Dark Hedges

Michael, Catherine and their 13 year old son Tola went off to work and school this morning but their friend Donal was available and interested in going to Murlough Bay with me. He has a brand new hybrid car, a KIA Niro, so he had a bit of a challenge being sure whether it took diesel or petrol.  Then the road to Murlough Bay was closed for work so instead we went to see the street of the amazing trees called "Dark Hedges": 

In about 1775, James Stuart built a new house, named Gracehill House after his wife Grace Lynd. Over 150 beech trees were planted along the entrance road to the estate, to create an imposing approach.

It wasn't full of tourists but certainly was not empty. Going off season is good and bad; lots of places are closed now and tours are stopping or cutting back. You can no longer drive on the street since Game of Thrones made it famous.

Then we went back to the house and I went for a walk with Willow the border collie and saw the house Catherine's granny used to live in.

Then we met Michael in Ballycastle for lunch. They both got an Ulster or Irish fry (pancake, sausages, soda bread, potato bread, fried egg, hash brown and baked beans). I got a BLT, only marginally healthier.

The mural in town is of the Princess of Glentaisie. In Irish mythology "Glentaisie was named after the Princess Taisie, the daughter of King Dorm of Rathlin Island. According to legend, Taisie, renowned for her great beauty, was bethrothed to Congal, heir to the Kingdom of Ireland."

"Integrated" means both Catholics and Protestants are welcome

Donal left me at the wee Ballycastle library and I did a bit of local research, then I walked the length of the town, ending at the beach. Beautiful but 5 minutes later the rain and hail and wind almost knocked me over. I had my raincoat on but my jeans got soaked.

Michael picked me up from town (though I tried unsuccessfully to call a taxi first--three numbers didn't work--it's not easy to know how to call a foreign number! and one man answered and said he was too far from Ballycastle to make it worth it, although I never even said where I was). We had dinner Catherine made, yummy vegetarian lasagna, and I had a quiet evening alone (with Willow and a bit with Midnight, the outdoors cat, who I brought inside but she freaked and scratched my new Irish sweater) while Catherine went to a meeting and Michael went to give a Gaelic lesson. Their son was upstairs and only asked me where his parents were!