The hiatus at the end of June allowed us, as individual couples, to reconnect with families, grandchildren, overgrown allotments or gardens, in Chris’ case a big family gathering for a big birthday, and in Yee Tak and James’ case, an unscheduled trip to London with the eldest granddaughter to watch the Lionesses homecoming parade having won the Euros.

Wednesday morning brings an unwelcome taxi at 6.15, to get us to the station to begin our journey to Luton and another chance to fly with the delightful Mr O’Leary! Stories (unverified) of him incentivising staff to be ever more diligent in checking bags for size result in slightly obsessive weighing and re-weighing, measuring and re-measuring. Satisfied we are well within all limits, we settle in to a pleasant trundle via a newly re-nationalised railway to the gleaming metropolis of….Luton. Actually the sarcastic sneer there is unwarranted, as it is refurbished and efficient….sorry Luton. Smugly confident, John and Chris have opted to take out a small mortgage to check in a couple of bags. The oberlieutenant fuhrer tells them that their bags which are a) less than 2/3rds of the maximum weight and b) vastly smaller than the permitted size,  are actually ‘oversize’. With blood draining from their faces at the prospect of yet more pound notes flowing into O’Leary’s coffers, they are informed that the little straps used to carry the bags result in oversize and must be handed in to the oversize check in desk. As it turns out, this is not chargeable, and we decide to celebrate with two beers at over £8 a pint and a couple of miniscule maccaroni cheeses. Is there a singular for one maccaroni….maccarona?

The flight is on time and uneventful and we are so happy to be back on Irish soil and looking forward to getting back on board Heydays again, hoping that storm Floris which passed through a couple of days ago, didn’t wreak too much havoc.

Since we left, Salve marine and it’s lovely owner Witse, have disappeared into history, to be taken over by the Royal Cork Yacht Club. We are dropped at the newly renamed RCYC Eastern Marina.

The workshops and gear are all silent and gone, but there is plenty of activity on the boats and Heydays is still sitting there, snug and warm and dry….save for a couple of oranges and apples which gave up the ghost several weeks ago.

It’s great to be back on board, and we get stuff stowed and looking like home again, before a trip into the village to buy a few essentials….and a few non-essentials. Cronins is next door and we feel it would be rude not to introduce Yee Tak and Chris to the pub where we spent several happy hours only six weeks ago. 4 o’clock seems slightly early to start on the Murphy’s and the Beamish,  but we’re encouraged by the already lively bar and happily drinking crowd just passing the late afternoon….as they are in two other pubs close by….

Sadly they are fully booked for dinner, but after a short nap back on Heydays, we end up at The Oar for what turns out to be one of the best meals in a long time.