Blogs from Ireland, Europe - page 6

The Shannon Pot is a suitably beautiful and mysterious place to start my cycle along the length of the Shannon. Where does all that brown peaty water come from? I've read that the source is ground water, but it must be coming off a mountain somewhere. After a dull morning the sun broke through again for the afternoon. Standing at the edge of the small pool, I could see a narrow, shallow ledge through ale coloured water which dropped into stout coloured darkness. A splash caught my attention. A mysterious water beast living in the pool? No, fish rising for the dancing flies. After the Canadian couple who arrived at the same time as me left, I had it to myself. Such a peaceful place. Nice diversity of flowers. Butterflies enjoying the warmth, orange tip, green ... read more

So we set off mid morning after filling up with water as we had to ditch it yesterday to get the MH round the hairpin bend - if you have not read yesterday’s blog you need to as at one stage I did not think we would be going any further. Our intent was to spend the night at Fanad Head, well we did not quite make that but we were okay as we found a nice campsite in Port Salon - a few miles from Fanad Head and so I can have a shower in the morning. We start off stopping at Glenevin Waterfall which was a nice break then went to Dunaff Head which was once again amazing - the views are fantastic although the roads? well some of them would be tight in ... read more

So we get up nice and early have a shower then brekkie and then a nice leisurely walk around the lake which was really peaceful and really lovely if you ever get to Fivemiletown and in a camper/motorhome/tent it is a fabulous place to stay. Well the night before Princess Paula decides that after looking for places to stay using numerous apps that Healy’s Bar which has a beer garden that you can park in overnight looks amazing and all the reviews also show how brilliant it is and it seems like it is in a great location in Ballycastle - so that the plan Healy’s Bar it is. Now if you have read my blogs previously I really love a map and hate using Sat Navs until the last minute - I find I learn ... read more

Great spotted woodpeckers have recently colonised Ireland spreading westwards from Wicklow and Down. This year there have been lots of reports of drumming and sightings from various locations in Counties Derry and Donegal. I happened to mention to a birdwatching friend that I had never seen a great spotted woodpecker in Ireland and that I'd never seen a crossbill ever. He suggested a trip to Banagher Glen near Dungiven to remedy that. I have often seen the brown tourist sign for Banagher Glen on the road to Belfast just before Dungiven about twenty miles from Derry, but had never taken the time to visit it. We arrived mid-morning and set of on the narrow country road from the lower car park which climbs gradually to Altnaheglish Reservoir. After spending several weeks walking in England carrying a ... read more

Since I blew a fuse the evening before, I began the day by fessing up (by What's App) to the host who replied that it was not unusual for North American electrical items to cause that problem and she would 'pop up and check' during the day. Had a reservation for 9:30 for the Book of Kells in Trinity College. Got up early, took a taxi in to Trinity. Certainly looked different from our last visit--not the College but the streets around the College. In 2017, there was a massive Roads Project and it was a mess. Some of the entrances to Trinity were closed by it even. This time, we easily walked across the street and in, had a great visit with the Book of Kells and went up to the Long Room. A LOT ... read more