Outward journey to Ireland
Monday morning, the 4th of July, we woke up at an indecent hour, around 4:30 AM. After packing the last things in our car we left around 5:30 AM for our 4-week holiday to Ireland.
Just after we left it started to rain. On the radio the mentioned heavy weather near The Hague and they advised people not to go there while we were on our way to the harbour in Hook of Holland, just south of The Hague, to go aboard the Stena HSS ferry to England. At 6:15 AM we arrived at the harbour but we had to wait until 6:50 before we were allowed to board the ferry. Aboard we ate our breakfast and in the shop we bought headlight stickers. The headlights of our car are set for driving on the right side and therefore they could possibly blind oncoming drivers in England and Ireland. After a successful crossing we arrived at 10:10 AM English time in Harwich. After leaving the ferry we were on our way to Wales for our first stay this holiday. Driving on the left was no problem; we've done it before only never in a car with the steering wheel on the left side. The road from the harbour has many signs saying you have to drive on the left side in different languages. Also in England we had very bad weather which started to clear by the time we reached Cambridge.
Somewhere between Cambridge and Birmingham we wanted to stop at a parking place to eat our lunch, but their
are hardly any parking places along the motorway with benches and tables. So we stopped
at a parking place near Birmingham and had lunch near our car. From Birmingham we
continued via Shrewsbury, Wrexham en Chester into Wales. When we drove on the coastal
road between Chester and Cowny the sky started to clear and in no time we were facing
a bright blue sky and we had to search for our sunglasses. After Bangor we crossed a
bridge to Anglesey. Immediately after we crossed the bridge we left the highway to
go to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, the place with the
longest name in Great-Britain. The railway station was a real tourist trap, we have never
seen such a small station with such a large parking lot. After a short visit to the
railway station and the souvenir shop we continued our way to Valley where we had booked
a hotel to stay the night
The next day we didn't have to get up very early. After breakfast we left at around 8 AM toward Holyhead, only a few kilometres from the hotel. At 8:30 we could board the ferry to Ireland where we arrived at 9:30 in Dún Laoghaire. Once we were on Irish soil we head for Shankill where we had booked a guesthouse. It took us a while to find the Brides Glen Farmhouse as the directions were not very clear but when got there, we were kindly received by Ms. Stevenson. In the afternoon we went for a lunch meeting with the parents of Hillekes friend Deirdre who she knew from the time she lived in Ireland and who now lives in Canada. The Noland don't live far from the guesthouse, only a few minutes drive. We were kindly received and we had a lovely, extensive lunch. Around 4 PM we left the Nolans and Hilleke showed Arjan and Ciska the house where she used to live when she and her family lived in Ireland. We also went to see her former school in Blackrock. The remaining part of the afternoon we spent at the coast in the neighbourhood of Dúnn Laoghaire and Killiney Bay.
Wicklow Mountains
The Wicklow Mountains, a rough mountainous area south of Dublin, is an impressive part of Ireland. Our tour through the Wicklow Mountains started with visiting Glendalough.
This is a monastic community founded by the holy Kevin in the 6th century. The settlement expanded for the next 600 years. In 1398 an English army destroyed much of the complex. Most of the buildings that survived date back from the 8th to the 12th century. The round tower is one of the best preserved in Ireland. While we were walking around and visiting the tower, cathedral and church it rained now and then. One moment it drizzled and the next moment it was dry again. After a nice walk along the Lower Lake up to the Upper Lake at Glendalough we continued our tour and our next stop was at Wicklow Gap. There is was dry, but very windy and not very warm, about 10 degrees centigrade. From the Wicklow Gap we had a nice view over the surroundings. We didn't stay long because of the low temperature and the fierce wind. We moved on via Blessington to Sally Gap. There there was really nothing to do, so without stopping we continued to Lough Tay. From a high point we had a great view over the valley of the two lakes and the Guinness estate. And as the weather had cleared the view indeed was great. Via Enniskerry we went to a pub, Johnnie Fox's Pub, the highest pub in Ireland. There we had something to drink and we also decided to eat there. After a great seafood meal we returned to our guesthouse.
Dublin
To visit Ireland's capital, Dublin, we took public transport. With our car we drove to Shankill station where took a DART train (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) to the centre of Dublin. When we arrived in Dublin we walked towards the Tourist Office. On the way we came along Trinity College where we saw the world famous Book of Kells. This book, made around 800 AC by the monks of Iona, a largely illustrated copy of the four gospels in Latin.
You can only see one page of the beautiful book. Every 5 months the page is turned, so it will take you a long time to see the whole book. in Trinity College we also visited the Long Room. This is the old, 65-meter long, old library of the university with about 200,000 old books. In the shop we bought some cards of the Book of Kells before we walked to the Tourist Office to get some more information about the city. From the Tourist Office we went to Bewley's to have something to eat and drink. Our walk continued through Temple Bar, the entertainment district of Dublin, and to the old Jameson distillery. There we did a tour that ended in the bar with a glass of whiskey. For children there are soft drinks available. In the distillery shop wee bought some souvenirs, among which the 12 year distillery reserve whiskey which is only available in this shop. Via O'Connell street with the ugly Spire of Dublin (or Monument of Light), a 120 metre high stainless steel spire in the centre of the street. Hilleke bought some books at Easons bookstore while Arjan and Ciska took some pictures. Our walk ended at the Hard Rock café where we first had a drink in the bar before we went to the restaurant to have something to eat. After this dinner we walked back to station to return to Shankill.
Irish history: Monasterboice, Mellifont Abbey, Newgrange and Clonmacnoise
A trip through early Irish history along Monasterboice, Mellifont Abbey, Newgrange and Clonmacnoise. Monasterboice has some of the finest High Crosses in Ireland. From Shankill we took the new M50 motorway around Dublin and the northbound M1.
We had to pay a highway toll twice for this motorway.
After about an hour we arrived at Monasterboice. It was a quiet place, until a busload of Italian
tourists arrived. But luckily they also left very soon again and we had this place back to ourselves.
The Muiredach High Cross is one of the finest Celtic crosses in Ireland and it has some well
preserved biblical pictures.
Not far from Monasterboice is Mellifont Abbey (Mellifont = Honey fountain). Mellifont Abbey is the
oldest Cistercian monastery in Ireland, well that counts for the ruins that are left of it. The
monastery was founded in 1142 by order of Maelaghin, the archbishop of Armagh. Until 1539 the abbey
had supreme power. In that year it was closed and converted into a fortified house. In 1690 the
abbey was used by William III as his headquarter during the Battle of the Boyne.
From Mellifont Abbey we went to Newgrange. The signs to Newgrange were not very clear. It was already
very crowded when we arrived there. Actually we should have visited Newgrange first before Monasterboice and Mellifont Abbey.
