What a beautiful weekend we just had and to make it even better I took an extra day off work. We have had no rain in a few weeks now and it is great. Below are some photographs from our recent visit to Belvedere House and Gardens outside Mullingar in County Westmeath. The walled garden is my favourite. You can also explore the house itself. While it was busy when we visited most people were relaxing along the lake shore. We have lovely scenery and lakes everywhere at home so when I get away I enjoy exploring gardens and architecture.

Oh what a fabulous day we had here in Ireland, sunshine and blue skies and I have an extra long weekend too. I spent most of the day in the garden-mowing and weeding... can't wait for summer now with lots of flowers... below are a few pretty flower arrangements I photographed at an agricultural show here in Ireland last year... which is your favourite?? I'd have to choose the one with the hydrangeas....

July: Some good weather came our way so I made the most of it...

August: Holiday time... had an amazing holiday visiting Venice and Greece again and also Croatia and Turkey. I experienced some of the most beautiful sunsets ever...

September: Keeping it country at the National Ploughing Championships- what a great day out and no rain either

October: Another holiday, this time to France, I never took two holidays abroad in the one year but this year I really enjoyed my mini break for 5 days to the beautiful island of Ile de Re in France. I have visited France four times before but I had never heard of Ile de Re and once I saw it, I had to go. It is up there with my favourite places of Mykonos and Santorini... I will post a separate post on Ile de Re with more photographs soon...

November: Towards the end of October we found a little kitten abandoned at the entrance piers to the farm. The poor thing was very distressed and weak. How cruel some people can be just to abandon an innocent little animal. So we took her in, throughout November she was settling in with the other farm cats. Meet Millie if you haven't already seen my previous post.

December: It's Christmas time and time to reflect on a lovely year. Thankfully 2016 was good to us- good health and good times. The first six months were very quiet with most of my weekends spent at home. Life was busy on the farm... then once August came it was time to get out and about and make the most of the year. I visited five countries on holidays this year and had the most amazing time with those that mean the most to me (My husband and my parents). Many memories were made both on holidays and in the simple every day things which I will never forget. 2016 you have been good, so here's to 2017 and remember in the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years~Abraham Lincoln 

                                                                  

Here is a throwback to my travels to Greece which I never got around to posting. I visited Greece in August, this is my second time to visit Greece having visited Athens and the Greek Islands of Corfu, Mykonos and Kefalonia two years ago. I was so surprised at how beautiful Greece is, the islands are amazing! The photos below are from the small town of Katakolon on the mainland. It is known as the gateway to Olympia. I really enjoyed my visit here, the people were so friendly and welcoming to their town. The shops were really quaint and overall it had a lovely small town feel.

Some of you may already know that my favourite colour is blue. I love pastel blues and sky blue too so it is no surprise that I love bright blue skies and the azure blues of the ocean... Where else would you get so many shades of blue than on the Greek Islands, be it Mykonos, Corfu, Kefalonia or Santorini. Below are some of my blue photos from my holidays to the wonderful Greek Island of Santorini- it is such a dreamy place...