Stopover in Oslo

It was a lovely arrival into the city of Oslo. We travelled up the fjiord very early in the morning so it was a picture perfect morning to stand out on our balcony and watch the myriad  of islands with their colourful fishing villages and holiday houses perching on the edge of the cliffs pass by.
This is the prettiest harbour we have visited thus far, lots of low  forested hills, fishing boats and pleasure craft plying back and forth. Always exciting coming into a new place that you have read about and formed impressions of a small, proud Nordic country with majestic scenery and a people who lived sustainably with generous social security for its peoples.  In recent times it has been generous in its acceptence of refugees from Europe.

The waterfront

We berthed right in the city area. We can see the new Opera House on the water front with its distinctive roof line to represent an iceberg, the ski jump on the hill overlooking the town an the old fortress where our walk starts from. The city has strong environmental policies about building in the city and the preservation of its harbour and skyline so new builds are often dug into the hill and a large area is underground so the height can be kept within the height restrictions. There were several innovative designs nearby and the harbour had been redesigned to be a recreation area with walkways and special seating areas, performance spaces and green areas. Historic ships were berthed here too.

Best of all we are berthed beside the Akershus fortress, an impressive building which guards the city. The city burned down in 1624 and the king rebuilt the city under the walls of the fort. Franklin D. Roosevelt has his statue here too.
The Akershus Castle and Fortress (1299) is 700 years old and it has a rich history of warfare between the Swedes and more recently the Germans in WW11.

 The day is overcast, cloudy and at 7.00am a little cool but the forecast promises twenty degrees later in the day, our warmest day to date. It turned out to be a stunning day, summery and calm, just what we needed. We had a great day in Oslo, no doubt helped by the warm temperatures  but it was a very accessible city.

After breakfast we joined our walking tour around the city. If we had known we were berthed so close to everything we may not have taken a tour but we would have missed much of the interesting details provided by our guide.

The Palace

It was a three hour tour which took us to the Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Ibsteins  Museum and former home, the Town Hall and the National Theatre.  Ibsteins' words were etched into the pavemants we walked around and it was obvious he was a favourite son of the city.

We went to the Nobel Peace Museum, built here in 2005 in honour of Alfred Nobel and the Peace Prize Laureates, we visited the galleries featuring  past and present winners of the awards honoured in an impressive display. I saw Barack Obamas award and Mother Teresa's citation amongst many others displayed in the Wall Papers and the Nobel Chamber.
The current winner is the Columbian President, Juan Manual Santos who has averted civil war in his country and he is rebuilding the country from its dependency on the cocaine harvest and he has dedicated the award to the victems of the civil war that has lasted more than fifty years. We also saw a compelling display on the lives of Syrian refugees  told through their eyes and detailing their stories of loss of their homeland and their culture. A very moving testimony to a human tragedy.

Nobel Peace Centre 

The city is attractive, lots of trees and outdoor spaces, play areas for children and clean! The transport is clean and green too and recycling initiatives are very visable.

Our guide told us a lot about their lives here. It is expensive to live  in Norway,taxes are high but people love their country and their welfare support for people  so they often have two jobs, they shop over the border in Sweden, and education is free. An enviable society.

After the tour we went back for lunch on the ship, changed into lighter clothes and set off to find the National Gallery where we hoped to see the Edmund Munch Exhibition featuring, 'The Scream, Madonna, and The Sick Child', among other notable displays of Nordic artists work.

We had luck on our side as it was a Thursday and entry fees were waived. We did not have any krona so we were trying to work out how to change our money but it was free so in we went.
We spent time looking at various exhibitions of Norwegian artists and also some of the great Impressionists-  Monet, Gaugain,Cezanne, Van Dyck, Reubans etc. The gem was the Munch Room with a number of his originals displayed there.
Too soon it was back to the ship and a chill out. I had planned a swim but on going up to the pool area I found it was all set for the 'Sailing Away' party. A peculiar British custom where everyone sits around the pool waving British flags and singing patriotic songs as the ship sets sail. Not keen to display my white body in front of the crowd I fled for the safety of the cabin and a read in the sun  on the deck instead. I finished my Anita Shreve book-The Stars  are Fire. A good read.
That night we went to a great concert in the main theatre featuring the Strictly Come Dancing Team.

