Lovely Enniskillen

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We were unsure what to expect as we drove from County Sligo to Enniskillen, which is in Northern Ireland, not the Republic. Our Frommer's guide had promised there are usually no border crossings, and that proved to be our experience. We saw a Presbyterian church and a Quaker meeting house, but really didn't think much about it until we saw a building marked Police Service of Northern Ireland. Once we realized that we were in the U.K. part of the island, it made sense that we had started seeing churches other than Catholic or Church of Ireland.

Thankfully, it was an uneventful drive, and we were tickled to find that we had to cross two airport runways in order to reach our B & B, Rossahilly House, which sits on a gentle hill next to Lough Erne. This was perhaps the most beautiful of the places we stayed, and it's a pity that we didn't have more time there. The hosts, Monica and Eric Bell, are a lovely couple who are looking forward to retirement after 10 years of running this fine B & B.

After freshening up in the spacious Devenish suite, the Baron and I drove into Enniskillen town to dine at Scoff's, a wonderful restaurant at which Eric had been kind enough to make a reservation for us. The food was delicious and the service was very cordial. Thank heavens they accept MasterCard as we had not even thought about the fact that the currency changed when we crossed over from the Republic. Northern Ireland being part of the U.K., the local currency is the pound sterling.

Well-sated, Tim and I returned to Rossahilly House, where the Baron took advantage of the jacuzzi tub while I took a shower and tried to get some relief from the tingling red rings around my ankles. We opened the window and admired the view across Lough Erne, then retired for the night.

The next morning, we had a marvelous breakfast - I'm quite sure the Bells make the best brown bread in Northern Ireland! Afterward, we took a leisurely stroll through their manicured gardens, then headed up to the Antrim coast. We will definitely plan to stay here again on a future visit, although one can only hope that the people who will be operating Rossahilly House by that time will be equally wonderful hosts.

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