So it's been a few days again since I've blogged. We had an amazing visit to Clonmacnoise, the monastery site for St.Kieran. The high crosses there are some of the most incredible in all of Ireland. And the site itself is just so calming and serene, even with all the tour buses arriving. We left the monastery and headed to both the Tullamore and Kilbeggan distilleries to check out their wares. As usual our day ran much later than we planned and dinner was somewhere around 9:00.
We've been staying at a wonderful B&B called Novara House in Mullingar. Margaret is a very friendly host and I couldn't think of a better place to stay.
From Mullingar we headed to Dundalk for the pony races. I should have been as lucky as the gentleman sitting next to me. The best I could do was break even. I should be happy for that. After the races we headed for Rostrevor on Carlinford Lough. Loved going to sleep and waking up to see the blue waters of the lough outside out windows. Majella was another great host and shared her recipe for the warm bread she served in the morning.
Today was a beautiful driving day. We headed into the Mountains of Mourne for more amazing scenery. Lots of stops for pictures. After that we headed from Kilkeel toward Belfast with a stop at Dundrum. We decided to follow a sign that said "Dundrum Castle". We had heard nothing about it before and were treated with the ruins of a 12th century castle that is the centerpiece of a picnic and park area at the top of a hill overlooking Dundrum Bay. What a treat.
Lots of stress driving through Belfast to get to Carrickfergus. The castle here is very restored and not as old as many we have seen. We settled into out room for the the night and I'm finishing this up with a few comments on some of the food we have had here in Ireland.
Ireland has definitely moved beyond the meat and potatoes country that many think it is. You can still find lots of potatoes on plates, but the main courses can be very sophisticated at times. Our favorite meals have been the fresh mussels when they are cooked just right. Grilled salmon, hake, and plaice are also excellent choices other than fish and chips. If you ever order bangers and mash plan to share it with a friend. The Irish seem to think they have to feed us giant portions at each meal. At this point of the trip we are only ordering starter as our dinners as they are more than enough to have. There are only a few miscues on the food we've had. As I am able to download pictures, I will share some of the delicious meals we've had around the island.
One last comment tonight. I am always very aware of the fact that when I am traveling in Northern Ireland that I have a car with a license from the Republic. While we've had no problems, it's just something that I am aware of. I try very hard not to make any other drivers upset with my driving style. A little tough driving through Belfast at rush hour today, but I did survive!
Heading south to Malahide and Howth Head tomorrow for our last day our with the car. Then on to Dublin for the weekend. Looking forward to that and meeting friends from London who will be joining us. :)
Last week is here!
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