Southampton,the start of our Adventures at Sea

The day had arrived. The cruise was imminent. Lou escorted me to the Archway tube station so I could connect to Waterloo Station where I was meeting Beryl and Brad for lunch before we set off by train to Southampton for the big adventure.......

It is evident from our first walk in Southampton that we were in an old maritime city. Brass plaques on the high street testify to the  rich history  played out here. From the Pilgrim Fathers  who departed here in in the 16th Century to the Titanic in the 19th Century, along with the wars and  navel battles history had  attributed to this town. 

The maritime history is celebrated in the museums but also in the buildings and monuments, anchors and installations found along our walk down to the wharf to see where we would depart from. How many women would have farewelled their men over the centuries? No such sorrow for us!

We had left London after a lovely lunch and catch up with Beryl. We met up at  at Waterloo Station and walked along the South Bank looking for a lunch spot The sun was out so we made the most of it and sat outside at the Wharf restaurant on Gabriels Wharf. There is something a little exotic to catch up with friends who normally meet on the other side of the world!

 Dreadful news later that night about the terroist attack at the Borough Market and London Bridge, not far from our lunch spot.

Brad and I caught the  2.35  train from Waterloo to Southampton where we enjoyed some  entertainment from fellow travellers. One local enquired of some Japanaese with very large suitcases if they were moving house!!. A rather large man attempted to catch our attention but eventually he moved off to be replaced by a couple of women who insisted Brad remove her suitcase because she could not ride backwards on a train. Brad had her case on the seat next to her so a few black looks!!!

We got a taxi to the hotel and found we were staying in a hotel used by Jane Austen for her 21st birthday bash! 

One of the rooms had a label on the door as the Jane Austen Suite. The hotel was old but comfortable, quirky might describe it best and it had a malfunctioning lift which is not helpful when you are three floors up.

We took a walk down to the dock area to see where our ship would be berthed. We saw the QE11 come in and what a business to berth her.
Our day finished with a nice Italian meal near to the hotel.
Sunday dawned. Cool and crisp so I was grateful for my puffer vest as we shopped around for breakfast at a local bakery before exploring the historic area around the hotel. We walked along the old walls  and saw buildings which had escaped  damage from the bombings  during WW 11, plus a gorgeous old pub with hanging baskets bursting with colour. I am always envious of their skill with plantings a variety of colour and great shapes.

Later we collected our cases from the hotel and we made our way down to the cruise ship terminal where our ship loomed high on the skyline. It looked impressive the closer we got. 
Our suitcases,  resplendent with their new locking devices, were swallowed up into the chute while we waited several hours in the terminal area for our boarding call.  Soon we were on our way down the gangplank and inside our floating hotel. Enormous on first sight and all a bit confusing but we will find our way no doubt with in a short time.Our cabin is lovely. On the 12th deck and forward of the ship. The holiday begins......

Exploring Lively lisbon

We were delighted with our apartment in Lisbon,very close to the transport needed,as well as the scenic areas of Cais de Sodre. We were in Alecrim Street which was a link to the waterfront area and the old suburb where the 28 tram left from. We were in the pink light area too with the road below us painted pink and home to a number of late night strip shows.Thank goodness for our triple glazing. Our landlady explained this was to keep us quiet from the late night antics.

Catching a' Hop on Hop off Bus' is the first step towards orientation of a new city so we were out and about early to make good use of our time today.There were several possible routes to choose from so we fitted in two of them which enabled us to see much of the scenic highlights of the city.
We also managed to fit in a visit to the nearby produce market  for fruit and breakfast stuff before hopping on the bus  as we were up early and we decided to check out the local produce on offer. It is a very big market and all under a big roof so easy to access rain or shine. Els recommended the 'Time Out' market adjacent for Tartare beef dish to die for! needless to  say we sampled it before we left. Delicious indeed.

This was our second trip because I wanted to see the Monument to The Discoveries up close as well as the Torre de Belem and the Monastery of St Jeronimos out in the Belem district. It was a coolish day, overcast with a strong wind so my jersey came in handy. We were expecting warmer weather but hopefully it is due to warm up over the next few days.

Belem is in a coastal area and marks the meeting the meeting of the Targus  river and the ocean so this area features lighthouses and promenades which allow for attractive walking spaces. The harbour has lots of yachts sailing in the blustery conditions, bigger racing yachts sailing upwards against the wind towards the suspension bridge. The area also boasted a spa, an up market art gallery,marinas,parking and food stalls.

