Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge (The Rope Bridge From Hell), and Giant's Causeway. Monday 1st June 2009.

We had taken up Rob’s offer to take us to visit the tourist attractions of Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and The Giant’s Causeway.

Rob stayed in the car as we left for the rope bridge which was a long, cliff-top walk, following the azure water whose colour was surely stolen from our Barrier Reef back home. “It will take quite a while” I said as we piled out of the car and said goodbye. “I’ll be alright, you go on” Rob replied, and so we did. We reached the bridge and had to queue for a while to cross, we weren’t the only tourists on the Antrim Coast today. Lilly waited as we crossed the swinging bridge and quickly explored Carrick-a-Rede Island. We sat and took photos in the long, soft grass on the far side closest to Scotland, the grass was scattered with purple, white and yellow wild flowers. Gulls drifted on the breeze on the way to their cliff side homes streaked with yellow lichen.

My stomach had begun to turn and my head was light. I was coming down from the adrenaline rush I received on my way over the rope bridge, which was suspended high above the water and rocks below. I dared not look down. I knew I had to cross it again to get back, and it was not a thought I was comfortable with. Silently I walked with my fear and crossed the bridge. On arriving on terra firma again, my knees began to buckle, I was weak and tears ran down my cheeks. I haven’t been comfortable with heights for a long time but I had never reacted like this. I guess I am getting worse with age.

Lilly was waiting, her face decorated with her beautiful smile, she rubbed by back. It was not long until I felt a little stronger although still quite shaky. We climbed the steps and dirt track, AJ and John gave Lilly a little push from behind on the steep bits, God love ya Lilly – you did so well, and we all made it back to Rob who was waiting in the hot car. I don’t know how he did it with the temptation of a cafe only metres from where we had parked. I needed a drink and to try to calm myself down and stop shaking. AJ ran to the car to ask Rob if he wanted a drink or and ice-cream at the cafe, he was hungry and wanted to head down the road to find somewhere for lunch. We ended up in The Bushmill’s Inn where I had celebrated my birthday years before, our treat. Lunch was ok, my seafood chowder was filled with salmon and mussels but I was horrified to chew on the beard of a mussel, sand and all – it was like chewing on a fur ball! I was even more horrified to see they had not taken it off the bill when it had been returned to the kitchen minus only four mouthfuls, then to short change me ten pounds! On the bright side, I did have a little pot of lovely fresh prawns and soda bread but I don’t think I will be back the next time I visit Bushmills.

I was excited for Alex to see The Giant’s Causeway. We arrived at 5.30, lucky we were no later as the last bus to shuffle the tourist hoards down the steep hill left the tourist office at 5.40pm. Rob wasn’t up to the walk; we were all disappointed the busses didn’t run later, especially in the summer when it doesn’t get dark until after 10pm. Lilly decided to take the trip with us, she is quite the trooper and although her knees ached, all she asked for was a wee stop once in a while and the boys gave her a wee push up a few of the steepest parts until we returned to Rob in the car park happily chatting to a new found friend. John, AJ and I had fun exploring the honeycomb-like rock formations. Alex spotted the Giant’s Boot and together we found the Wishing Chair, we sat in it and took a cheesy photo. I sat in the shade with Lilly while John took photos of AJ lying on the Giant’s Boot, we had a ball.

We didn’t get home until about 9ish and then lovely Lilly whipped out the fry pans for her much loved Ulster Fry. A traditional Ulster Fry consists of soda bread, wheaten bread, potato bread, black pudding, sausages, bacon, pancakes and tomato; a heart attack on a plate some might say. Rob joined us at the table just as we were finishing up, JR was dish pig tonight. Thanks for the delicious memories Lilly!

The Beautiful Antrim Coast. Saturday 30th May 2009.

Alan and Sandra had organised to take JR and I up the Antrim Coast, all the way to heaven. It could be heaven it is so beautiful, especially on a day like today with the sun shining. AJ was staying in Belfast to hang out with Peter and have a day without us oldies. Sarah and John took them go-karting and they had a ball. Junk food, computer games, an X-Box 360, fast karts and each other – they were in paradise, albeit a very different paradise to us.

We followed the Antrim Coast Road and its blue expanse with views to Scotland. Ballygally Castle sits overlooking the blue and was where Mum and Dad went for dinner-dances back in the day.


Alan detoured inland to Glenariff Forest; its floor was dewy and glistened as the sun reached it through the green forest canopy giving warmth to the ground where wild bluebells sprang. Waterfalls rushed to their destination into pools stained brown like Guinness, made so from the peat upstream. Alan pointed out clusters of shamrocks growing on the moist slopes which are surprisingly quite rare in this neck of the woods.

We lunched on steak and Guinness pie with peas and chips at the whitewashed McBrides Pub in the seaside village of Cushendun. The F.A. Cup was kicking off, so before long the dining room filled with beer swilling soccer fans. They all cheered in excitement when Everton scored in the first minute, the atmosphere was electric and it was great to experience the soccer culture of Northern Ireland.

Along a little more was Portaneevey. There was a caravan selling dulse (sea grass) and an uninterrupted view of the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge which we would attempt another day as Rob had offered to take us when we first told him we were planning to visit.



I had never been to Ballintoy Harbour and was glad Alan stopped here this time. We all licked home-made ice-cream while wandering along the water. Families played in the sand and canoes paddled in the water; it seemed everyone was out to enjoy the warm summer sunshine.

Further along the coast is Dunluce Castle, I remember reading about it last visit. Its kitchen fell down the sheer cliffs and into the sea.

We ventured no further than Benone Strand, an expanse of white sand beach you would not expect to find here. It is the norm to drive along the beach here, everyone was following suit. The sun was low in the sky as lovers walked hand in hand along the rippling shore.

We stopped in to meet Sandra’s brother Mark and his wife Roberta, they were just gorgeous. AJ and Peter arrived with Sarah and John, not surprisingly AJ was not filled with joy to see us knowing his day without the oldies would soon come to a close. Luckily for him Sandra asked if he could stay the night and she would drop him back home in the morning. We all stopped for a late night kebab and ate with Lilly around the Glencairn kitchen table and shared stories of our day with her.

Love you Alan and Sandra and thank you both for a day we will never forget. See you in Oz!