Northern Ireland Day 6: Further Afield

We still had more to see of Northern Ireland!  On Thursday morning, we had a great breakfast of fresh eggs from the chickens in the garden before heading out to see what we could see.  We were still in the Causeway Coast area for some sights, but venturing to Londonderry to walk the walls of the old city.

Our first stop was really a wonder rather than a destination.  There is a road where the trees line both sides but the branches intertwine overhead in such a way as to create a lovely archway.  The locals refer to it as the Dark Hedges.  We made our way inland to the road in question which isn't but a half mile long stretch and were amazed that it looks just like the postcard I bought.  In true crazy mom fashion, I made the kids get in the road for some photos!  They only had to jump to the side three times because of cars.  I didn't really put them in danger....

With a timed out schedule, we were back on the road in ten minutes to drive on to our next sight: Dunluce Castle.  This was a ruin that we had seen a photo of and all agreed we had to check out.  Back along the coast near Portrush the castle looms on the cliff above the crashing waves.  The clouds were gray and a consistent drizzle pelted us.  We first watched the background video and then checked out the Discovery center which explained archaeology projects at the castle.  Once we had exhausted viewing displays in the warm buildings, we ventured into the numbing drizzle to explore the ruins.  Trying to take plenty of photos meant my hands were exposed making my fingers raw.  The kids kept running through the ruins making up stories of torture chambers and something about Santa.  Steve and I were trying to read the plaques posted in different areas explaining the uses of the rooms whose rooves had crumbled and only partial walls remained to remind you of more glorious days.  There was a small tower from which I was able to get views down on the castle.  It was a good stop.

Our next stop was supposed to be White Rocks, a beach area in Portrush just down the road; however, the rain was only getting steadier and we were all raw enough that we didn't need to punish ourselves with more time in the elements.  We pushed on to Londonderry instead.  It was an hour drive southwest of the Causeway Coast.  By the time we arrived, the weather seemed to be letting up although we did grab the umbrellas on our way out of the car and into the city.  We had parked right on the outside of the city walls near the city center.  By now it was noon and the streets were busy with plenty of people going to lunch and getting shopping done.  Sale signs in Halloween costume shops all along the way enticed me to come in for a look.  I actually picked up a costume for Cameron and a pirate hat for Jacob.  I had not seen any similar full stock costume shops anywhere in my area, so I was happy to check something off of my to do list even if it meant carrying a large bag around town.  Our next stop was a cafe Steve had found on the internet and it had a kids menu!  We found it fairly easily in the center of the old part of Derry and luckily got a table just as the lunch rush began.  After eating, we made our way up a set of steps just a half block from the cafe up onto the wall.  The top of the wall is a good car width and has canons still arranged in different battery areas.  We made our way around noting the Loyalist and Republican areas of the city are still very demarcated.  I'm glad that Jacob did not wear his new Union Jack t-shirt today.

An hour back up the road to the coast to our last sight for the day:  Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne.  The sight is all in ruin but only since the second world war.  There are photos of how it looked 80 years ago and it is amazing how there is only a shell of stone walls left.  The temple is on the cliff and looks like it will someday fall off which it very well might.  When it was built, a horse-drawn carriage could travel all the way around it. The temple was built as a library and there was always a fire in the lower level so it would always be warmed.  The estate was built by an eccentric bishop.  I found it all fascinating; Cameron not so much.  There was a lot of navigating around sheep manure.

Just a stop at the grocery store for me to pick up dinner and then back to the cottage where it was nice to relax at last, our sightseeing around Northern Ireland was done.

Day 7:  Friday morning Katie and Cameron helped to feed the chickens and collect the eggs.  Steve loaded up the car.  By 9:40 we were on the road; we had a 3.5 hour drive to the ferry in Dublin.  We had lunch on the way and at the ferry in plenty of time.  Unfortunately, the ferry was 30 minutes late due to rough seas.  We managed to all sit together at a table but Cameron laid his head in my lap most of the way as he was not feeling well.  Steve kept his head on the table.  The boat would rock and all you would see was the sky our one side and water out of the windows on the other side!  People were staying in their seats.  Fortunately it was a high speed crossing and we were docked in two hours.  Only 5.5 hours later we were unloading ourselves into the house.  There is no place like home!