There was an art installation of hearts on the walkway. It was created in the word LOVE to raise money for children with congenital  heart defects in Mozambique. You purchased a metal lock and attached it to the sculpture  it was an interesting place to wander about in and people watch from the walkway.
. We walked along to see the Tower of Belem which once stood on an island in the harbour and guarded the entranceway to the harbour. The queue was so long to get into the tower so we just observed the crowds and walked along to the Military museum which was not built when Brad was last in the city but it was an impressive memorial guarded by sailors in military dress. The monument celebrated 100 years of services by their service men and women.

The Monument to the Discoveries was erected in honour of Henry the Navigator in 1960 and marked five hundred years  since Henry the Navigator  explored and discovered new lands and territories for King John, his father and King of Portugal.
It is a stunning limestone memorial  standing on the bank of the river and depicting the epic event with family, palace courtiers, monks and King John farewelling  him on his epic voyage. It is a really eye catching memorial made in stone with carvings and symbols of importance. Each of the stone figures represents a real person present at the sailing. Around the monument is an eye catching mosaic design gifted by the South Africans called a Compass Rose and laid out the voyage,compass points etc.
Brad had been here before so she decided not to climb up the tower but people watch instead.
 I decided to go up to the top of the tower as I could see people on the top level so I bought my ticket but found you went up by a lift so not too strenuous after all. What a great view of the coastline. The bridge  to the south bank  which was for a long time the longest suspension bridge in the world spans a a large stretch of water plus, the Tower also overlooked the pleasure gardens in front of the monastery with a view back over the  city towards the hills.

The city has many maritime heroes and their conquests made them a leading global maritime nation in past centuries. The theme continued as we crossed the road bridge to see the Monastery  of Jeronimoes, a Manuelian style construction and huge! It is now a place of several museums. Some parts were open to visit but the queues were immense so we decided not to go into inside as we have seen several other monasteries while with Victor in Sintra.
 I did venture into the Church/chapel where  I saw the sarcophagus of Vasco de Gama and the poet who described his epic voyage in verse.

We also wanted to  visit the shop which was home to the Portugueses custard tart but the bus had passed it by before we realised and our opportunity was lost. Need to return for this delicacy. We were ready for a break, some lunch and a timeout slot at our apartment.
After the afternoon break we had a great trip exploring the old town of Alfama,an old Moorish quarter full of steep,cobbled streets and markets.

Windsor

This is the gate the Queen drives through when she is in residence.

Bray

A picturesque village stopover.

Cliveden Estate Photos

Some photos of the Grand house and spectacular borders.

Photos of Runnymede

A lovely Sunday.

Nick and Els took me on a lovely drive to Cliveden Estate, a stately home run by the National Trust  in Buckinghamshire. It was once the home of the Duke of Buckinghamshire.
This is a part of the UK I did not know anything about so it was a special day out because we also passed Runnymede where the Magna Carta was signed back in by King John on the 15 June 1215.
Nick took us on to have a look at the site and we were able to walk over to the installation of bronze chairs to represent the signing. It is set on a beautiful field framed by trees and next to the Thames River. The National Trust look after the site and the area has been signposted and upgraded recently to celebrate an anniversary of the signing. It is a popular picnic site today and many families were walking and picnicking on the grounds.
These surprises and special areas of history make the UK so interesting. Who knows what you will see next?
We drove on towards Maidenhead and Cliveden Estate. Els used to live here many years ago which is how she knew about the estate although she had never been there before.
There is a hotel here,400 pounds a night to stay here!!! Nick and Els thought it might be a nice place to have a weekend break until Els looked it up online and saw the costs involved.

The grounds are extensive and beautifully maintained by the trust who are upgrading and working on the restoration of the front terrace overlooking the Buckinghamshire countryside.
We visited the little chapel overlooking the countryside called the Oriental Chapel,
featuring glass mosiacs panels depicting the apostles and paintings of the virtues of  Faith, Hope, Charity etc.
We walked along to the partarre and admired the colourful plantings of gladiolus, begonias and salvias etc in triangular box hedge gardens. A formal design with views out over the countryside and back up to the house.
The walk ended  with a statue of Greek classical origins  set in a half moon shaped planting of colourful bedding begonias.
We walked back up to see the perennial borders which were really striking and superbly planted with graduating heights of reds,yellows and bronze colours.
After we explored Cliveden gardens we drove to Bray where we had a drink at a 15th Century pub called the Hinds Head. The famous chef Heston Blumnental owns this place and it is cooky like his cooking.
This town has two Michelin starred restaurants in a small village. The Fat Duck and Riverside so all you foodies will know where to go for a dining experience.