Now we had to wait for 2.5 hours to join a tour to the Newgrange tomb. In the mean
time we enjoyed a sumptuous lunch and visited the exhibition about Newgrange and the other tombs at the
site. The origin of Newgrange, one of the most important passage graves of Europe, is not clear. It was
build around 3200 BC and never destroyed by any of the oppressors. In 1699 the complex was re-discovered
and in the sixties and seventies of the last century it has been restored to its former glory. Around
December 21, winter solstice, the sun shines exactly through the hole above the entrance and lights the
niche at the end of the 19 meter passage in the tomb. During the tour into the tomb this effect is recreated
using an ordinary lamp, but for sure it is not so impressive as the event on December 21.
Every year there is a lottery and then 15 lucky people are drawn that may witness the event on December 21.
After this very impressive visit it had become rather late. We had also planned to visit the Hill of Tara,
but as Newgrange took so much time there was no more time left to visit that site.
The next day, on route from our guesthouse in Shankill to our next cottage in Boyle, we paid a visit
to Clonmacnoise. The first part over the M50 and M6 motorways we made quite some progress, but the M6 is still
under construction and when it becomes the N6 the average speed slows down. Around noon we arrived at
Clonmacnoise. This monastic community was founded in 548 AC by St. Ciarán and is situated on an
important crossing of (water)ways in Ireland. In the course of time it has been sacked several times by
the Vikings and other troops. The decline started in the 13th century when it became the seat of a second
grade bishop. And in 1552 it was completely destroyed by an English garrison from Athlone who only left
some ruins. Since 1877 Clonmacnoise is a national monument. The site, beautifully situated in a bend of
the river Shannon, has the ruins of several temples, a cathedral and also two round towers. There are
also a number of High Crosses. The ones on the site are copies, the originals can be found in the museum
in the visitors centre. After we had something to eat and drink we left after about an hour from this
impressive monument.
TIP: At Mellifont Abbey we also bought for each of us an OPW Heritage Card. With this
card many historic sites, gardens and parks can be entered for free. When you are visiting for at least two weeks
and intend to visit some of these sites buying such a card can be profitable. For more information see
https://heritageireland.ie/. Remark: This card can only be used
in the Republic of Ireland, not in Northern-Ireland.
Blackwater and the Clonmacnoise & West Offaly Railway
Near Clonmacnoise, in Shannonbridge, there is a narrow gauge railway through the Blackwater bog,
the Clonmacnoise & West Offaly Railway. With a small train you go through a small part of this
extensive, peat producing, bog area. During the ride the guide tells a lot about how the peat is
digged nowadays. Halfway the ride, the train stops and you can walk around over the resilient peat and
the train driver demonstrates how the peat was digged in former times, nowadays all is done by machines.
The railway is also used to transport the peat away from the area, peat is still responsible for
about 10% of the Irish electricity production. This informative train ride through the bog lasts for
about an hour and is a recommended tour when you are in the neighbourhood.
After this interesting tour we drove to Boyle to go to our next cottage. On the way we phoned the owner and agreed on the a place to meet each other. When we arrived in Boyle we only had to wait for a few minutes until the owner arrived. We followed him out of town and the roads narrowed on each turn. After a ride of about 10 minutes we arrived at the house. It lies completely isolated near a lake and in the immediate surroundings there is no other house to see. The cottage is only two years old and is fitted with all modern conveniences: dishwasher, washing machine, microwave, 2 bathrooms, 2 sleeping rooms, 2 televisions, a large kitchen-living room combination and another living room.
Queen Maeve Tour
On our first day in Boyle we decided to do a tour from a little tour book present in the cottage, the Queen Maeve Tour on the Coolera peninsula. Queen Maeve was the legendary Queen of Connacht and she is a primary person in the Táin, on of Irelands most famous legends about Cúchulainn who defends Ulster against the attacks of Maeve. There are indications that Maeve was indeed a goddess of sovereignty, one of the Irish female deities of war, territory and sexuality.
Her death is as quite bizarre, an 11th century legend tells she was killed by her nephew with a lump of hard cheese with a slingshot. It is believed that she is buried under a pile of rocks on the summit of mount Knocknarea. This pile of stones is known as Miosgán Meadhbha, which means Grave of Maeve, and is about 10 metres in height and 55 metres in diameter. From almost any point during this tour you are able to see the Knocknarea and the pile of stones on its summit. From Boyle we drove to Sligo, the starting point for this tour. From there we drove along the coast of the Coolera peninsula. Our first stop was in the seaside resort of Strandhill, a popular destination on a beautiful day like this. We walked along the beach and after the walk we had lunch in one of the small restaurants near the beach. We continued our tour and the next stop was near mount Knocknarea. There is a possibility to climb to the top but we didn't do that and moved on to the Carrowmore Megalithic cemetery. This is the largest cemetery of megalithic tombs in Ireland and one of the oldest and most important of its kind in Europe. There are several tombs among which a passage grave which is a lot smaller and less impressive than the one in Newgrange. After a few other stops we went to Aughris Head. The book mentioned that you could see a lot of different sea birds from the cliffs, and it should also be possible to see seals and dolphins. We made a nice walk on the cliff but we didn't spot any seal or dolphin.
County Mayo: Céide Fields, Downpatrick Head and Lacken Strand
Another route led us through County Mayo. Our first destination was Céide Fields, the largest monument from the Stone Age in the world. Arable land, settlements and megalithic tombs of more than 5000 years old are buried here in the bog and are therefore excellent preserved. On some places the peat is removed, exposing the decayed stone walls. During excavations earthenware items were and also a plough from the Stone Age.
In the Visitor Centre there is an exhibition about how the people live back then and outside the stone wall is visible on places were the peat has been removed. The Céide Fields are right by the sea next to some spectacular cliffs. Unfortunately it was a bit foggy so we couldn't see them very clear as the distinction between the sea and the sky was faint. From Céide Fields we drove a short distance to Downpatrick Head. There you can see an enormous blowhole in the middle of the field on top of the cliff on a distance of about 100 metres from the water. A high fence should prevent you from falling several metres into the large hole. From Downpatrick Head it is again a short drive to Lacken Strand, a large flat stretch of sand on which it is even possible to drive with a car. Here we made a walk and Ciska enjoyed herself with searching for shells. When the high tide came, which comes rather fast on a flat beach, we decided to return to our cottage in Boyle.
Connemara
Connemara is a 2-hour drive from Boyle, so we left our cottage around 8:30. The weather didn't look very promising, foggy and not very warm. Around 10:45 we arrived at Connemara National Park, luckily the weather had cleared. When we arrived in the Visitors Centre we got an explanation about the walks in the park. We did the long walk of about an hour through the park. At the start of the walk there is a meadow with a few of the famous Connemara ponies. For Ciska this was one of the highlights of the walk, unfortunately there is no opportunity to ride the ponies, a disappointment for Ciska.
