More photos of the Shans in Ballybunion, our nearest (and favourite) beach in Ireland. These date back to a clear, crisp day in March.

The first is a shot of me and the kids on one of the cliffs above the beach, with the ruins of an old castle behind us. (Building a castle on the edge of a cliff is proof that dodgy planners are nothing unique to the 21st century!!)

The second is a sweet photo of Mrs Shan and me. You can see a lot of bruising around my eye, from when I fainted a fell a few weeks earlier.

Periwinkles (small sea snails) are a delicacy in this part of the world. Many people are revolted by them, but personally I love them! Dante wavers somewhere in between -- he likes to give them a try at least once every year, although as you can see from his expression, they're something of a challenge for him, and I've noticed he never asks for them a second time!!!