After our drink we drove to Windsor and walked around the town and castle walks. The Queen was in residence so flags were flying. I did not realise that she could walk out the gates and pick up a pizza!!!
It was a lovely strolling around the castle walls and into the Royal railway station now a shopping mall. Surprising to see the beggars on the street here outside the palace. We saw The leaning house and the gate the Queen drove through. Unfortunately the light was not good for photos so it was hard to get a good perspective but it is an impressive castle.
We left about seven and drove back to London for tea. It was warm enough to sit outside and eat our dinner. We had lots of delicious  left overs from our barbecue last night with Jenny Durling. Such a good night that was too. We missed Lou and Jonathon but hopefully they are having a great holiday in Spain,swimming and relaxing in the sun.😎😎😎😎

London in Summer

The weather has been marginal for summer since returning from Ireland. Cool and cloudy, with heavy rain which has kept temperatures fairly low so getting out and about has been daunting.
I went in to the city on Tuesday to have lunch with Brad and go to a baroque string concert at St James. It was chaotic in the Crypt where we met for lunch. Full of tourists,families on holiday and queues  for food so we abandoned that place and headed to St James Square where it was quieter but then the rain started. It bucketed down so brolleys  became a weapon or shelter whichever you came up against.
The day ended well as Lou and Jenny met me for a drink and a meal at the local pub in Stroud Green. It was great to catch up with Jenny and hear she had managed her shift to her new flat successfully.
Anyway the concert was great and well worth the effort but I was not keen to stay on town so set out for the bus in the rain. Puddles everywhere so I was drenched by the time I got the 91.
Another day Lou and I watched the movie, "A Man Called Ove". We had read the book and enjoyed the movie,another one similar to, "I Daniel Blake".
Later I took Lou and Jonathon out for dinner at their favourite Italian restaurant in Foothill Road. It is not far from here so we walked to and from and the skies cleared enough for a pleasant walk.
Lou and I walked Coco the dog on Tuesday night. It turned out a much better evening than earlier so we walked up towards Highgate and then back down the walkway to Finsbury Park along with all the other dog walkers.
Monday was not such a miserable day so I cleaned the flat windows and cleared  the washing backlog before going for a walk in the park. Later I went into Trafalgar Square to the National Gallery to complete my circuit of the old masters. It was a bun fight inside as the tourist season has hit top gear and the galleries were packed with people and public transport rather hot and stuffy so I was glad to get back to the flat.
I made Coronation Chicken for tea which Lou likes and then she introduced me to a new detective programme set in the Caribbean which we are now addicted to. Must say the travel bug suggests these islands would be a nice place to hang out in.
Anyway my time in the UK is coming to an end. This weekend I stay with Nick and Els out at South Ealing before catching my flight home on Monday.

A day trip to Faversham

It was a place I had read about and Brad also recommended it as a place worth visiting. It is an historic  market town with its location noted in the Doomsday Book back in 1066.
The settlement though goes back to the stone ages and the first settlers would have walked here from Europe according to the stone ages artifacts found around the river.
The trip takes about an hour from St Pancras on the South Eastern line and you travel through the 'fruit bowl' countryside so orchards and granaries flashed by as well as hops and vineyards which made for a pleasant trip.

Once I arrived I found the visitor centre to see if there was a way to visit the Mt Eiphram Gardens or Balmoral House gardens but as I expected they are hard to access without a car so I settled for a walk around the town.
They had a historic route map to help the quest so off I went to find the pond and the river where there was a walk along the salt marsh which I thought would be worthwhile. It was refreshing to get out into open spaces and feel the wind on my face.

The town is known for its gunpowder production-500 years years of explosive history according to the records. It was probably tbe first place in England to manufacture gun powder. Needless to say a few explosions are noted in their historical records!!!
The Oare marshes were the site of a huge manufacturing site now home to salt marshes and migratory birds.

Nowadays the brewing industry has a presence here as did oyster harvesting and The manufacture of carbon dioxide cartridges for quarrying.