While walking we had some great views over the surroundings of the park, the Twelve-Bens and Diamond Hill. Also the Atlantic Ocean was clearly visible. A famous flower in the park is St. Dabeoc's heath. Besides in Ireland, this heath also grows in Spain and Portugal. Back at the Visitors Centre we visited the exhibition about the bog lands and peat digging. From the park we went to the Ocean & Country Museum in Derryinver. In the museum you can also buy tickets for a boat trip through the harbour of Ballinakill. The trip left at 14:30 so we first went to a nearby pub to have lunch before we went aboard. The boat sails through the harbour, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. The leaflet promised us views of several seabirds and possibly a seal. We didn't see many varieties of birds and we certainly didn't see any seal. We did see a salmon farm where we could clearly see the salmons jumping from the water. During the trip, the children on board, so also Ciska, were allowed to steer the boat for a while. When we returned at the quay we returned to the Ocean & Country Museum to visit the exhibitions. The museum has exhibitions about all life in sea around Connemara and about the tough times for the farmers in Connemara in former times. When we done visiting the museum we returned to our cottage in Boyle where we arrived late in the evening. All in all it was a long and tiring day.
Lough Gara
After our tiring daytrip to Connemara we didn't want to drive for such a long time the next day. In the small booklet in the cottage was also a tour near Lough Gara, the lake behind our cottage. According the description, the tour started in Ballymote, but we started halfway as the tour also went close by our home. The first stop was at a viewpoint with a nice view over the lake. The road to reach the viewpoint became narrower and narrower, luckily there was no oncoming traffic on this narrow road.
When we reached the viewpoint we could see the lake at a distance. Only the view was not very clear as it was rather cloudy and there was no sign of the sun. The next stop was at the ruins of the old church of Toomour, which was probably built in the 6th century. It was difficult to get close to the church, so we continued our tour to Ballymote. There we made a short walk along the Franciscan cemetery, the Church of the Immaculate Conception, the railway station and the ruins of Ballymote castle. In Ballymote we also came along the first public playground in Ireland so Ciska could enjoy herself. Until now, public playgrounds are few and far between in Ireland. After lunch we went to Gurteen, a lot of famous Irish musicians are from this area, among who is the famous Michael Coleman. Curteen is also home to the Coleman Heritage Centre. We didn't stop there but continued to the Carrowntemple slabs. These stand on a cemetery that is still being used as such until today. The 14 slabs on the cemetery are copies, the originals are in a museum in Dublin. The design on the stones was common Irish art from the 8th until the 10th century. Via Clogher Cashel, not very interesting, and St. Attracta's well, a probable cure against warts. The last stop was at Moygara castle, the most important castle of the O'Gara family. In 1581 the castle was set on fire by captain Malby, governor of Connacht, killing most of its residents. From the remains of the castle you have a nice view over the surroundings. From this castle we drove back to our cottage, only a short distance.
Yeats Country
The famous Irish poet William Butler Yeats was born in Dublin, but soon after his birth the family moved to Sligo, his mother was born in County Sligo. Later in his life, Yeats often returned to this area. In his Reveries over Childhood and Youth he writes with passion about County Sligo. He is buried in Drumcliff.
Cast a cold Eye - on Life on Death - Horseman pass by
A tour through this county started in the city of Sligo with a visit to Sligo Abbey. This monastery was founded
in 1253 and is still rather complete. From the cloister for example, three of the originally four corridors are
still present today. Also the stone choir screen between the nave and the choir of the church
is still present, very rare as normally these are made of wood and it that case it would have been decayed a
long time ago. From the abbey we drove on to the beach at Rosses Point were Ciska searched for shells. For her,
the water was too cold to paddle. After a short walk on the beach we went to Drumcliff to visit Yeats grave and
have something to eat and drink in the adjoining Tea room before admiring the High Cross on the cemetery. Via
Lissadell house we drove along mountain Benbulben (526 m) towards Glencar falls. In his poem The Stolen Child
Yeats write about this fall: There is a waterfall ... that all my childhood counted dear.
.
After a short walk through the park in which the fall is situated we went to Parke's Castle near Lough Gill.
From this manor, build as a fortress; you have a nice view over the lake. It was build in 1609 by captain
Robert Parke on the foundations of a 16th century tower house. The stones of that building were used in the
construction of the fortress. Typical for this site is the presence of a small sweat-hut, the Irish predecessor
of a sauna, dating back to the 12th century. After a visit to this castle we drove around the lake and did a
nice walk at Dooney rock. After a steep climb we had a splendid view over the lake, although a lot of shrubs
obstructed the sight. After descending down we drove back to our cottage.
From Boyle to Kilmacrennan
Saturday July 16, Hillekes 42nd birthday. We got up early as this day we have to leave our lovely cottage in Boyle and travel up further north. Around 10 we closed the door for the last time.
On the way we stopped in Boyle to visit the abbey. In 1161 the first monks arrived in Boyle and they build an abbey. In 1202 Lord William de Burgh, together with the king of Connacht, Cathal Crovderg O'Connor, ransacked the abbey. In the 15th century the influence of the abbey had declined and in 1589 the abbey was hired to William Usher and from 1599 to the end of the 18th century is was military property and known as Boyle Castle. Until today a lot of the abbey still remains. From Boyle we drove to Donegal in county Donegal. When we arrived in Donegal we visited the Donegal Craft Village, a centre for contemporary art and crafts. A number of craftsmen can be seen at work at the centre like a weaver, silversmith, sculptor, wood carver etc. The last one made art objects from very old bog wood (more than 1000 years old). With him we bought a beautiful wood carved bird. From the Craft Village it was only a short ride to the centre of Donegal where we visited Donegal Castle.
One part of this castle was build at the end of the 15th century and in the 17th century some buildings were added. The restored part of this castle is furnished so it looks like there are still people living there. From Donegal we drove to Letterkenny from where we phoned the owner of our next cottage. We agreed to meet each other at a gas station in Kilmacrennan. After a few minutes we arrived there and a few minutes later the owners, Kevin and Winnie Huston, also arrived. We followed them to the cottage, named Smiths Cottage. It is a very pleasant, 150 years old, cottage and the owners explained us all about the equipment in the house and what there is to see and do in Donegal. Upstairs there are 2 large bedrooms and downstairs a single bedroom, a large kitchen-diner and a living with a fire-place, TV and VCR. The kitchen has a microwave and a so-called Stanley range. This evening for dinner we went to a restaurant in Kilmacrennan to celebrate Hillekes birthday.
Church Hill Festival
The next day we went to Church Hill, a small village not far from our cottage. Kevin told us that there was a 3 day festival from Friday until this day. As it was only a short distance, we arrived there around noon, but there was hardly any activity, they were still busy preparing for the festival. So we continued and drove to Gartan, the birthplace a St. Colmcille.
This saint was probably born in 521 in this place. He was the first Irish missionary and he founded his first monastery on the island of Iona in 563. We enjoyed the nice weather at this tranquil place before we continued to the former St. Colmcilles abbey at the Gartan cemetery. There is nothing left of it, only the foundations remain on this cemetery that also has the remains of a church that was probably build in the 16th century by Manus O'Donnell. Next to the entrance road to this cemetery St. Colmcille's well can be found. From the cemetery we went back to Church Hill. They were still busy building the stands for the festival and we stopped to have something to drink. In front of the pub there were two face-painting ladies and Ciska had a butterfly painted or her face. Both restaurants is Church Hill could not serve us a lunch so we returned to our cottage, but we took the wrong turn and ended up in Letterkenny.
