The Ivans UK Tour - Day 3

Monday was the last day of our little holiday, so after getting up and checking out of the hotel we headed into Grantham for a look around. This is the town where former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher comes from. Its quite spread-out, so we had a wander around and stopped for brunch at café Bleu. It was such a hot day, it was more a case of exploring the shady side of the road!

From Grantham we headed to Woolsthorpe Manor. Woolsthorpe Manor was the home of Sir Isaac Newton, from his birth and childhood to the discoveries of his Year of Wonders. In this 17th century  house you can stand in the room where he used a prism to split sunlight into the colours of the rainbow, to explore the nature of light. From the window upstairs you can see the apple tree in the orchard which inspired his theory of gravity. The apple tree still survives though it is fenced off from the public. Its a beautiful property, and so clearly a home.

After exploring the house and garden, we had a drink in the café and then visited the small science centre, which is actually very interesting. You can try various experiments like making white light - which fascinated me! Woolsthorpe is the sort of place you don't want to leave, and we were really sad when we finally had too. It was a long drive home, and the day was a scorcher! The roads were clear though and by mid-afternoon we were home in sunny Derbyshire.

Its been a month of travels, no more now for a while! But we still have a summer full of exciting things to look forward too!

The Ivans UK Tour - Day 2

We woke up to a wonderfully warm and sunny Sunday, and I was excited as we were off to the sea side. When you live right in the middle of England, going to the sea side isn't something you do very often. So off we set nice and early to visit Skegness on the east coast. we haven't been there in years! Once we arrived we found somewhere to park, and then went for a wander around the shopping area. Most of the shops are the same as you would find anywhere else, its the souvenir shops I find fascinating, I love looking around them. And I am so glad we did, we found the most adorable cuddly alpaca in one of them - obviously she was going to come home with me. As some of you will know Paul and I have been on a couple of alpaca walks, they are such gentle and  lovely animals. Annie alpaca is now very much part of the Ivans family!

Next port of call was the beach, which is beautiful. Lovely sand as far as you can see! I bravely ventured forth bare foot - oh my god, the sand was hot! I think danced across the sand exclaiming my feet were on fire. It was lovely hanging out on the beach, just people watching, enjoying the sunshine and having our picnic. We couldn't stay too long, as it was very warm and there was no shade. Even with sun cream on, I was worried about Paul burning! I am so glad we had a  few hours by the sea, it will keep me going till October!

Next stop was Gunby Hall , another National Trust house.  A beautiful country house dating back to the  1700's at the foot of the Lincolnshire Wolds. We headed straight to the house to look around, we were delighted to find someone playing the piano in the music room. It so added to the atmosphere!! We lingered for quite a while to just listen. The rest of the house was a lovely home, somewhere you could imagine living. The gardens were pretty and there was a rose festival and craft fair taking place. What a fabulous way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I wished we lived nearer this charming place, so we could go back. We did buy a lovely wooden wind chime which is now hanging in our back garden, a reminder or our lovely visit to Gunby.

It took us about 90 minutes to get back to our hotel in Grantham, just in time for dinner. It had been such a warm day, with endless sunshine. It was certainly an exhausting day!

 

 

The Ivans UK Tour - Day 1

Well, it feels like we've been on a UK tour! Having booked a few days away in Lincolnshire because it wasn't too far away, we ended up going via London so that we could visit my dad in hospital and spend some time with my mum. So it turned into a major trek, and not the little jaunt we'd planned. But these things happen.

So, on Saturday we headed up the M11 towards the north. On the way we spotted a sign for Wimpole Hall and Farm, a National Trust property. We decided to make our way there as its somewhere we have never been. Its a huge property with a farm, gardens and house (which we never got around to visiting) It was a beautiful day and we decided to stay outside and make the most of it. There was also a history fair going on which was very interesting, lots of people in costume. I got to hang out with some suffragettes, who invited me to march with them! We had a lovely few hours, one of the highlights being the Dakota flyover.  

