HMMMM, WILL I MAKE IT ON TIME?

The end of June is fast approaching and I am hoping to have completed a couple of things for OPAM. This cold weather has found me sitting on the couch watching Netflix while crocheting. I started this single bed size crocheted blanket last year and it was coming along quite nicely until I ran out of some of the yarns. By the time I had restocked I received the wonderful news that I was going to be a grandmother so all current projects came to a grinding halt with baby projects being my main focus. Well, I picked up the blanket a few days ago and am now crocheting the 3rd border with only 2 more to go. Yey!

 

 

That little pretty stitchery designed by Jenny is in the process of being made into a heart.

 

 

 

And another Jenny design is being made into a table runner. I am just beginning to sew the binding strips together ready to bind it.

 

 

 

So, will I have them finished in time? Only time will tell.

 

So, I shall now continue with my overseas adventure this month 2 years ago.

 

On the 10th June we were up bright and early again for another big travel day. We walked from the hotel in Carcassone to the train station where we caught the train to Toulouse which was only about a

45 minute trip. We then hopped into a taxi headed for the Toulouse airport. We were 3 hours early for our flight to Dublin and they wouldn't check in our luggage until one and a half hours before take off. It was only a 2 hour flight to Dublin and we lost an hour in time. Once there we caught another taxi to our hotel. ( Yes you are seeing a little softie on the bed. My daughter took it everywhere).

 

 

 

 

The next day was a lazy day just wandering around Dublin and checking out where we needed to catch the Belfast tour bus next day. I just had to get a pic of the "Tart with the Cart", as Molly Malone is affectionately known.

 

 

 

 

We had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe . This became a thing. We went to the one in Paris and London too.

 

 

 

 

!2th June was another early rise to meet the Belfast tour bus we had booked. The tour driver was such fun. He was a lanky Irishman who sang Irish songs and had the gift of the gab. And yes, some of it was blarney. We headed off to Northern Ireland where their currency is English pounds rather than Euros like Dublin. They regard themselves as British protestants. Not one bit of Gaelic could be seen. Our first stop was to see the painted murals which are done by local artists and keep changing. Very political statements.

 

 

 

There were peace walls separating the Catholic side from the Protestant side.

 

 

 

As we drove through the town centre of Belfast we could see evidence of where violence ran amok. There were bullet holes in a statue of angels! We stopped off at the IRA Museum which was very interesting . I found a hexie quilt that a prisoner had made. Sorry, I can't get the pic upright! An embroidery was there too.

 

 

 

 

After that we went into the town centre and wandered around City Hall where the Titanic memorial is.

 

 

 

The interior of City Hall is beautiful and we had lunch in the café there.

 

 

 

After that we visited St Anne's Cathedral and then we went to the Titanic quarter where we saw the slip that the Titanic was launched from. Then onto Inch Abbey which was called Inis Gumhscraigh in 800AD. It was attacked and plundered in 1001 and again in 1149. This part originates from 1118.

 

  

 

 

 

Then we headed to Down Patrick where we visited St Patrick's grave and apparently St Brigid is also buried there. ( I am not Catholic but I still found this really interesting).

 

 

 

Next was Dundrum Castle, 1172

  

 

 

Like the views?

 

 

 

On the way back to Dublin we went through a small village called Maghera and Bryansford where there was plenty of lush , green,  undulating landscape dotted with farmhouses. Apparently C.S Lewis spent a lot of time in this area and got his inspiration for "Narnia" from here.

 

 

 

Whew! What a long day it was. After that we made one more stop at a beautiful area called Mourn Way . We got back after 8pm and still had to find our way back to the hotel. Thus endeth our short  visit to Ireland.  Onto Edinburgh next. But not right now. Relieved? I hope you haven't nodded off . If you have stayed with me then I congratulate you. Thankyou so much for stopping by.

 

 

Angel Blessings.