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Day 18 I must go down to the sea again...

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Since tomorrow is a clean up, pack up, leave a thank you kind of day before heading for home, our last full day had to be spent at the seaside. I love the sea and it offers a peace and calm to my soul like no other place. Back at the start of our stay here in Dublin we were introduced to the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) train system. We had only traveled part of the 27km rail line, but we enjoyed that, and the rest looked very promising. We walked down to the Bookerstown Station and decided on heading north first to the little coastal town of Howth. Howth is a fishing port and a seaside destination for Dubliners and tourists alike. It is a pretty and busy little town. Every second building is a seafood restaurant. The town has all the requisite attractions, like castle, castle ruins, pubs, music along the street ... but Howth also had harbour seals, happy to pose! Not platform 9 3/4, but wondering about these fraction signs all along the line. Made a new friend! Across to the light...
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Day 17 Living like a local

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Our trip started in Dublin and we were able to see a good deal of the city during our first stay here. I suspect you would be here for a long time and not run out of things to do, but today we chose to stick close to home and wander the streets of our neighbourhood. We wanted to observe daily life here and experience what it might be like to be a Dubliner. Now to be fair, that may be a bit presumptious, since Dublin is a large city and my experience and assumptions certainly may not reflect others who live here. Maybe what we really were looking for was time to notice how Dublin is different, or the same, as other large cities we've visited! First thing that's impossible to ignore is that Dublin offers a quiet, peaceful vibe often lacking in many urban areas. There are plenty of people out and about but seldom do you hear loud conversations, and this dispite the fact that people greet one another constantly. The plentiful street benches are very well used and people stop for a ...
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Day 16 Northern Ireland - Take II

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Although not one to complain about weather, when we woke this morning to glorious sunshine my mood lifted and I began to think of possibilities for the day. After we sorted ourselves for a trip back to Dublin, we started our day headed for Portrush. Portrush is known as the quintessential, seaside, genteel, resort town. We actually stopped several times on our way there because we just couldn't pass some of the sights we were seeing! A friend had commented on my blog yesterday when I noted the difference south to north. She spent a lot of time in Northern Ireland when her husband worked there. She is also from Newfoundland and noticed a "whole different world" between them. She also told me that "the scenery in Northern Ireland would take my breath away" and man was she right about that! The Antrim Coast is exquisite! Our first stop was for a sign that pointed to Dunluce Castle. Dating back to the 15th Century, these are possibly the most complete ruins we have ...
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