Day 85: Belfast - Downpatrick

Today I bring you a story as thrilling as a long nap after breakfast: the epic tale of the day we did almost nothing.

We woke up late. Surprised? Me neither. You know we get going in the mornings slower than a snail with a hangover. We slept in a car park next to a giant forest, and after stretching a bit (me first, as always), we went to explore it. Just a corner of it, mind you, we're not training for the Olympics or anything. The forest was really cool, full of interesting smells, and quite refreshing. Ideal for a walk without sweating your truffle.

Then we got in the car and headed south. Before that, a strategic stop at Lidl, where Daddy Edu transformed into a bargain hunter. I don't know what he bought exactly, but he came back with that 'I-saved-two-quid-but-I've-bought-twelve-things' face.

The next stop was at a "lay-by", at the side of the road. Don't let the English name fool you, it's basically a car park where you sit and eat with a view of the traffic. We ate in the campervan. Well, Daddy Edu ate, I wandered around, looked pathetic, and then he threw me a piece of his burger. Classic.

After the express feast, we continued heading down until we landed here, on the outskirts of Downpatrick, next to the Quoile River. Quiet car park, with a natural area around. Trees, ducks, the odd human walking off-leash (the cheek!), and a rather nice little path for wandering around.

We went for several walks around here. Not for exercise, but to justify the afternoon tea and the naps. Daddy Edu spent the afternoon reading things that looked like they had few balls and lots of humans talking, so I alternated naps with epic moments of chasing my ball. One of them even included an elegant slip, worthy of slow-motion.

Nothing spectacular happened. No trolls, no storms, no mysterious tractors. Just tranquility, a little bit of general laziness, and that strange silence that sometimes creeps into our days. And I'm not saying that as a complaint, you know? Because after so many adventures, a day in energy-saving mode is also appreciated.

So here we are. Next to the river, without stress, without crazy plans, and with a slightly slobbery ball as our main entertainment. It's not much, but it's home for tonight.