Back in Kilmacrennan we bought some rolls for lunch and ate these in the garden in front of the cottage. Around three we returned to Church Hill and now the festival was in full swing and it was difficult to manoeuvre the car through all visitors. Ciska did several things like catching ducks, rope pulling, etc. and she also won some prizes with it. She also did some rides on the fair. We walked along the stands, listened to the musical performances, had something to drink etc. All in all, we had a very pleasant afternoon at the Church Hill Festival. After we returned back at our cottage we spend the rest of the afternoon in front of the cottage. It is really an very nice cottage, highly recommended when you are staying in this part of Ireland. This week Thursday will also be the start of a festival in Kilmacrennan. So when we have time we will try to go there as well.
Atlantic Drive and Fanad Head
A route to the north of our cottage, advised by Kevin, to Fanad. A peninsula not very often visited. Most tourists visit the Inishowen peninsula. First we did a part of the Atlantic Drive. A route along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. We stopped at a viewpoint at Lough Salt. Nice, but not that nice that you should really go there to enjoy the view. Via Glen we went to Doe castle, nicely situated at in inlet of the ocean. But the castle was closed so we continued to a viewpoint at Rinnafaghia Point. But before we stopped in Downings at a shop of Mc Nutts, a famous tweed fabric manufacturer, to buy something for Ciska. But the shop didn't have much tweed clothing for sale. So we ended up buying her a beautiful handmade sweater. After having something to drink in the adjoining café and a short walk on the beach we drove to Rinnafaghia Point.
There we made a walk on the cliffs. There was a fierce wind and it was a spectacular sight seeing the waves breaking on the rocks. This caused the water to spray up several tens of metres and to fan out over the cliff. When walking over the cliff we saw dark clouds approaching, a clear sign of oncoming rain, and we decided to quickly return to the car. But not fast enough, as we were surprised by the rain. Due to the fierce wind the raindrops felt like hailstones hitting our faces. So rather wet we arrived at the car. Next we drove around a large inlet, Broad Water, to the Fanad peninsula. On the way there was a lot of rain, but after a short while the clouds broke and we were facing the sun against a blue sky. This happened all the day, one moment we had rain, the next moment the sun was shining. We stopped at de 'Teastop' between Portsalon and Fanad Head to have something to eat and drink. That was a rather expensive place, beware what you order as you have to pay for each item separately, the scones, the butter, the marmalade, the cream, etc. When you order scones, you may assume that the price includes the butter, marmalade and cream. When we complained about this when paying the bill, the owner returned us some money. There is no pricelist in the tearoom, only a small note on the outside on which the prices are mentioned. So when you are around, go somewhere else or take good care before ordering else you will be ripped off at this place. From the Teastop it was only a short drive to Fanad Head with its bright white lighthouse. The waves were less spectacular here as at Rinnafaghia Point, but nonetheless we still were blown out of our clothes here. Via another route we returned to Letterkenny to do some shopping before returning to the cottage. After dinner Hilleke en Ciska went to the house of Kevin en Winnie (not far from the cottage) to ask something, Arjan stayed behind. Some time later the oldest son of Kevin en Winnie asked Arjan if he also wants to come to have a drink. Also two women from the USA who were staying in the other cottage were there and we all had a pleasant and enjoyable evening. Also Ciska, she enjoyed herself watching a video of Snow White (in English!).
Letterkenny
A quiet day while visiting Letterkenny, a town not far from Kilmacrennan. For breakfast we had bacon and eggs, for the first time since we left the B&B in Shankill. Around 10am Winnie stood at our doorstep to tell she had made an appointment with a dentist for Hilleke, she had a sore tooth for a few days now. So after breakfast we went to Letterkenny and parked our car in a car park in Main Street, one of the longests streets in Ireland. The dentist had his office also in that street, so we first wanted to know where it was exactly and we also looked for an internet café. We found them both in Main Street and then we walked to the cathedral, one of the few tourist attractions in Letterkenny by the way.
We have to be here right now for the dentist, else we probably wouldn't have visited this town. The weather, by the way, was drizzling at one moment and dry and sunny at the next moment. This is the kind kind of weather we are experiencing already for a few days. The gothic St. Eunan cathedral from 1901 has several beautiful stained windows and Celtic sculptures. There is also a life-size crib. The stable is missing, but all figures and animals were standing in one of the small chapels in the cathedral. After a visit to a bookstore to buy some postcards, Hilleke went to the dentist and Arjan and Ciska went to an internet café to check the mail. When they were finished there, Hilleke phoned to say that would take longer as she had to undergo a root canal treatment. She would phone again when that was finished. In the mean time Arjan and Ciska went to a a tearoom to have lunch. After that Hilleke phoned again to say the dentist was finished. As there was nothing more to do in Letterkenny we decided to go to the Tourist Info to get some more information about the town and surroundings. The Tourist Info is not in the centre of town as might be expected but out of town, but there are no signs for it. When we finally found it we took some information about Donegal and then we went to the town park of Letterkenny. This park has a large playground so Ciska had a great afternoon enjoying herself there. Back in our cottage Arjan tried to light the fire. It is fuelled by peat and it took him several fire starters to get it burning. So the remaining part of the afternoon and evening we had a nice fire in our living room.
Inishowen peninsula
The peninsula that most tourists visit is Inishowen. Via Letterkenny we first went to Grianán of Ailéach. This is a very old ring fort of eat least 2000 years old. The fort was restored in 1870 and it is located on top of a hill with a magnificent view over the surroundings. The fort is a perfect circle of 23 metres in diameter and at the base the walls are about 4 metre thick. When we arrived at the fort we met the American ladies that are staying in the other cottage of Kevin and Winnie. After a walk over the walls of the fort we went to Fort Dunree via the Gap of Mamore. Fort Dunree was build as a small fortress in 1798 against a threatening invasion by the French and at the end of the 19th century it was enlarged and modernised.
During the Second World War it was home to Irish militaries that had to assure that none of the fighting countries would violate the Irish neutrality. Since 1986 Fort Dunree is home to a military museum. When you are interested in military history a visit to this fort is highly recommended. After this visit we had lunch in a hotel in Ballyliffin before continuing our tour to Malin Head, the most northern point of the Irish mainland. The cliffs here are not as high and not as spectacular as those at Fanad Head. After a short walk on the cliffs we continued over this beautiful peninsula. Via narrow winding roads over hills and through valleys with sometimes sights on the ocean or an inlet. In Buncrana we wanted to cross Lough Swilly to Rathmullan to avoid driving around the lake. But unfortunately we arrived just too late to catch the 5 o'clock ferry and so we had to wait for about 1 hour and 20 minutes for the next crossing (it takes about half an hour to cross, but there is only one boat). In the same time we could have drive around the lake, but we decided to go with Ciska to the playground right next to the jetty. So she enjoyed herself for about an hour there. Around six we went to the ferry again and around seven we arrived at the other side of the lake in Rathmullan. From there it was about an half hour drive to Kilmacrennan.
