A day of many halves (not just from the offy)

 -Carys-

It feels weird to say we only have one full day after today in Northern Ireland. This trip had flown by, and we're only about halfway. Holidays usually do move past super quickly, since time really does fly when you're having fun, but when you want it to speed up, it drags. It's rubbish really.

Well, we may as well enjoy our time as much as possible until we return to our usual daily setting of our home in South Wales. Another early-ish start, these morning seem to be merging into one as we're all out the door before 10 or 11 most of the time. 

It wasn't a long drive to Giant's Causeway, where we parked and paid our fee, followed the hoards of other tourists along the track to the attraction - though saying 'hoards' it wasn't packed. Reasonable numbers.

As we approached the causeway itself, mum commented on how she felt quite underwhelmed by it, as dad had been the other day with the trees. However it seemed to grow on us, and we got lots of great photos. It's just mad how the earth - or giants - has created such shapes in the rocks. I'm really glad we went.

We were informed of the path/route we'd panned to follow of being closed due to falling rocks, but we must have been feeling a little rebellious, or just decided since lots of other people had ignored the fence and sign, we would too. Not very sensible of us.

It worked out though, as we got a nice scenic view of the Giants Causeway and sea beyond it, and ended up back in the carpark for a Mr Whippy from the visitors centre. It was warm by then, we were glad for the good weather.

Next up was the drive to the beach, though we were unaware of where we were actually going to. Park and took a stroll through Northern Ireland's version of Barry island, with an amusement park, arcades and similar beach. Nice enough. Dad went off for his run and we found a good spot on the sand.

Bryn made me come in the sea, which I'd already decided was freezing rom a quick paddle earlier on. My decisions were correct, and I'm going to claim it as the most cold sea I've ever been in. I could barely put my shoulders in and normally I'm quite good with cold water. Basically a wast  of time - it wasn't warm enough to want to go in to cool off and was too freezing to actually swim or enjoy it. Ah well, at least I can say i went in, and it was the Atlantic ocean - the very tip of it.

A few games of Uno later - Bryn was VERY relutcant to join in, we packed up and walked down to what was later labelled the less commercial beach.. Rightly so it was a lot nicer - we didn't test the waters, literally - again though. Soon after our arrival we had rather a big debacle where when dad went to change his shoes, he only found one in the bag.

Now we were certain we'd packed both, so assumed it must of fallen out on the mile or so walk between the two beaches. Just great. The parents went looking for it, and dad went to bring the car round to this beach too. A sigh of relief was had when mum returned with the shoe, saying it had been found by a wall somewhere further up on the walk we'd taken to this beach. I was just thankful to avoid tension and Dad's annoyance by the fact he now only had one walking shoe. 

Finished off the day with another game of uno, with all of us this time, and some expensive chips on the sand. Then it was time to come home, another day over already. 

(Lloyd)

2 things to see today, each one split nicely in 2.  Was Sunday in Northern Ireland which appears to mean nothing happens before midday.  They don't half seem to make up for it in the evening, have never seen towns and roads so busy on a Sunday evening, the takeaways and off licenses doing a roaring trade, people seemed 'out out' .. everywhere else I've ever been is the one time of the week you can usually be assured of a bit of peace.  Off Licenses operating independently of supermarkets also strange for the UK, although quite common in Oz from memory.  Although they have drive through bottle os there, so take it to the other extreme!

I digress, we did about an hours drive up to the infamous Giants Causeway, a UNESCO heritage site and natural area of beauty.  The National Trust wanted to charge us £40 to park so we took the £8 option at the heritage railway site a few minutes walk further away.  There were a few different ways we could see the Causeway, we managed to split it into 2, doing the 'blue' route out and the 'red' route back.  All downhill out, to see the hexagonal stones, volcanic in origin apparently. Although I preferred the legends of the Irish Giant Finn Mccool fighting a Scotish fella called Bennadonner (kebab?) and this was the start of the bridge across. Perhaps where 'giant' Bunter Boris got his idea for a road bridge?  Welsh giant Bryn Bach thundered across the Causeway today and my money would have been on him to take any of those 3 out.

It was pretty impressive to be fair, and after clambering around a while we took the (moral?) high ground, ignoring warnings, and climbing the Shepherds Steps for a better view.  Satisfied with our views we returned to the train station, bought an ice cream for an undisclosed fee (a lot) and then drove along the coast to Portrush.

Parking up it felt we had hit Barry Island, although a Vegas themed sign reminded us of the places we want to return to when all this is over.  It appeared we had based ourselves on the west side of Portrush, the more traditional seaside resort shall we say.  A quick look at the kiss me quick stuff encouraged me to take a run, and explore the surrounds.  In doing so I weaved around the coast and found the much more aesthetically pleasing east beach.  That is far more picturesque, and sits under the Portrush Golf Course.  It also features as the parkrun up here, so I was able to do a run lapping the sea (Strava says I was in the sea) that pretty much covered most of the parkrun.  Again it served to remind us of the fun parkrun travels we hope to revisit again in the future.

Put a call through to the family on the west side to come and join me out east, and met them half way.  I then went and got the car so we could spend our annual income on 4 portions of chips.  West isn't always best (apart from cheaper chips) it would seem.

Another day has flown by, absolutely shattered, and enjoyed what was left of the evening with a Dominos and a few ciders in the Air BnB, perhaps we will take things a little easier tomorrow.