Antrim Coast holidays

We're not long back from two weeks of coastal living with the sea on our doorstep and sunshine almost everyday. There were days of adventure and days of lolling around with not much going on - a good blend, I'd say. Highlights were crossing  the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge (ironically that's all my nightmares right there- heights, falling, crowds but still I loved it) and the stunning cliff walk on Rathlin Island which we followed with a well deserved Prosecco and lunch at the Manor House. We also stomped over familiar ground revisiting the walled garden at Glenarm Castle, the beach at Cushendun and Dunluce Castle, as well as going to some new places in Belfast - the Titanic Experience and the Zoo. 

And now we are home, back to blackberries and berry laden hedgerows, the call of rooks and crows and apples ripening on our four small trees. Somehow Autumn seems to be here - but thankfully there are still a few more days of holiday left before school and routine take over again.

holidays

Somehow August has eluded me. We spent the first half of the month in Co. Antrim along the coast, beside the sea where, possibly, every good childhood holiday happens. We happened to be lucky with the weather although when I look back on the photos there are lots of waterproof jackets and darkly looming skies. It was one of the busiest holidays we've had, every day brought a new adventure and we found plenty of things to do. My favourite days out included picnicing on the Strand at Portstewart where the boys swam and then going on to walk at Downhill and Mussenden Temple which is perched on the cliff edge with the most fantastic views on to the beach below. At Cushendall we walked the cliff path to picnic at the church at Layd, another favourite day out, as was visiting HMS Caroline a WW1 light cruiser and now the sole survivor of the Battle of Jutland. There were picnics on the beach, ice-cream every day, forest walks and brunches in the walled garden at Glenarm Castle and a trip to Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. The days flew by and suddenly it was time to come home and return to work and here we are - the final week of summer holidays... The uniforms are ready, the school books are bought and the pencils are sharpened and yet all I long for is the crash of waves on the shore and the tang of seaweed in the air...

end of summer

What is nicer than an end-of-summer trip to the seaside with family? We headed to the North on Saturday morning, stopping in Hillsborough along the way. The weather decided to cooperate and it was sunny skies and warmth all the way. Over four days we picnic~ed at the ruined 13th century Layd Church near Cushendall, walked in the walled gardens of Glenarm Castle, strolled the prom in Larne and swam in the sea both at Cushendun and in the harbour at Ballyhalbert. It was lovely for the boys to spend precious days with their cousins and it was lovely for the grown~ups too. And now we face the fact that there are less than two weeks until September and the beginning of school, but for now we are enjoying these last few days of freedom.

en vacances

We have just returned from our holidays in southern France. We spent two long weeks lazing at the poolside, escaping the blistering heat in the stony coolness of cathedrals and cloisters and with daily ice-creams. We walked through sleepy, dusty villages and in the evenings, when the air cooled just a fraction, we walked in the countryside watching leaping hares in the dusky fields and listening to the nightly owl calls accompanied by the constant music of the cicadas. We visited the bookshop town of Montolieu, buying maps and Le Petit Journal from the turn of the century, haltingly and blushingly speaking French. We lingered in the brocantes and bought thimble-sized glasses for winter drinks of sherry and port. We read all our holiday reading, ate croque monsieurs et frites at outdoor cafes and generally basked in the heat until... until that barely perceptible twinge, that pull, that siren call and then we were all looking forward to going back to Ireland. And yes, it's raining here and yes, the fire is lit and there's an autumn feeling to the air but we are home.

rain stops play II

And so the Easter holidays begin! The day started with rain loud enough to wake us from sleep and although the morning and the early part of the afternoon were rain free, it started again not long after lunch and so they came in from the garden and settled in front of the stove and played Monopoly. Thank goodness for board games....although I hope the weather will be kind enough over the holidays that we won't need them too much.