Ardara, Glencolmcille, Slieve League and Donegal
The next day we got up early, as we wanted to visit the southwest of Donegal, a long drive from Kilmacrennan. So at 8:15 AM we were heading for Ardara, the weaving centre of Donegal. After about an hour we arrived in Ardara where we wanted to visit the Heritage Centre. But that didn't open until 10:30 AM and we didn't get up that early to wait for one and a half hour in Ardara. So we walked to the 'Donegal Tweed Visitors Centre' which already opened. There we saw a weaver at work and we bought some sweaters. From Ardara we went to Glencolmcille to visit the 'Folk Village Museum'. This is an open air museum about rural life in Donegal in former times.
The museum was founded in 1967 by Father James Mc Dyer who arrived in Glencolmcille in 1951 and he was very sympathetic with the poor people and he encouraged them to start small industrial art companies. The museum has a number of cottages from several periods so one can see how the interior of the cottages changed through the ages. In the surroundings of Glencolmcille we also searched for Turas (Standing Stones). These stones were, according to tradition, erected and decorated with crosses by St. Columba and so turned into religious symbols. Up until the present day there are still pilgrimages to these Turas. From Glencolmcille it is only a short drive to Slieve League, with almost 600 metres the highest cliffs in Europe. Via a narrow, steep and winding road we ended at a parking lot from where we were supposed to see the cliffs. Unfortunately they were all covered in clouds, so we could not see them in full glory. We waited for a while and made a walk up the cliffs, hoping the clouds would fade away, but the didn't. So we decided to return and we went to Carrick to have lunch. We also had the idea to take a boat ride on the sea to sea the cliffs from there, but after lunch the summits of the mountains were still covered in clouds so we didn't do the boat ride. Via Killybegs we went to Donegal to visit the local railway museum (Donegal Railway Heritage Centre). We arrived there at 4:30 PM and the museum closed at 5, so the lady at the desk let us in for free. In retrospect that wasn't so bad, as the museum is not that interesting and every cent spend for the entrance fee is one too much. Inside there are a few model trains and outside there is only one locomotive and one carriage on display. Outside there is also a model train running around a tree. Ciska liked this as she could run with the train around the tree. From the railway museum we went back to our cottage.
Also this day is the first of four days of the festival in Kilmacrennan and tonight there is Irish
dancing. Hilleke wanted to show Ciska what Irish dancing looks like, so after the 9 o'clock news with
the new London attacks and the funeral of the Irish girl that was killed in the Kusadasi bomb attack,
we went back to the village. The Irish dancing was in the 'New Hall' in Kilmacrennan. When we arrived
there was not much to do. The band was on stage, but not playing and there were only a few guests.
As we didn't want to stay long we were allowed to enter the hall for free. At around 1o PM more people
entered the hall and the band started to play. The public was mainly older people, younger people are
losing interest in traditional Irish dancing. After an hour having seen several dances, Hilleke even
participated, we returned to our cottage as it was time for Ciska to go to bed.
Glenveagh National Park and the Dunlewey Lakeside Centre
The last day in Ireland before we went to Northern-Ireland we stayed closed to our home. Our first visit that day went to Glenveagh National Park, a drive of only 15 kilometres. Glenveagh National Park is with its 16,500 hectares the largest national park in Ireland. The park also houses Glenveagh Castle, built in 1870 by John Adair. To build the castle he evicted a lot of families after "The Great Famine" (1845-1849) from this area as they spoiled his view upon the valley.
From the Visitors Centre to the castle is about 3.5 km. You can walk, but there are also minibuses (only free with an OPW heritage card) regularly driving up and down. The castle can only be visited by guided tour, you can't see the castle individually. As the castle was abandoned by the last resident in the 80s of the last century it is still completely furnished and very beautiful. Adjacent to the castle there are a number of really beautiful gardens with some rare flowers and trees. After the tour through we castle we made a walk through these magnificent gardens. Ciska also enjoyed herself in the playground before we continued to the Dunlewey Centre, only about 20 km from the park. This place we visited for Ciska only as there is also a large playground and a small children's farm. Together with Arjan she went for a ride in a pedal boat and we also went for a boat trip on Lough Dunlewey. After the short trip we visited the shop before returning home. After dinner we started packing our stuff so we can leave early tomorrow. Winnie had asked us if we could leave around 10 AM so she could clean the house before the next visitors would arrive.
From Kilmacrennan to Randalstown
Saturday, July 23. We got up early to pack our last things. At around a quarter to ten we were ready to go and we had to wait for Kevin en Winnie. They arrived shortly after and we talked about what we did in the past week and how much we liked the cottage. As we are expected to arrive at 3 PM at our next cottage we have to fill the gap in between as it is only about an hour and a half drive. In the meantime we visited the Newmills Corn & Flax Mills in Letterkenny. These are a restored corn- and flax mill, powered by water. The corn mill is still being used a number of times per year.
After seeing a video about the history of the complex we did a tour through the corn mill. The large waterwheel, the largest in Ireland (7.63 metre diameter, 3 rpm, 8 hp), still powers the mill and during the tour some of the water powered machines are demonstrated. The flax mill can also be visited, but not with a guided tour, that can be done individually, but the flax mill is no longer operational. Only a few of the machines are still present and therefore we found the flax mill less interesting than the corn mill. After the visit to this fascinating complex we went to an internet café in Letterkenny to check the mail and to have lunch. After lunch we continued to Northern-Ireland. You passed the border without noticing it, there is no notice of being in Northern-Ireland, the only thing is that speed limits and distances are in miles and no longer in kilometres. In the town of Claudy we phoned Valerie, the owner of the new cottage to inform her about our estimated time of arrival. From Claudy we took the motorway towards Belfast, which we left at Randalstown. It was easy finding the cottage, Ballealy Cottage, although the last 800 meters was over a small path trough pastures with cows and fences. Valerie was already waiting for us at the cottage and showed us around the huge house. Ballealy Cottage was built in 1865 as the lodge of the deer-keeper on the Shane's Castle estate.
Downstairs there are 2 bedrooms and a guestroom with a sofa bed, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen and a shower/toilet. Upstairs there is the master bedroom and a giant bathroom with toilet. This all is build around a small courtyard. A nice detail in the guestroom is the presence of an old-fashioned washing machine build in one of the corners. To use it in former times one had to walk for half a mile to get water from a well and put that in the large bowl. Below the bowl one has to light a fire to heat the water and then wash by hand. Nowadays that is not needed anymore, the house is equipped with an electric washing machine in the kitchen where one can also find an electric cooker. So there is no need to use the old-fashioned Stanley range in the dining room. The guestroom was used by Ciska as her dedicated playing room. This special house have we reserved through The Irish Landmark Trust, an organisation that buys and restores prominent, mostly old, buildings and rents them. One may think of old lighthouses, castles, schools and special houses like the Ballealy Cottage where we are staying.