The town is full of historical buildings  with  their original facades preserved. Timbered and brick dwellings date back to the 16th Century. The Market Place features a very well preserved Guildhall but only the original Tudor piles survive. Fire has taken it's toll here too.

There are old abbey remains here too with a carving of it out of a stump. Quirky. Abbey Street had some particularly attractive houses with little gabled windows and very small ornate doors leading off the street. You would not need to be a six footer!

The port area is on a river now silted up from its original heyday but many boats are still tied up here and some are grand old ladies.There are some canal boats here too.
I had a lovely lunch in a garden shop down in the old port area. There was an amazing old tool shop here too with restored forks and spades and everything you could imagine in a garden.

I enjoyed walking along the river, eating blackberries on the way until the rain started so I headed back to town to look at the op shops where I found a few treasures to take back to town.

I got back to Waltersville Road in time to cook up  some spicy chicken for dinner. Lou and Jonathon were packing for their holiday to Spain so it was nice to have a final meal together. Jonathon had been to Ireland for a few days so it was a nice catch up time.

Derry Phographs

Today was not tropical. The raincoat, merinos and long pants are essential gear plus 'don't leave home without your brolley' takes on a different significance here.
Here are a few photos which I was able to load which show the variety of landscapes in the town.

Derry

We arrived in Derry after a very comfortable bus trip from Sligo. The route took us along the Wild Atlantic Way and offered great views of the coastal bays and rural farms. Everything is very tidy on the farms but on a small scale compared to home.
Big skies out here with rather turbulent cloudscapes today. Patches of rain from time to time but when the sun came out it was a great scene. Clear air and fresh temperatures.

When we arrived  in Derry we had to find our accomodation which was not too far from the bus stop and when we did William, our host  was very welcoming. We got settled and then went out to have a look at the town. It was not raining so we walked the walls first in case it rained tomorrow. The forecast was not promising.

The walls are the best preserved examples of city fortress walls in Ireland and the only remaining completely walled city in Europe. They were build in the 1600 's by local lords to keep out maurading tribes.
There is a lot of history here and the walls tell a story. First,was of the attempt by King John to conquer the the town. The apprentice boys  refused to open the town gates in 1688-1689 and a 105 day siege by King John followed. The local citizens held out and the King returned to London but  later the town was undone by the Cromwelian army and power then passed to the Royal house of England after another battle on the walls.
Plantations were set up by  King Henry 8th  to colonise Ireland in 1641. English settlers were sent to colonise the city. They were instrumental in changing the face of the town and how people lived their lives. I had no idea what an impact it had, in fact I had not heard the term Plantations in the context of colonisation before,
The city is founded on history it seems at first glance but it has a history to of shirt making,linen trade, agriculture and fishing.

We ate at Browns, a cafe nearby with an award for best service. I had a beautiful meal of pan fried  cod served on a ratatouille type base with new potatoes.

Today we visited the magnificent neo Gothic  City Guildhall, still in use for city governance and built in 1887. It has been burnt down and also bombed by the IRA during its history.  It has a magnificent set of stained glass windows illustrating the history of the city. While we were there the city organist was playing so we were able to listen to his recital in a lovely setting.

The weather cleared a bit so we set off to visit The Bogside. We walked up Rossville street where the British Army fired on the Irish Army who were holding a procession and carnage followed.
This area was famous for the troubles and the Battle of the Bogside, Free Derry and Bloody Sunday. It was at the heart of the rebublican cause.

This was a classic story of a fight for civil rights in modern times. Many people lost their lives during this period. The memorials highlighted the age of many as youths,so sad for families.
It started to pour while we were looking at the murals painted by local artists at the request of local people to illustrate the 'troubles'. They make a powerful statement about the impact of the troubles on people's lives here,their politics and the history of the town.

We visited the Peace Wall, original murals and monuments to Bloody Sunday victims before the rain drove us back through the city walls into the craft market shopping area where we had a coffee and I tried a treacle scone.

Back to our apartment for a break and lunch before taking a walk over the Peace Bridge to the area over the river. This is where the British Army were stationed in the barracks along the banks of the river. We walked around this area along the river until the skies looked very threatening so we headed back across the bridge.

The rain eased so we walked up through the entry gates to the town and wandered around inside the walls before strolling back down the walls past the little St Augustine's Church on the site of the first monastery in Ireland  built in 546 AD by St Columba before he left to go to Iona. The current church was built in the 13C and has the oldest Graves in Derry. Church services still take place regularly.