At the end of the afternoon we made our way to Grantham, where we were staying at the Premier Inn. Nice hotel, with a pub next door. Very convenient for dinner and a bottle of wine. By the time we returned to out room after dinner we were shattered! Just had enough energy to pick up my book!

We had already decided though that we really liked Lincolnshire. The flat landscape is very different to Derbyshire.

 

Farewell Belfast - we'll be back!!!

Tuesday the 12th was our last day in Belfast and we were determined to make the most of it, so after finishing off the packing and checking out of the hotel we made our way to Café Parisienne for breakfast. It was very quiet inside when we got there and there seemed to be no one around so we wondered over to the bar to make sure they were actually open for breakfast. The woman behind the bar said 'oh, we don't do breakfast - we're a crepery'.  Hmmmmm - can you not eat crepes for breakfast?? Me thinks you can!. Anyway we actually had raspberry scones with jam and clotted cream....for breakfast, how decadent is that! It was so good!

After breakfast we scooted over the road to city hall to do the free guided tour. This was fantastic, really informative and as mentioned FREE! The guide was very nice and you really got a good look around the beautiful building. We were part of a small group of 4 people, which really helped. As we were not rushed and had plenty of time to look around. It really is stunning! We got to go inside the council chambers and even pose for photo's in the mayor's throne (big fancy chair!) Paul and I both said the tour was one of the highlights of the week end. I can highly recommend it!

After leaving the City hall we had a little wander around the shops, but sadly we had to be back at the hotel for 12.30pm for our taxi back to the airport. It was heavy and sad hearts that we left. Our flight home was delayed by nearly and hour which really didn't help. We were both so sorry to be leaving Northern Ireland behind, but we both know we'll be back as soon as possible. There is still so much to explore.

 

 

In the footsteps of Giants

Back to tales of our Irish Adventure then!

On June 11th we were up early to head off on a coach trip, we were picked up at 8.15am and then followed 45 minutes or so of faffing about, picking people up etc. It was a full coach of nearly 50 people. At last though we were underway. Our first stop was a very short one in Carrickfergus, it would have been nice to stop for a little longer, but it was clearly a stop for comfort breaks and people to use the ATM's. Before long it was time to head on to the next stop, which was Carrick - a - Rede rope bridge. Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is a famous rope bridge near Ballintoy in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The bridge links the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede. It spans 20 metres and is 30 metres above the rocks below. The coach driver had called ahead and got people's tickets ready, including ours. The property is operated by the National Trust so all free for us!! From the car park there is about a mile to walk to the actual rope bridge, its all either going up or down or over rocky ground, so a real challenge even before you get to the rope bridge. We timed it really well and there wasn't too much of a queue when we got there and we pretty much went straight over. I won't lie, I was nervous! I didn't dare look down and wanted to get over as quickly as possible. Once on the little island we sat and enjoyed the view, then went for a walk before heading back. We were ever mindful that there was a time limit to how long we could stay.

Next stop was a pub for lunch, the meals had been pre-ordered so were pretty much ready when we got there. About 45 minutes later we were back on the road and heading to the Bushmills Whiskey Distillery. There wasn't enough time to do the tour, but we had time to look around a little and visit the gift shop. We did buy a little bottle of Bushmills to take away with us, and that was a delight to drink!

And then finally we were off to the Giant's Causeway. The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption.. Its always been a dream of mine to visit this place ever since I read the story of the two giants and how the causeway came to be. I prefer to believe this version of events! We had just under two hours here, there was enough time to head down to the stones, again they are a fair way from the car park. Luckily there was a shuttle bus which was free for us being NT members - result! Its really stunning when you get there, it was a dream come true for me. The stones are harder than they look to climb across, but I did it! It was also here that I finally got to send a message in a bottle, we had it all ready and cast it into the Atlantic from the causeway. Lets hope one day I find out what happened to it. After making our way back to the visitor centre we spend about 40 minutes looking around the exhibits and gift shop.

