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Farewell Belfast, Hello Corfu, Greece 26th and 27th May

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 Hello all, Yesterday we said farewell to Belfast and to Holly, who is currently in transit to Hobart via Heathrow, Singapore and Melbourne. We set off from Belfast direct to Corfu with EasyJet - a little late due to an ill passenger, but we arrived safe and well at around 9pm local time. Just in time to find our magnificent apartment on the water and to sample some late night Greek cuisine at the Veranda Restaurant- just down the esplanade. Sardines for Norm, of course and a refreshing Greek salad for Felicity, washed down with a local crisp white wine. This morning, after a quick pic from one of our apartment balconies, we took a stroll along the waterfront to find some breakfast and a supermarket for supplies. Both objectives achieved before we explored our part of Corfu Town a bit more widely. The streets are narrow and meandering, but that suits us fine, we also visited the 14th century fortress which was established by the Venetians and expanded by the British during their “p...

Causeway Coast and Belfast city - 23rd to 25th May

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 Hi all, We have packed a lot in since saying farewell to Enniskillen. We took the long road to Belfast via Bushmills Old Distillery. Then a short drive east to the Giants Causeway, and it was clear enough to see Scotland on the horizon. The start of our best weather for the whole trip so far. After a welcome lunch in Bushmills town, we continued south to Belfast to find our apartment right beside the Cathedral. The streets around us were teeming with young people - out for a good time on Saturday night. We opted for drinks at the Thirsty Goat then, for a change of diet we had dinner at the Vietnamese street food restaurant in our square - very good Pho. Next day, we were lucky to get a personal guided tour of Belfast hosted by cousin Neil Robinson. Even with a warts and all story of the ongoing tensions of this still somewhat divided city, we were all impressed by Belfast City, a small, low rise city that has kept its charm and homage to its history. The city even has its own lean...

Enniskillen and Derry 21st and 22nd May

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 Hi all We have had a great stay at Innishmore Hall (the Carriage House) and will be leaving for a trip around the coast to Belfast tomorrow. The countryside around the property is lovely and very quiet, we have enjoyed the local food, including at the lodge beside Lough Erne on our first night. We had a good explore of Enniskillen town on Thursday, including the old Castle and Castle Coole nearby.  Castle Coole Today we took a drive north to Derry, the 2nd largest city in Northern Ireland, and probably the city to have been most impacted by the troubles, including the Sunday Bloody Sunday massacre. After a walk across the Peace Bridge, then back again because Norm got the wrong side of the Foyle River, we entered the lovely old walled city.  We passed the magnificent Guild Hall on the way to the city gate then climbed up on the wall to walk around the town Of course our day wouldn’t be complete without a Cathedral visit! This was followed by a nice lunch at a local cockt...

Galway to Enniskillen - 20th May

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 Hi all We said goodbye to Galway today and travelled through County Mayo then along the west coast to Donegal Town.  First stop - a lovely pub right in the centre of town. McCafferties. G Seafood Chowder of course for Holly and Norm! Then we explored the town and its small but well preserved medieval castle. Then it was time to journey across the border to Northern Ireland for our stay for the next three nights at the Carriage House at Innishmore Hall, just outside Enniskillen. We arrived to find a perfect cottage in the grounds of the Hall - in some beautiful countryside. We are heading back towards Enniskillen, beside Lough Erne for dinner. More reports on County Fermanagh tomorrow. All our love from the travellers ❤️🍷🧳