Tomorrow we have booked tickets to travel to the airport. It is a bit of a walk but I guess my legs will hold out. They have done many km this trip.

Sligo Stopover

We had a great bus trip through from Belfast to Sligo. It was wet first thing but the day improved and we enjoyed our trip through rural Northern Ireland to Enniskillen where we caught another bus to Sligo. The first trip we paid in pounds and the second in euros.
We crossed the border into Southern Ireland  without any fanfare or even any signposts.

There was a beautiful trip up through villages and several small towns before we entered a beautiful Valley with a lough and steep hills complete with a significant waterfall. It was a lovely drive.
We arrived in Sligo at 4.40pm to be met by our host who had arranged another B and B as he had double booked us so we are at the" An Cruise in Lan" and our host is Liam McGettigan,shades of Five Rivers.It was a good option as we had a very comfortable room and a great breakfast. Nice people.

Our stay was a short one, we enjoyed the town,it had quite a European feel to it,flowers on the bridges,lots of cafes and pubs with a river running through the town with salmon running. Fishermen lined the bridges and when we looked over the side we could see the salmon running. Quite a sight.

We went on a free walking tour in the morning before we caught the bus to Derry and we saw the Abby built in medieval times,along with the Yeats House and Spike Milligan house.

Our guide had lots of good stories to tell. Storytelling sits well with the Irish. She told us of Spike's refusal to get a British passport because he would not give allegiance to the Queen so he got an Irish one and his epitaph is in  Gaelic so not to offend." I told you I was ill".

The abbey was rebuilt after the first fire. The pope called on the good people of Sligo to put their hands in their pockets to fund it's rebuild,particularly the rich residents. As an inducement he offered them a direct path to heaven.

Another story was that of the abbey again when the plaque struck. Apparently if you were rich enough to have a coffin you had a bell inside so if you came too inside you could ring your bell for a rescue. Apparently people lined up outside the grounds in the hope of rescuing someone.

The men in the nearby prison had to do hard labour and that involved walking 10,000 steps a day pushing the big water wheels for fresh water. It saved them because they had fresh water to drink so no prisoners died of the plague.

Anyway we had to leave  the tour in order to walk to the bus station to catch our bus to Derry at 1.30pm.

Giant's Causeway to Dunluce Castle

What a great day out we had today. The day was cloudy to start with but as we travelled up the coast route to the Giant's Causeway the day improved and then suddenly  the sun came out, no wind  so it was  very balmy  and the views along the coast were lovely. We stopped first at Carrick Fergus Castle which we had visited on the Hop On tour  yesterday before travelling further up the coast.

We passed lovely traditional fishing villages with their whitewashed frontages or of grey stone construction, they are very neat and tidy, some have pretty gardens and there is usually a pub or two with beautiful hanging baskets outside. The countryside is so pretty too,very green,no wonder it is called the Emerald Isle. Lots of farming communities with cattle and hay fields being based and some cropping happening. Everything is on a small scale compared to home.

The drive up the coast took a couple of hours and throughout the trip our bus driver Troy, regailed us with anecdotes and jokes in his Irish way,I think these guys have a different gene pool,anyway very entertaining.

We stopped at Carrick-a-Rede for keen folks to walk the rope bridge across to a headland. We decided we did not need to do this as we have plenty of experiences on shakey bridges!!!

This stop was for two hours so Brad and I went for a walk along the headland towards the next village which was lovely. We met a chap walking his dog and we had a chat about the area before walking back to the quarry area which turned out to be the site of a Game of Thrones scene so the place was packed with fans. This series has had the same impact here as Lord of the Rings had in NZ.

We climbed the cliff areas and looked out to Sheep Island. History says it was good for grazing 7 sheep and starving 11. Now days it is a bird sanctuary for cormorants and other search birds. Seals can be seen here too.

We had two hours here as it is quite a walk to the bridge along the cliff and back so a nice stop to get fresh air and see the local scenery.

From here we went to the village of Carrick-a-Rede for lunch at the pub. It was the best seafood chowder I have ever tasted,full of flavour and packed with fish bits. The pub was also involved in the Game of Thrones filming and the No 6 door was to be found here, plus you could sit in the throne and dress up in the costumes for photo shoots! Did we? No, but many did.
From here we continued up the coastal route with a brief stop at the Whiskey Distillery at Bush Hills. Not really my thing but we explored the shop and admired the wooden barrels before climbing on the bus for the eagerly anticipated visit to the Causeway.

