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IT MAY ONLY be January, but plenty of us are dreaming of being on a beach somewhere. But which one?
Luckily, National Geographic has named their top beaches for 2017.
They include beaches for snorkeling, exploring and just lying on.
Here are some of the highlights according to the magazine:
On sunny days on Iceland’s south coast, Reynisfjara Beach’s ink black sand and basalt sea stacks are absolutely stunning.
Past the tulip fields in south Holland, between Amsterdam and The Hague, the seaside town of Noordwijk has a separate dog beach for wild gambols by the North Sea. There are walking routes for human-canine bonding, and pooch-friendly restaurants and lodgings, including Take2 Beach & Bungalows, near the entrance to the dog beach.
A swim through an opening nearly invisible from the sea reveals what locals call the “hidden beach,” encircled by an impressive rock ring forming a natural oculus for the sun and sky.
On the edge of the continent, and part of the Shark Bay UNESCO World Heritage site, countless white cockleshells, up to 30 feet deep in some parts, spread for miles. Take nothing but pictures. Stop at Old Pearler Restaurant, built entirely of shells from this beach.
Ringed by reefs, Curaçao hides a Caribbean underwater wonderland, and this beach is one of the few sandy ones on the arid island, with a bar and a shop to rent snorkel gear. Slip straight into the shallow crystalline bay alive with sea fans and coral, tropical fish, sponges, sea turtles, and more.
Sculpted by the mistral wind and embellished with juniper bushes and olive trees, the Piscinas Dunes paint a mercurial backdrop on Sardinia’s southwestern Costa Verde (Green Coast). A former mining warehouse, Hotel Le Dune Piscinas sits at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea,with ample windows and lounge spots for admiring the ever changing canvas of sky, sand, and waves.
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Don’t cut their pay, completely remove the DUP’s pay. Let’s see how long they want to sit on the sidelines when they are flat broke. They can have sectarianism or a salary, they can’t have both.
@Seán Ó Briain: Rumours are rife that the DUP said yes for the first time since the Old Testament, they say God and country are important but cash is king.
@Seán Ó Briain: And make Brandon Lewis redundant too.
@Seán Ó Briain: their pals in the UVF could spot them a few quid from their drug money. Removing the protocol would be a giant carrot for them.
@Gerard McConnell: Always said: Loyal to the Half Crown.
Why ‘soon’? Why not now?!
I heard that interview where Brandon Lewis said that Jews were being prevented from practicing their faith. What kind of interviewer let’s him get away without explaining that.
We are allowing politicians and media influencers of all shades to make daft claims without being called to account.
@Pat Duggan: and orange one
@Stephen Walshe: This is just one example of the influence being wielded by probably less than 20% of the population. People with media influence capability are being allowed to convert the other 80% who do not use their critical powers to test the accuracy of what it being promoted. It used to be called propaganda.
Why is the Journal repeating the lie that the protocol is preventing the jewish community from practicing their faith? This has been proven to be untrue!
@Niall Power: Never heard that! What is meant to be the reason?
@Niall Power: Had a few have you?
@Niall Power: — They’re only quoting Brandon Lewis’s lies above, but they should actually point out that he’s blatantly lying through his teeth, which seems to be on a par with most of the Tories in high office. They all spout real howlers, like Suella Braverman, who announced that NI is way behind the rest of the UK in the trade and economy area, which is the complete opposite of what the situation really is. The problem is that a lot of people believe the nonsense they come out with.
@Sean D: a few Jews??..
@Sean D: I don’t drink!
@sean o’dhubhghaill: lack of access to kosher foodstuffs.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: Most of the Kosher goods came from the UK however, the shops and community have since found EU suppliers to deliver.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: there is a community of 75 Orthodox Jews who are facing DELAYS on kosher foods from uk. Yet there is an orthodox Jewish community in Dublin who are not having issues sourcing produce from uk. Hardly an insurmountable issue.
@Niall Power: sure look it, anyone who has an IQ in double figures know that anything coming out of a Tory/DUP is likely to be BS
Haha the DUP will prove they are far more loyal to the half crown …then the crown
@David cotter: all parties up there take the queens shillings. Cash is king for them all
The DUP won’t play “in protest over the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol”. Also because they lost the election to the Taigs.
Proper bloody order! About time too. We’ll done Brandon Lewis.
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