Around Lough Neagh
We started the first day in Northern Ireland with sleeping late. The weather forecast for this day wasn't very promising for this day, and we had made no plans for this day. So we left the house around noon. But in contrast with the forecast, the weather looked great. For the first time since long we could see the sun against a blue sky with some friendly white clouds here and there instead of a dull grey sky like the past days. As we had no plans we decided to drive anti-clockwise around Lough Neagh, with its 400 km2 the largest lake of Great Britain. From Randalstown we drove via Toome to The Battery. At The Battery there was a large playground for Ciska and a few benches for us to enjoy the weather and the view over the lake. Our next stop was in nearby Ardboe to look at the 10th century High-Cross.
According the Lonely Planet one of the best preserved High-Crosses in Ireland, but to be honest, we thought the ones in Monasterboice and Clonmacnoise to be much nicer. This one is much more weathered and also some pieces are broken off. So after some pictures we left to go to Oxford Island at the south side of the lake. Oxford Island is a nature reserve where one can see a lot of birds and it is also a popular tourist attraction. It is possible to hike through the reserve and to make boat trip on the lake. We did a short walk and from a bird observation post aside the like we spied some birds like herons, ducks, grebes and some gull species. This reserve is also a popular destination for the local people, especially on a beautiful day like today, to do aquatic sports, to BBQ, etc. There is also a playground and a toddler pool. If we had known this in advance we would have left earlier this morning so we could stay longer in this pleasant reserve. Around 4 PM we continued up the east side of the lake to Antrim via small, winding roads. In Antrim we went to the Loughshore Park to have something to eat and drink at the shores of the lake. There were a lot of swans and Ciska was very interested in the 5 young swans and she felt pity for not taking some bread from the cottage. From Antrim it was only a short drive to Ballealy Cottage.
Causeway Coast
The next day we got up early again, we wanted to drive a part of the Causeway Coast. At least we wanted to visit the Bushmills Distillery and the Giants Causeway. The weather forecast on the radio (the cottage has no television) predicted the same weather as Sunday, only a bit cooler. But when we got up we only saw an overcast grey sky. No trace of a sunny blue sky. After breakfast we went to the town of Bushmill to visit the whiskey distillery with the same name. On the way there we had some showers, the weather had no resemblance with yesterdays weather, the temperature today was only about 12°, this in contrast with the 20° of Sunday. After about an hour we arrived at the distillery, right on time for the guided tour. First we saw a short film about the history of the distillery and then we had the tour. Unfortunately we didn't see the distillery at work as they were busy with the yearly maintenance update. We also weren't allowed film or take pictures because of possible explosions due to alcohol vapours.
The tour ended in the bar, the part everybody was waiting for, to drink a glass of whiskey (soft drinks or water for children). There was also the possibility for a few volunteers, including Hilleke, to taste 8 different whiskeys: Bushmills 6 years, John Power & Son, Jameson, Johnnie Walker, Jim Bean Bourbon, Black Bush, Bushmills 10 years and a Scottish Glenfiddich. At the end of the tasting all volunteers got a certificate that they are now a fully-qualified Irish Whiskey Taster. In the shop we bought us some Bushmills memorabilia, among which our third bottle of whiskey this trip, a 16 year old Bushmills Malt. From the distillery we had planned to take the train to the Giants Causeway, but it had just left when we arrived at the station and the next one would leave 2 hours later. So we decided to first visit the ruins of Dunluce Castle. These are at the edge of a cliff. In 1639, during a storm, a part of the cliff plunged into the sea together with the castle's kitchen. Seven servants and the diner for that evening also disappeared in the waves. It's an interesting ruin which is partly being restored.
From the castle we went to the Giant's Causeway by car and left the train the train. According the legend the giant Fion MacCool had made the Giant's Causeway. He had fallen in love with a female giant from Staffa, a small Hebrides island, and build the Giant's Causeway so she could come over to Ulster to live with him. When you don't believe this legend, than this wonder of nature was formed about 60 million years ago during large volcanic eruptions. When the lava cooled, the basalt shrinked and cracked which formed the polygonal blocks that are interconnected at the bottom. After we had clambered some time over the blocks, Arjan and Ciska walked to the Organ, a number of high basalt columns that looks like a set of organ pipes. Hilleke didn't want to walk there so she waited at a bench near the Giant's Foot. The weather, by the way, had cleared in the meantime. The clouds were partly gone and had made place for a blue and sunny sky. From the Giant's Causeway we went to the nearby Carrick-a-rede rope bridge.
This is a 20 metre long, 1 metre wide rope bridge hanging about 25 metres above the water and it is the connection between the mainland and the island Carrick-a-rede. From the parking place you have to walk for about a kilometre to the bridge. On the bridge there is 1-way traffic, on both ends there is someone directing the 'traffic' on the bridge. Once we crossed the shaky bridge we walked around the small island and looked over the high cliffs. They are quite high and you probably won't survive when you fall off. After crossing the bridge again we went to Ballycastle to inform about the schedule for the ferry to Rathlin Island. That is where we want to go tomorrow to see the puffins. We made reservations for the 10 o'clock ferry and the return ferry of 3:30 PM. Then we had a nice dinner in a restaurant in Ballycastle before returning home.
Rathlin Island
The next day we had to be at the ferry terminal in Ballycastle at 9:45 to go aboard the ferry of 10 o'clock to Rathlin Island. We left our cottage at 8:15 and arrived at the terminal at 9:30 where we parked the car as tourists are not allowed to take their car to the island. In the terminal we picked up our tickets and at 9:45 we could go aboard the ferry. On the car deck of the ferry they've put some plastic garden chairs for the passengers to have a seat. At 10 o'clock we departed for the 45-minute crossing to Rathlin Island. The bus that would take us to the Seabird Viewpoint at the West Lighthouse was waiting and we could get on the bus immediately. The drive to the viewpoint takes about 20 minutes.
From the viewpoint you have a great view on the large colonies of seabirds living on the cliffs like: seagulls, auks, cormorants, guillemots, gannets and of course the puffins for which we came, Ciska really loves these funny birds. The best period to see them is from May to the beginning of August. At the viewpoint there is the possibility to borrow binoculars to be able to have a good look at them. With our cameras we were just able to spot them. Because of the wind and the temperature we returned to the harbour with the next bus after 40 minutes. Back there we wanted to go to the Visitors Centre but it was closed, so we went to a nearby souvenir shop. After that we walked along to coast towards Mill Bay where one can see seals on the beach. We indeed saw some seals, not many, but enough for Ciska. From the seals we walked back to the harbour to have lunch in a restaurant. After lunch we had some time left before the ferry would return so we walked to a nearby playground where Ciska had a great time again. At 3:15 PM we walked back to the quay and went aboard the ferry back to Ballycastle. When we arrived in Ballycastle we went to the Tourist Info to inform about an internetcafé is. There is no internetcafé in Ballycastle but the lady at the desk referred us to the library. It took us some time to find it, we expected a large building, but it turned out to be rather small. After having checked our email we returned to Randalstown.