We had booked for the tour so our guide appeared clad in his kilt of Causeway tartan. A fine specimen he was and he gave us a good insight into the geology and history of the area. His family had been here since the earliest times and had been shore dwellers rather than fishermen and life for the people had changed over the years. He was a third generation guide and his wife's family were Purdies and dated back to earliest times.
We got two versions of how the Causeway came about. One from our bus driver on the Finn McCool giant myth and the other on the  volcanic origins over six hundred million years ago followed by an ice age and ice packs changing the landscape and revealing the basalt headlands.

Basalt columns are not new for us but this place  is an amazing sight despite that. It covers a huge area, we only saw part of it but it was a gorgeous day and the sea very calm so we explored the site and enjoyed the whole experiencing of visiting the eighth wonder of the world. The whole sight was covered by people visiting the National Trust site and buses bussing people back wards and forwards.

Our last stop was at the Dunluce Castle ruins on cliffs overlooking the sea. This ruin dates back to medieval times but more recently has seen life in the Game of Thrones and it certainly had an impressive presence in terms of atmosphere.
Our trip back to Belfast followed the motorway route so we were about an hour plus when we reached the city. It had been a great day out.

Photographs of the Giant's Causeway.

An amazing area to visit. Nothing new about basalt columns for us but the size and scope of the area is what is significant. It is encased in steep cliffs and extends for miles along the coast.

Belfast Adventure

Our trip to Belfast has been excellent. I wish we had longer to explore this area. We have had amazing weather too. Two sunny,mild days to explore the city and take a trip up to the Devils Causeway.
Our arrival here was not as smooth as we had hoped. Our flight was two hours late leaving Gatwick so we eventually arrived at our accomodation at one o'clock.  I had rung and kept them up to date with our travel but we were not very popular on arrival. It is a comfortable place a little further out of town than we thought but on a bus routes so it is fine. We just catch the bus outside and it drops you into the City Hall.
Yesterday we decided to do the Hp on Hop Off bus tour to get familiar with the city layout and to see what other places we wanted to visit.
The bus trips were great value and came with a personal commentary in the gorgeous accent, I could listen to  all day. All the quids have a sense of humour with some fairly hairbrained stories to tell. Good fun to listen to.
There first tour took us around the city and places like The Titanic and ship building areas,the largest Celtic cross in the world,the City Hall,the Stornaway Parliament building set high on the hill with an elegant entranceway ,the Peace Gate and the walls that divided the catholics and protestants. The 'troubles' are behind us say the guides but work is still needed before the  walls come down. It was interesting driving around these areas of conflict as flags were flying following the 12 July Commemorative Parade and it was still evident the allegiances of the districts we drove through. Apparently the flags fly at half mast because the ladders do not go higher!!!!
Queen's University was a lovely area and we had hoped to get back and have more time there but time is running out. The City Hall was another one, Ace worth a visit but maybe we may fit it in before we leave on Wednesday morning.
The second tour took us out to the Castles. There are two castles, one is a recent one donated by Lord Shaftesbury and it is now a tourist attraction with lovely views over the city. It had attractive gardens, one in particular was the cat garden where a mosiacs cat was a centrepiece.
The other castle was at Carrick Fergus and it dated back to William of Orange days when he defeated his cousin King John and took over the castle. A little man standing four feet tall, there is a life sized statue of him outside the castle ruins.
This tour went along the coast and up the hill above the city so great views on a lovely balmy day. We enjoyed this tour in particular.
After the tour finished we popped into the Information Centre and arranged our trip to the Devils Causeway for Tuesday as the weather is still to be settled.
After that we walked along to the Titanic Centre and went into see the display. This is a world class event. It was voted top visitor attraction in the wold recently and you could see why. A lot of planning obviously to present something to this level.There were amazing audio visual effects,the sounds of ship building and the interactive screens brought the era alive. The cabins and furnishings of the different classes below deck was interesting and the personal stories added reality to the experience.  You even had a ride in a shuttle through the different levels of the ship.
It was a very absorbing experience which took about two and a half hours to see so it was a long day by the time we got back to our accomodation and found somewhere to eat.
Tomorrow
is the Devils Causeway to look forward to.

And more.....

Chester Photographs.

Some images of Chester which I can get to load.