Now, normally (well - every time I have ever seen it) the water is almost a kilometre from the actual edge of the sand...but today the water was probably halfway between where is 'normally' is and the sand edge!
Eloise was SO excited to be at the beach for a 'swim' (we couldn't convince her that she might not even be able to 'see' the water and that it might be too cold).....so once we hit the sand she was stripped off and in her cossies ready to go!
Eloise taking off for a 'swim'.....
We made our way to the edge of the water and the girls went splashing in without so much as a squeal that it was too cold - perhaps they went instantly numb after hitting the water.
As we stood there watching them, we only just noticed in time that the tide was literally racing up the beach....my shoes we about to get filled with water!!!
I have never seen a tide moving so quickly! OK - so it isn't one of those spectacular tide changes like they have up in the northern territory where there are huge volumes of water creating rapids.....but I have never been able to watch the water creeping up the sand like that before.
The water went from this.....
To this (almost up to the edge of the sand)...in less than 5 minutes
This didn't faze out kids who enjoyed 'swimming' in water that was a little bit deeper than it had been a few minutes before. We did get a few looks from the 'locals' who I am not sure have seen many people actually 'swimming' at the beach before.....our kids were the only ones (besides a few dogs) in the water!!!
Eloise was SO happy to have FINALLY been able to have a swim in Ireland!
We eventually got them out of the water before they turned blue and dried them off and back into some warm clothes.
I realised that our kids have never been on a 'holiday' that didn't involve swimming of some sort so they just needed to get in the water to cement the fact that they were on a holiday!!!!
So glad they got the chance - not many people will be able to say they went swimming in the sea while on holiday in Ireland!!!
