The skies are open for Irish tourists again with several thousand travelling to Spain to soak up some sunshine.
There are noticeably less sunseekers on the Costa del Sol than usual, partly due to international travel only reopening on Monday.
And many do not wish to go abroad for fears of the growing Delta variant surging throughout Europe.
Even though the skies are open again, just 151,361 people are expected to move through Dublin Airport this week, a drop from 782,867 since the same week in 2019 - before the pandemic began.
But for those who were willing to travel and enjoy their first trip abroad in over a year, there was a general consensus that life in Spain is "much more chilled" than back home.
One group of friends praised the lighter restrictions, saying that it’s “amazing” to see some normal life again.
Dublin natives Miles O’Malley, Matthew O’Brien and Jamie Berry, all 18, just finished their Leaving Cert last month and decided to jet off to celebrate.
Jamie told the Irish Mirror: “In Dublin, you know, there’s nothing open so we said we’d come out here.
“We’ve been out here the last week, and the lads are going back tomorrow and I am the day after.
“It’s a lot better here restriction wise. You wouldn’t think it (Covid) was here. You know it is but everything is open, nightclubs until late. It’s amazing.”
Tommy Cahill, 25, son of Kerry Fianna Fail Councillor Michael Cahill, added: “I think it’s a lot more laid back here than at home, but obviously restrictions in Ireland were only eased off recently.”
Limerick pals Orlaigh Duggan and Robyn Moore, both 24, agreed, adding that everything “seemed so much more chilled” since they arrived in Marbella on Tuesday.
“We have loads of plans for dinner and drinks this week which is so tough to do at home right now,” Orlaigh said.
Kildare men Jack Donegan, 22, Caelum Flanagan, 23, Gary Kelly, 23, and Dale Redmond, 23, arrived on Monday night and were happy to be out enjoying the sunshine.
“It’s definitely more open here but it’s mainly outside here where at home it isn’t, so I don’t really think there’s a massive difference," Dale said.
