach.
The Japanese Gardens reflect the life and extensive wanderings of Patrick Lafcadio Hearn, who grew up in Ireland, and whose life journey embraced several parts of the world. The gardens pay homage to the fame he attained in Japan through his incomparable literary descriptions of the people, customs and culture of that country.
The cute little details including the little doorways into the trees added an element of whimsy and fantasy .
