So Much To Write, So Little Time

I write this on a ferry, as it pulls out of the Port of Belfast, on its way to Liverpool. The exciting thing is that it is ten twenty pm - and we are sleeping in a cabin, on board. Unfortunately, this involved dinner being at about eight thirty at night…and now it is nearly ten thirty (and I am pretty sure we are all still awake – but a few of us are very near to laa laa land) – but we will be awakened at a quarter to five….yes, a quarter to FIVE, to come down and breakfast, and prepare to disembark. Today all of our meals have been late – I’ve a good idea that tomorrow they will all be on the early side. (am also determined not to think of a certain other ship that sailed from this port nearly 100 years ago….)
On the blog side of things, I feel terribly behind. Days glide by, and in the evenings, Shane is often on the computer looking for our next lot of accommodation (or booking ferries). Add to that that this week has seen us getting home late some nights, and there really hasn’t been much time to write. So, apologies on the silence, and on the brief understatement to follow. What we have seen deserves more – but this must do.
Thursday we drove up to Cushendall, to follow the coastal route up and over the top of Northern Ireland, aiming to finish in Portrush. Once we hit Cushendun, we realized that one of the tyres was making a funny ‘woomp, woomp,’. It was a boofy nail sticking out of the passenger rear wheel. The good news was that we were not losing pressure, so didn’t have to put the spare on – just set out for the nearest tyre garage. This was not as easy as it seemed. One town had two places but neither were able to do us until two…which would have been fine, if waiting around were an option, but it wasn’t. By then we were dead close to Carrick-a-rede, where we were planning to cross the rope bridge, so we went ahead and took our chances, and did that while we were there. (the bridge looks heaps scarier in photos than in real life…which I guess is good, because we will look more impressive as well.)
After that , the tyre was still up, and we progressed on our way west. Town after town was without garage, and then we were up to Giant’s Causeway…..but the voice of my father urged me on….we drove straight by it as the tyre was really urgent. We had ascertained that the Causeway remained open until dusk, whereas garages would not. We eventually had to go right through Portrush, and Portstewart, to Coleraine, where we found four otherwise unemployed tyre fitters, ready to do the job. Poor sods. We had been told by the tourist info lady that it would cost around thirty quid to get it fixed, so when the guy offered us a hot drink from the coffee machine – we all had a hot chocolate. The job was done before our drinks were even cool enough to sip – and it only cost us seven Pound!! Oops. I think we drank nearly half that cost. Hope they weren’t on the brink of bankruptcy, or we could be the straw that broke the camels' back.
We made it to Giant's Causeway which is quite simply an amazing spot(and from where we gazed fondly across the ocean to Scotland) There is a build up of hexagonal shaped pile-ons, like an uneven road, jutting out to sea BUT it is a natural phenomenon. They are about the size (on top) of a stepping stone that you may put in your garden, and they vary in height. Please look up a photo of it on this marvelous web if you don’t know what I am talking about.
We ate tea in Portrush and then drove the hour and a half home. Late night. We had planned to catch the train to Dublin on Friday but for various reasons changed our minds late Thurs night. Drove to Donegal Town instead, via Fivemiletown for a playground, Enniskillen for a picnic lunch on the loch (where we were harangued by a hissy swan and Eliza had her lunch snatched by a cheeky duck), and Belleek, where we toured the very famous pottery factory. Well, okay, I admit that I hadn’t heard of Belleek until that morning – but it is indeed famous, and very interesting touring the factory. As soon as we left Belleek, we were into Southern Ireland (the Republic). Funny how Southern Ireland, actually goes higher than Northern Ireland, but Donegal, where we were, is on the Western Side of the isle. Tea was in an Irish pub (duh!) and I had fish and chips…just so that next time I am in an Irish pub in Oz, I can look at the menu and know that I had Donegal Catch, in Donegal. We strolled around the Diamond (the old market which the town is built around) and again, headed home to a late night for the kids.
Saturday we visited Cooktown (mainly because we had to drive through it and there were market stalls everywhere) and went to Springhill House and then the Wellbrook Beetling mill. The house was a great glimpse back in time with lovely gardens – just park like mainly. (Some boys rescued two kittens who were struggling to get out of the pond whilst we were there. The kids wanted to keep them of course! I wondered if there was a groundsman somewhere cursing his inability to tie a good knot – did not mention this possibility to the kids as the horror of such an idea would be , er, horrifying, to them) The Beetling mill was a new and therefore refreshingly interesting visit. We saw the whole process, of how flax is taken and used from the stalks in the fields, to the linen on your table. Love watching the kids learn all of this stuff…-love learning it myself.
Today we went to church in Armagh…were nearly late as we left Dungannon and headed off in a north westerly direction to Omagh, instead of the south easterly direction of Armagh. Got ourselves sorted, and walked in not too discreditably late. We were going there to hear our friends brother (host’s son) Mark, preach. Felt really under-dressed in our jeans and sneakers – there were women wearing really lovely hats. I think that is cool. There should be much more hat wearing….
Had cups of tea together afterwards, just around the corner with Mark, his kids and Ruth. Was a really nice way to wrap up our time with them all. We look forward to seeing them in Australia next time they come to visit. We certainly have been made to feel so welcome.
Our last treat for Northern Ireland was to meet Charlie B and his lovely Roz and Rebecca at the Ulster Museum, in Belfast. It was four by the time we found the place, so we had a very quick wander through then went back to the Baxter’s for an amazing afternoon tea (by which time it was really tea time proper – but we had tea waiting on the boat, and they assured us that they had had a late lunch, so we were all prepared to hoe into a spread of three different sorts of scone, choccy cake, biscuits, pikelets and crisps. Urgh. I feel disgusted with myself and well satisfied all at once!!)
I have still to tell a couple of tales from Scotland and of famous kiddy antics – but the days are so rushed now, as we begin to count down our trip….only fourteen days left….