Belfast
When visiting Northern Ireland, a visit to its capital Belfast may not be missed. The city is less than a half hour drive from our cottage. We parked our car at a parking lot just outside the centre of the city and we walked via Royal Avenue to Donegall Place where the city hall is located. First we went to the Belfast Welcome Centre to get some more information about the city. In from of the city hall there is a memorial for the victims of the Titanic disaster. The Titanic was build on the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast.
Near the city hall we also saw a bus for a sight seeing tour. The driver of the empty bus was so kind to take us to the starting point of the hop-on hop-off bus tour. There we bought tickets of £9,= pp, Ciska could go for free. The weather today was great so we decided to take a seat on the upper floor. So apart from enjoying the city we could also enjoy the sun. During the tour, which takes about 70 minutes, we drove along a number of the Belfast sights. But there are not very many interesting sights in Belfast. First we came along Albert Clock, a large clock tower leaning to one side as it is build above an underground river on soft soil. The route continued to Queen's Road, the longest road in Belfast without pubs, The first thing we saw there is the Odyssey Complex, a large sports and entertainment centre with a sports arena, cinema, restaurants and cafés. Next thing is the Harland & Wolff shipyard with the building where the Titanic was designed. At present day it is a run-down building, but they are thinking of converting it into a Titanic museum. Outside there are still three old cranes that were used for building the Titanic. On the other side of the road is the present day shipyard. The shipyard doesn't build new ships anymore, they only repair and finish ships. On the shipyard you can still see two enormous cranes, known as Samson and Goliath, dominating the Belfast skyline. The larger of the two is more than 100 metre high and 140 metre long. The Titanic, by the way, is referred on many places in the city. The first Thai restaurant in Belfast, for example, was called 'Thai Tanic'. When in Belfast one cannot avoid the conflicts between Protestants and Catholics. This is best visible in the western part of the city. Here one can see the murals in Shankill Road (Protestants) and Falls Road. The tour bus also goes through the interface areas, where Protestants and Catholics live side by side. There one can also find the Peace Wall, a 6 metre high steel and concrete wall that separates the Catholic and Protestant quarters.
The wall has gates that are open during the day, but in the evening and night they are closed. We also came along the Solidarity Wall, a collection of murals depicting the republican sympathy with the Palestines, Kurds and Basques. All in all a special and impressive part of Belfast to visit. Via the university and the botanic gardens we returned to the starting point of the tour. Although it was a hop-on hop-off tour, we never got off the bus. After having a lunch we walked to the Crown Liquor Saloon, the best-known bar in Belfast with profuse Victorian decorations. After visiting this bar we walked to the river Lagan that divides the city in two. We made a short walk along the banks and at a certain moment we saw the head of a seal appearing from the water. As we heard later it is very normal that a seal appears, they are following the salmons up the river and so they can be seen at quite a distance from the sea. When walking along the river we also saw a sign for a boat trip on the river and as we had seen most of the city it seemed a good idea to take such a boat trip. The trip lasted for about an hour and we mainly saw residential and industrial areas, not very interesting I must admit. When we returned from the boat trip we slowly walked back to our car past the Albert Clock. Near the Albert Clock there are some fountains in the street that spout at irregular intervals. They are a challenge for the local youth to walk through and to get out as dry as possible. We walked on pas St. Anne's Cathedral to the parking place and returned to Randalstown.
Marble Arch Caves
Thursday, July 28. For a change we got up early this day. The weather forecast for this day was rain, and then it is better to visit something inside. In this case a cave, the Marble Arch Caves. These are in the west of Northern Ireland, near the border with the Irish Republic, near Enniskillen which is about 150 km from Randalstown. Maybe it would have been better if we had visited them from Kilmacrennan or even Boyle. We left at 8:15 AM and about 2.5 hours later, around a quarter to eleven we arrived at the caves. On the radio we had heard that a part of Omagh city was closed because of a bomb scare, so we took another, a bit longer, route.
We could join the 11 o'clock tour to the caves. Once we were inside the caves we first went into a small boat on the subterranean Cladagh river. After the short boat trip we continued on foot for about an hour through the caves. These caves are not especially beautiful; we've seen ones that were much nicer than these. But they have some very pretty stalactites (hanging from the ceiling), but there are very little stalagmites (standing on the ground) in these caves. One a very nice things here is the reflection in the very clear water of the subterranean river of small stalactites hanging just above the river. It looked a bit like a drowned city. Unfortunately it was impossible to take photos of this. The tour ended with a climb up a stair of 153 steps, according our guide. But to us it seems much less than 153 steps. Once we were out again we had something to eat and drink in the tearoom before continuing to Derry (Londonderry), another drive of about 2 hours. On the way we went into Ireland for a short time to post some cards that already had an Irish stamp on them and that we forgot to post them when we were still in the Irish Republic.
Derry
While we were on the way to Derry all news bulletins on the radio were extra long due to the truce that the IRA had announced to hand in all their weapons and from now on they want to solve the Northern Ireland conflicts by peace talks. There were also interviews with the relative of IRA bombing victims. They all agreed that the IRA can't be trusted in this and that they should apologize to all surviving relatives of the people that died because of the acts of the IRA. A visit to the city of Derry is therefore rather special at this day because on January 30 1972 14 people died because British soldiers opened fire on a group of demonstrators.
That Sunday about 20,000 people demonstrated against the confinement of people without any form of legal procedures. From then on this day went into history as 'Bloody Sunday'. Once we arrived in the city we parked the car in a parking garage close to the Tourist office near the centre of the city. At the Tourist Office we picked up some information about a walk on the old city walls. This wall is still completely present surrounding the old city and it is about 8 metres in height and on some places up to 9 metres width. From the walls you have a good view over the city outside the walls. This includes 'The Bogside' district with its murals that were made between 1997 and 2001 by Tom Kelly, William Kelly and Kevin Hasson. These murals depict important events of conflicts like the 'Battle of the Bogside', 'Bloody Sunday' and the hunger strike of 1981. In this district one can also find the monument for the victims of Bloody Sunday. During the walk through the old city we also went into the 'Craft Village', a number of small craft shops, mostly souvenir shops, combined together in one small district. When we had finished the walk on the city walls we walked into the Bogside district to see the Bloody Sunday monument. After that we walked back to find a restaurant. We had a great dinner in Fitzroy's restaurant before returning back to Randalstown.