The journey back to Belfast took around an hour as we went the direct route not the beautiful coastal road. We arrived back into the city about 7pm, what a long day but a wonderful one where dreams came true.

Dinner and cocktails at Revolution de Cuba and a slow walk back to our hotel! Monday was a agood day! Sadly ended with packing and two exhausted people!

 

A Shakespearian Birthday

Firstly apologies, because I'm jumping ahead to this past week end and will return to the Irish Adventure shortly. Because an important event took place this week end - my birthday!!! Even at my age this causes much excitement. On Saturday morning we were up early to head down to Stratford upon Avon, which is about an hour away from home. Its always a place I love to visit, so once we arrived we headed to The Four teas (a 1940's themed café) for coffee and toast, and then we set off to explore the town. First stop was the market, which seemed to have a lot more stalls this time and some really interesting stuff for sale. There was an artist selling her work at one stall and it was so lovely. All very inspirational and just the sort of thing I love. So after browsing for quite a while we chose one that said 'Go get lost in the forest and find your soul' - I love it! After the market we had a look around the shops and bought a few bits and bobs (Christmas shopping has commenced!)  and of course we called into the Nutcracker Christmas shop and bought a couple of decorations.

We had lunch a the Food of Love, a lovely little restaurant we came across. Stratford was so busy, the town is always full of tourists. Lunch was lovely, once we'd eaten we carried on ambling about. Around 3pm we decided to head off to our hotel, I had splashed out on a room at the Salford Hall Hotel. Gorgeous place, part of the building dates back to the 1600's.  Its all wooden beams and creaky floorboards. I loved it. Our room was called the hobby room and was adorable, with a lovely view out across the front of the hotel. In the evening we walked out the road to the Vineyard inn for lunch. Didn't look like much from outside, but the food was delicious. It was a lovely evening.

On Sunday we had breakfast in their lovely dining room, the hot food was all freshly cooked and so delicious. We had a very leisurely meal, before heading back to our room to read for a while. Finally we had to drag ourselves away, as check out was at 11am. By this time we were ready to head to Coughton Court.

Oh my word, the place was incredibly busy even though we got there just after they opened. The origins of Coughton Court lie in pre-conquest times and there is evidence of a house on this site from the 14th Century. The present building was begun in the 15th Century and has since survived in a family who for much of that time were impoverished, persecuted or imprisoned for their adherence to the Catholic faith.We did the house tour and walked around the gardens. The property has connections with Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot, so a very interesting history. By about 1.30pm it was very gloomy and starting to rain so we decided to head home. After all, someone had presents to open.

 

 

 

 

Titanic - ship ahoy!

On Sunday morning we were up early to head off to the Titanic Exhibition, it was about a 40 minute walk from our hotel. Its actually quite doable but it was a humid day, and I was feeling rather hot and bothered by the time we got there. I guess I had not been expecting Belfast to be quite so HOT!!


The Titanic exhibition is fantastic. It's set out over different levels and there is a lot to see. You learn about the building of the ship, the people who were part of the process, the passengers and the lost souls who never finished their voyage. Its very poignant, the story of Titanic always makes me sad. As well the exhibits, there's a ride (who knew!) theatre (showing under water footage of Titanic on the bottom of the Atlantic) and coffee shops. Your admission ticket also gets you onto the Nomadic which is the last White Star vessel in existence I believe. Its the tender used to ferry people out to Titanic. Its a lovely boat, and worth a visit. You can almost imagine boarding on that fateful April morning, excited about the journey ahead of you.

Next to the Exhibition is the Titanic Hotel, we called in here for a drink. Lovely place - not somewhere I can see us ever being able to afford to stay. But they kindly let us lesser mortals in the bar! It was a nice experience and the staff were lovely. By the time it was mid-afternoon and we were tired, so we decided to splash out and get a taxi back to the city centre. I am thankful we did. Unbeknownst to us, there was a huge Suffragette march taking place through the city centre involving hundreds of women. It was a sight to see, not an event you would have wanted to get caught up in.  Had we walked back we would have walked right into it! Luckily the traffic wasn't too bad.

