solution for uncontrollable children?

Remember the "caution - control your children" sign on the wall of a castle in Carlisle... I may have found a solution at the gaol next to Down Cathedral in County Down, Northern Ireland.

Goodbye Helen....

You won't be forgotten

Carrick-a-rede rope bridge

This is a major tourist attraction on the Irish north coast. The brochure calls it a "precarious" rope bridge but its pretty tame really. Apparently there has been a rope bridge here for centuries to allow access to the small island to catch the local schools of salmon which swim past at various times of the year. The current bridge takes about 10 seconds to cross (max 8 at a time!) and has no doubt been thoroughly checked out by fun police, but the surrounding views are excellent.

gorse....?

What's gorse - you may well ask? Gorse (ulex europaeus) is dense green spiny shrub with brilliant yellow flowers. It is flowering at the moment, totally dominating the landscape across Northern Island. The flowers can be used to make pickles and, along with the bark, produce a yellow dye. They've also been used to add flavour and colour to beer, whisky, wine and tea!! In ancient times the flowers were used for their purging effects and in the treatment of a range of diseases such as scarlet fever and jaundice. The seeds have been soaked and used as flea repellant! What a star performer!

The Giant's Causeway

The north coast of Ireland is stunning. It is hard to do it justice but we did our best. These photos are of the Giant's Causeway, a major tourist attraction as you can see.

More faces of Belfast

The old and the new stand side by side

Many faces of Belfast

Belfast is undergoing a Renaissance, but there is evidence of its tragic past everywhere. We both felt an immediate connection with the Irish, which reflects our ancestory I guess. I had a similar feeling in Scotland. Here is a selection of photos which speak for themselves...