Northern Ireland

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Greetings from the Irish Republic!

Sandy here and I'm lying back on the bunk of a cruiser traveling up Lough Erne. It's about 4pm and Barbara and I are having a glass of wine. David (Captain Kirk) is at the helm and Peter (Mr Sulo) is being the first mate. It's only raining a little bit and we expect sun tomorrow.

Apart from the tranquility and beauty of an Irish lough, we enjoyed a trip to ASDA at Enniskillen. Thoughtfully, they have a dock behind the store and you can go ashore and get your supermarket fix. So you jump off the boat, trying not slip off and head for a gigantic ASDA supermarket. They wouldn't let us take the trolley back to boat which we thought was quite unreasonable. We have 3 days sailing around Lough Erne and enough food for about 10 people (as you do)!

We arrived in Northern Ireland about 3 days ago and have been thoroughly enjoying the hospitality and craic (fun) of our friends David and Barbara whom we get to see every few years. I've had the opportunity to spend some time with Claire and Jack, David and Barbara's grand children. That was great fun. It's so cute to hear little kids speaking with an Irish accent!

Yesterday we had goose for dinner and it was quite delicious which is really saying something because I'm not fond of game meat. A phenomenal amount of fat came out while it was being roasted.. I'd estimate a couple of inches in the roasting tin. Goose fat is a delicacy in the UK and you can buy it tinned!

Yesterday we also visited Carl's (David and Barbara's son's) chippy. We'd heard a lot about the chippy and we're very keen to sample the merchandise. I can tell you that the chips were of high standard and one serve would feed a family of four! We also had a Belfast delicacy...a pasty which is nothing like a Cornish pasty. OK...imagine very large rissoles with chips mixed in. The pasty is then deep fried. I know, I know it sounds disgusting but it's really nice. My arteries have been hardening nicely! Talk about yummy though! Peter was hoping that Carl sold deep fried Mars bars but apparently they aren't licensed to be sold outside of Glasgow!!!!

The first night on the boat went very well. I'm reliably informed that I slept through torrential rain and strong winds. The boat has central heating which makes it toasty warm. However we ran down the battery last night and it we woke up in Antarctica. At least Peter and I thought that!

Lough Erne is very large. It's teeming with birdlife and the banks are alive with wildflowers. We've just sailed past a folly which is a tower built on a very small island. I'm guessing it was the equivalent of an Australian man's shed.....a place to escape from domesticity!

We're are about to enter a canal and have to use locks to go up and down. However, our excitement for this part of the trip is to discover a toilet block on the river bank. Sadly we haven't sighted another ASDA but I'm confident that there will be a Tesco somewhere along the way! Oh and we haven't seen any leprechauns yet but we're definitely on the lookout.

Speaking of tivia...I have discovered salt and vinegar rice biscuits. They also come in caramel. I'm thinking of shipping some home because they are so good!

Sadly we waved goodbye to Barbara and David and flew to Canada last night. Thank you to the Erwin's for putting us up and putting up with us! Hopefully we'll all catch up again in WA in 2010.

Peter here. The whole Ireland experience was grand. David & I managed to have a great time, but still no fish! Tried for 3 nights to land a trout in David's pond, using barbless hooks, but no luck.hooked a couple though. Also spun fruitlessly for coarse fish in lough Erne, but again no luck. The common denominator here is me! Hummmmm.

Anyway, now for Canada

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Photos

Peter & Sandy at "The Bridge"
Our first taste from a belfast Chippy

The Folly at Loch Erene
Near Crom Castle, this "useless" building was built for aesthetic purposes

The good ship B7
This 6 berth, centrally heated boat was our home for 3 days as we traversed Lough Erene and the Shannon Erene waterway

Fishing
This chap was in a fishing compertition and had a hugely long pole!

Getting back into the boat
We had stopped for lunch at a hotel and Captain Kirk (David) had some trouble using the key

Afternoon tea
Barbara and Sandy in the cabin

The BBQ King
When we first went to Ireland in 1994, David BBQed in the snow. In 2004, he was BBQing in the rain. Finally in 2009 he is doing it in the sunshine. Well done mate!