So that's June then

Already July. This passing of time gets me everytime. Here we are in July I have have still to mention all the excitements of June. We'll start with Mellissa and Sarah coming to visit me.

I love having friends all over the world, it's all the more exciting when they come to visit you! You'll of course remember Mellissa and Sarah as part of the Greenville crowd. Mellissa is the one that looks like me (except that she doesn't!) and Sarah, well Sarah is a Southern Belle.

They were doing a tour of the UK stopped across. I made another attempt at directing myself down south to pick them up from the boat in Dun Laoghaire. My word, all that EU money and not a penny spent on a road signs. There would be a road sign, yes one, singular sign and then nothing. NOTHING. So I was left with nothing but my own internal sat nav; head for the sea, keep it on the left and keep driving til you see a big boat. Thankfully it worked. And I was only half an hour late for them.

We drove North fairly swiftish. First stop was the Belfast Tour Bus.

Right after the tour, they both needed to go to the bathroom and suggested, as you would McDonalds. Except that here McDonalds really aren't the public convenience of choice like they are in America. I made them walk all the way down to the Welcome Centre only to discover they were closed so instead had to go back to McDonalds. This did bring about the funniest sight of the day though, Sarah flushing the toilet with her foot.

Anyone done the Belfast tour? This was my first time and I can't say I would be rushing back. The bus was jam packed with tourists from all over, but the tour guide kept on making in jokes. For instance, passing the Grand Opera House he talked about the acoustics and asked what they were. This American lady started to answer, as you would expect talking about sound waves. He cut her off and said 'no, it's what a Ballymena man prods a cow with'. Ho ho. I'm fairly sure nobody else got it except me but don't worry I didn't laugh.

The other thing about it was that he would only tell us two things about things we passed, how much they cost or when they were blown up. It didn't matter what it was, the Odyssey, Victoria Square, the railings outside the Royal Victoria Hospital, he'd tell us. Or make some ill-advised joke about the troubles. Oh move on already.

That said, I did learn some interesting facts about Belfast. Such as the tunnel they are building on the Westlink at Boucher Road is technically not a tunnel. It is 11 feet too short so it's an underpass. I feel enlightened. 

We also went to the dome of Victoria Square, the Belfast wheel and ate in Crown. Us? Tourists? Non!

The next day we headed where all good NI tourists go, the North Coast. We managed to stay away from the rain which was a triumph seeing as we were outside most of the day at the Rope Bridge and the Giant's Causeway.

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It was a mite windy.

Mellissa was much more impressed by the Rope Bridge. I know! Thousands of basalt hexagonal column rocks just didn't do it for her. And so, she is no longer welcome our fine country. Actually much like me really, not fussed either really.

Looking out over the grand vista.

We had a good chuckle at the woman clambering over the rocks in these babies though.

I know this looks like tarmac and it is, but she was down on the rocks too in them. Last reports indicated she made it without breaking her neck.

We made a quick stop in Carrick Castle before heading out that night. We got there just before they closed so the woman didn't make us pay.

The next day the girls were heading back so rather than take my life in my hands again and drive down south, we took the train. We had an alright day in Dublin. I have decided that I think it's overrated, overcrowded and dirty. But I did learn another interesting fact. The lion that roars on the MGM ident was born in Dublin Zoo. Who knew?!

We were there the day of the Lisbon vote (now there's a puzzler, what will they do next?). If I hadn't cut the top of the billboard off, the lamp post wasn't there and it had been a brighter day this surely would have been on the front cover of the Independent or something.

So that's that. Still to come are London trips 1, 2, and 3.