WEDNESDAY - Spent a relevantly quiet morning in and around Armagh. Ian went off for a walk whilst I found a giant size coffee in a cafe with a internet so was able to catch up on the last week's blog and emails. We discovered a fantastic outdoor photography exhibition around the city entitled 'Earth from the Air' a ten year project by a french photographer (about 100 in all - at least 2 m x 1 1/2m placed in parks, squares and shopping malls. Amazing images and we wandered around looking at them. After lunch we went off to the Navan Fort. An ancient mound or hill where a fort has been the archeologists work for many years. Interesting and makes us wonder just how many of these are out in fields all over Ireland and other parts of Europe. These are pre-viking invasion so date back to BC. There is a very informative Information Centre there as well as a reconstructed 'cottage'. The thatch and basket weave walls are fantastic.
THURSDAY - We went off to Belfast today driving as far as Lisburn and using the park and ride into the city. Once there we took the city tour bus around Belfast. This took us out through the dock area and then to the Parliment House which is huge, back into the city and then to the Shankill area which is very much the protestant area of Belfast. They were preparing for the Battle of Boyne celebrations on 12th July. Union Jacks were flying everywhere and shops decorated with flags and red, white and blue balloons. Men and boys were starting to build huge bonfires, mostly out of pallets and they were already 3 or 4 metres high. I feel this must inflame troubles but was told by a lady that 'they' (the catholics) have their celebrations in August and they do the same. We had been warned to take our Australian flag out of the back of the car because it is possible that some radical would see it as a union jack and put a rock through the car window. Bit sad. No photos.
FRIDAY - It is time to get out of Northern Ireland before the weekend so we have driven south today towards Cavan. The only way you know you are across the border is by the line markings on the road and you start seeing different number plates on cars. We wanted to see an old castle built on a mound in the middle of a lake outside Cavan. We must of missed the turn through a forest park and kept driving around, almost in a circle looking for the entrance. Finally decided to have some lunch at Bellturbet which was north of where we had started. We then set off again and finally found the entrance to the lake (a well hidden place for a castle). After driving down a little narrow lane about two ks we pulled up and walked towards the water. Sitting there with fishing lines was an old couple - no car in sight - with everything imaginable for a days comfort and fishing. They told us they came from Leicester in England by train and ferry and heavens knows how to this little remote spot and have been coming for the past 40 years to fish on this lake. That's dedication. The search was worth it, the castle is a fairly well intact ruin but a beautiful spot. The overcast sky gave nice reflections in the water. We then drove on to Carlanstown, near Kells where we will stay for the next four nights.
SATURDAY - It has been really wet today, even the locals are saying it is really bad and unusual at this time of the year. We went off to Kells this morning and managed to walk around most of the things of interest without getting wet. This is the area where the famous manuscript (The book of Kells) was hidden in a monastry, stolen, buried and then found much later - we saw it at Trinity College in Dublin). The monastry no longer exists. While wandering around we saw a lot of activity outside a club house and asked what was happening. The all-Ireland Handball grand finals were on and they invited us in to see it. Four players were on the court (similar to a squash court) playing fast and furiously with a ball about the size of a tennis ball that they bounce around the ball and onto the back wall. A glass wall at the front protects spectators. Later we went off to Trim - it was pouring by this time so we found a dry, warm place for lunch and the rain eased a bit by the time we finished so we went to Trim Castle. This is where Braveheart was made. Huge Castle with lots of history of course. The rain continued and after we had been through the castle we walked across the river Boyne to get a view from the top of the hill. Whilst crossing the river we saw two fly fishermen standing in the water that looked freezing up to their knees. We were feeling wet and cold enough. Anything for a fish I suppose.
Whilst travelling around I have just loved looking at the begonias. They are in flower all over Ireland in the most beautiful colours. Parks are full of them, hanging baskets, street boxes and the rain doesn't seem to do too much harm.
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