A Fantastic Weekend with My Irish Famliy!
Trip Start
May 15, 2010
1
7
45
Trip End
Apr 30, 2011
Armagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Saturday, June 5, 2010
By this time, we were starving (although my cousins were nice enough to bring us some tasty snacks for the road!) after a lot of travel and couldn't wait to try a good Irish dinner. We were certainly not disappointed! We ate tons of amazing food and then had a nice evening talking with the family (and maybe a couple brews as well). By about 11, we were all really exhausted and we all went to sleep.
Friday morning, we got up early and took a guys' trip out to Lorraine (after an equally incredible breakfast). We visited the vacation home, then took a tour around the Bushmills Irish Whiskey factory. Definitely some really cool stuff in there! After we finished the tour, we drove up to the coast and spent some time hiking up to the Giant's Causeway, another amazing sight! Here we took in the views of the Ocean while telling some geology jokes (my dad would have loved this).
Once it started raining, we went back to Lorraine and downed a late lunch of a huge order of fresh fish and chips. When we finished, we drove back to Armagh and were presented with another massive plate of delicious food... We could hardly finish since our stomachs were so full! Again, after dinner we shared stories and watched a few acts of Britain's Got Talent (maybe with a few more desserts and brews).
On Saturday, we slept in a little more, then we all went to explore a cave! We checked in, then had a great lunch and a LOT of dessert treats. We still had a little time so we all played some frisbee! When we got in the cave, it was very cool, as we got to see some really strange stuff (and play a few jokes along the way). Again, dad would have loved this. Once we finished here, we went to explore a castle/museum which was another great time. After all the sightseeing, we all went for ice cream! When we were all finished, we drove back home to touch base then off to a family barbecue!
This was a lot of fun as we all got another chance to talk and laugh and eat more, of course. After I finished eating, I was given a plate of about 10 different desserts. I thought I was supposed to choose one, and I was already stuffed... turns out, I was to eat the entirely (delicious) plate of them! When we all finished eating, the boys went out to Digby's pub to continue a very long tradition of several generations sharing pints in this little bar. We had several pints of Guiness, and just when we thought our stomachs would explode, we all headed back home to bed.
Sunday morning came way too quickly and just as I was wondering where all the time had gone, I was already being taken back to the airport. It was very sad to say goodbye to such amazing people but it made me feel much closer to home knowing there are such caring people close by. I am already planning on a time to go back and I can't wait!
After our flight back to Geneva, we decided to do a bit of exploring for a few hours so that we could come back after 7, when our train passes kick in. Unfortunately, I was scammed out of my money and spent the rest of the day feeling pretty down. We did meet a crazy professor from somewhere who bought us a beer and told us some (incoherent) stories though! At about 7:05, we caught a couple trains back to Baden and I came straight home to bed.
Comments
Aw Brett I love this! It has filled me with a mixture of emotions! From feeling flattered at all the compliments, smiling fondly, giggling, laughing out loud to feeling like crying at saying goodbye but optimistic that you'll
be back which us super!!
I was so sad what happened to you in Geneva, what a horrible way to end a lovely weekend! I love the pics they're so good and capture the wonderful time we had so well. Wish it hadn't been school term time & we could've gone to North Coast & Coleraine (town where holiday house is) but hey there's no school in July and August so we can all go explore it then ;-)
Consider yourself being given a huge Northern Irish hug xo
It is so nice to have such welcoming family in far away places, who take in our kids and their friends as though they were their own. I can only hope that we can reciprocate in such grand style in the near future. Thank you from our family to yours.
Your trip to Armagh, the Giant's Causeway, the cheese and chocolate factories, were fabulous, and reminded me of my trip to Ireland in 1978! The pictures are great, and I really enjoy following you on your adventures. Thanks for sharing.