Carrickfergus Castle
Our last full day in Ireland has come. This day we again slept late as tomorrow we have to get up very early to catch the ferry to England. And because the weather forecast was the same as for the past days, rain, the weather didn't invite to get up early. Initially we had made no plans for today, but we decided to only visit Carrickfergus Castle, north-east of Belfast. After a short drive we arrived around 11 AM at the castle. On the way there we had a lot of rain, but when we arrived at the castle it was dry. The castle was build in 1180 by John de Courcy to guard the entrance to Belfast Lough.
It is one of the best-preserved castles in Ireland and until 1928 it was still occupied. In the course of time, the castle has had several alterations like broaden the ramparts to place cannons. In July 1690 William III stayed in the castle to prepare for the Battle at the Boyne. In the castle there are several life size dolls resembling soldiers like for instance archers, a group of gunners and a knight on a horse. These kind of details makes the castle much more interesting for little children and Ciska liked them all. After the tour through the castle we walked to the Tourist Info to inform about an internetcafé. There is no internetcafé in Carrickfergus but for internet access we can go to the library. Before we went there we had lunch in the same building that houses the Tourist Info. In the library we handled our email and after that we returned to our cottage to pack our things for the long trip tomorrow to Horseheath near Cambridge in Engeland.
Towards Cambridge in England
Saturday July 30. The alarm waked us up at the inhuman time of 5 AM. The ferry leaves from Belfast harbour at 7:40 AM and we have to be there around 7 AM, minus half an hour drive means that we should leave our cottage at about 6:15 AM.
We didn't have breakfast in our cottage but we decided to have breakfast on the ferry. After packing the last things in the car we left the cottage for the last time. When driving down the 800 metre long drive way we suddenly saw three deer in a pasture. This was the first time we saw deer around the cottage. The cottage is close to Randalstown Forest where one can see many deer and the cottage used to be the house of the deer keeper. One of the outhouses of the cottage is called the Venison Store. On other days we had seen some other wildlife like rabbits and a squirrel. Once we were on the highway we soon reached Belfast harbour, it was very quiet on the road at this early hour on a Saturday morning. Once we were on the ferry we first had something to drink before we explored the ship and visited the shop. When we returned it was difficult to find an empty table so we could eat breakfast, it was very crowded. Also in Ireland the holiday season had begun.
Around 9:20 AM we were called to return to the car and shortly after the ferry moored and the doors opened. We were one of the first to leave the boat. From Stranrear in Scotland we drove via Dumfries to Carlisle where we entered the M6 motorway and we could make some progress. We stopped at a service station near Tebay to buy something to eat for lunch and we had a outdoor lunch. At that moment it didn't rain. Until now the weather was the same as the past days, rain, dry, rain, some sun, etc. Just past exit 19 near Knutsford we ended in a traffic jam that was due to an accident. It took us three quarters of an hour to get past it. From then on all went seamless over the M6 and A14 via Cambridge and via local roads to Horseheath. Around 6:15 PM we arrived at The Old Red Lion Hotel, our hotel/B&B for the coming two nights. In total it took us 12 hours and 700 kilometres, the longest stretch on one day this vacation. After a rest in our room we went to the hotel restaurant for dinner.
Cambridge
The next day after breakfast we went to Cambridge by car. We wanted to use the Park&Ride to go into the city but it doesn't operate on Sundays so we drive to the centre of Cambridge and parked in a parking garage. Then we walked to the Tourist Info to inform about a city tour. Here they also have hop-on hop-off bus, same as the one in Belfast. We walked to the starting point of the tour and we could immediately get on the bus. The price for the three of us was £19.50 but we got 10% off as we could show the driver the tickets of our Belfast tour (so keep your tour tickets, don't throw them away, they may save you money on the next tour!). But we only had £13.71 so we had to get money first. But the driver said that £13 would do, very kind of him. The tour went along many sights, and in this university city you will see a lot of colleges. We didn't get off the bus, but on the way we saw some things that we wanted to see and take pictures of when the tour was finished.
When the tour was done we first went for lunch and after lunch we went to the old city centre to stroll along the colleges and churches. Cambridge is called after the small river Cam and on several places in the city one can rent a punt to see the the city from the river. When walking through the city people constantly ask you, most of the times students, if you want to go on a punting tour with them. We didn't do it as we thought it was too expensive. During the walk Hilleke and Ciska went into the Disney Store while Arjan walked alone through the city as he didn't want to visit the shop. On a postcard he noticed The Backs, the backsides of the colleges, all with beautiful bridges across the Cam river. At St. Johns College there is the covered 'Bridge of the Sighs' across the river, but you can only see it when you are on the college premises and you have to pay an entrance fee to get in. But as only Hilleke had English pounds with her and Arjan had not he had to find some way to see the bridge. Behind Trinity College there was a dry ditch and by crossing it he could reach the premises of St. Johns College for free to make pictures of the bridge. In the mean time Hilleke and Ciska were at the Disney Store to buy a pair of princess mules for Ciska. When they were done in the Disney Store, which took quite some time with a six-year old girl, they went to the Guildhall and sat on a bench to wait for Arjan. When he arrived we walked to the 'Great St. Mary's' church. There we saw a leaflet that there would be a bell-ringing demonstration in the tower of the church. That seemed like fun to us so we joined. A man explained how bell-ringing works and how you can make them ring faster or slower. Then, with three other people, he first gave a demonstration with small bells what the order would be in which they would sound. After that they also did it with four of the twelve real bells in the tower. When the interesting demonstration was over we climbed further up the tower while in the mean time all twelve bells were ringing. When we were on top of the tower we could feel how the tower swung back and forth because of the weight of the twelve ringing bells within the tower. From the tower we had a great view over the city. After the visit to the church we went to a restaurant for dinner to celebrate the last evening of our holiday before returning to our hotel in Horseheath.
Arjan's birthday and return trip to Strijen
Monday, August 1st, Arjan's 41st birthday. At 6:45 AM the alarm went off, so we had enough time to wake up before having breakfast and packing the car. Hilleke and Ciska had bought Arjan a present on the ferry from Belfast to Stranraer and also in Cambridge they have bought him something. Around 7:20 there was a knock on the door, breakfast at bed and the congratulations of the hotel staff. Hilleke had organised this on Sunday and it was possible as we were the only guests in the hotel and they had time to do it.
A nice surprise, for the three of us there was a Full English breakfast. After this delicious breakfast we got dressed and packed our stuff in the car. After saying goodbye to the hotel staff we left around 8:30 AM for Harwich where we arrived at the ferry terminal at 9:50 AM. We have to wait for about half an hour before we could go aboard the Stena Discovery. Once we were aboard we found a table for 3 persons. On board there was also an entertainer for the children doing magic tricks and blowing up balloons. Ciska enjoyed herself there the larger part of the crossing. She couldn't understand him as the man mainly spoke English with only a few Dutch words. We arrived in Hook of Holland right on time at 15:20 PM and we were able to set wheels ashore on Dutch soil. After passport control, that we only had in The Netherlands, never in England or Ireland, we went for home and we arrived at 16:15 PM in Strijen. The end of our four-week holiday in Ireland.