Our next stop was St George's Market. Fabulous place, lots of stalls selling all manner of food, clothes, crafts, jewellery etc. There was live music and a totally buzzing atmosphere. I tried some paella for lunch which was delicious. We stayed till just before 4pm when they start to wind down. Somewhere I would definitely recommend. We were so tired by then, we headed back to the hotel for a rest before heading out for dinner in the evening.

Dinner was at Revolution de Cuba. Great venue, excellent food and cocktails and once again live music. And once again 'Sweet Caroline' - boy do they clearly love this song! It was a great evening, needless to say by the time we got back to the hotel we were shattered. Cannot believe how much walking we did!!

 

 

Belfast - The Arrival!

At long last it was time for our little adventure, so we were up early to set off for the airport. So although  our flight was at 12.30pm we left at 8am, it was Download week end (a big music festival) and we were expecting the traffic to be awful. However it wasn't, in fact the roads were clear and it was our best journey to the airport. We parked really near Departures, and were surprised to find the airport extremely quiet. With only hand luggage we were able to head straight through to security. Here was our second surprise for the day. NO queues, not a single person there. I don't think we have ever experienced this before. So we ended up being super early for our flight, but better that than missing it. We had breakfast at Frankie and Benny's, then sat and read till it was time for our flight.

The Flight to Belfast City airport is short, only 50 minutes. So we were soon there and on our way to our hotel. We stayed at a Premier Inn very near the city centre, great location and close to many of the places we wanted to city. After checking in and dropping our bags off we headed out to explore. Belfast is a lovely vibrant and friendly city. We had coffee, visited the Cathedral and looked around the shops a little. It was a hot and sunny day, it was hard to believe we were in Ireland! The afternoon flew by!

In the evening we had dinner at Granny Annie's - what a quirky place. It was very busy, so very glad I had booked a table. Dinner was good, as were the cocktails. Loved the live music and atmosphere. As soon as Sweet Caroline came on, the whole restaurant burst into song. Quite the experience! Apparently, Sweet Caroline is a very popular song in Belfast, we heard it every where we went! After dinner we felt we really needed to go for a walk, so we headed down to the waterfront and we walked - and we walked! It was such a nice evening we ended up walking all the way down to see Big Fish - the Salmon of Knowledge. I was thrilled to meet Big Fish, a giant statue of a salmon made up of a mosaic of blue ceramic tiles. Lots of photo's were taken! By the time we walked back to the hotel we were shattered! First day - a huge success!!

 

 

 

To blog, or not to blog.....

.....that is the question.

Its been a quiet and uneventful week end, so is worth taking up your time? Well, I'll let you decide! We have a few quiet week ends, but even by our standards this was very uneventful. On Saturday we visited a big garden centre about a half hour away from us, always a nice place to have a coffee and an amble about. Though since I went caffeine free, I find I'm drinking hot chocolate more. Luckily it

wasn't too warm on Saturday. I actually managed to walk around the Works without buying any books, though stickers and washi tape did leave with me - LOL! I always think a lot of stuff is greatly over priced in garden centres, we'd  probably buy more otherwise.


On the way home we stopped for lunch at the Gate Inn for lunch. That was very nice, they do a 'build your own sharing platter' so that's what we had. We were home unseasonably early, but that gave me some time to whizz around the house tidying up etc.

On Sunday we headed into Burton to get a few things, post some letters and then meet a friend for lunch. Well it should have been lunch, but she had texted in the morning to say she didn't feel well so could we just meet for a drink. OK, fine I say - but when we get there she thrust a bag full of birthday presents and said she wasn't stopping as she didn't feel up to it. That kind of cut the day short a little, so as it was a warm and horribly humid day we decided to just head home. After all I had packing to do! So the Ivans had a quiet afternoon, we packed, we did housework and we sat in the garden with a gin and rose lemonade.

I seem to be getting a lot of page views from Ireland - who ever is reading - you may be interested in next week's blog 😄