April 29

2003/04/29 - Tuesday

• 8:02 am: Getting ready, late damnit. Both our pilots decided that our meetings (the alarms we'd set) for this morning needed to "alarm" almost half an hour after we'd set them for.
• 8:12 am: Susan's off getting ready in the shared bathroom while I putter around in the bedroom

• 9:48 am: Big breakfast of muesli, OJ, eggs, sausage, tomato, fried shortbread, fried shortbread and ham. Yummy. Met Marco and Bianca. They're Italians who are living and working in London and traveling Ireland for only a few days.
• 10:49 am: At the (giants) causeway visitor center, about to take a walk to see the giant.
• 11:41 am: Taking pictures at the causeway of various formations, flowers, the coast, the giants boot, the "organ"

We took the high path to the causeway and it was a fine day for a walk. It was cool and the sun was coming and going as clouds passed by overhead.

The man in the mountain. It looked like a face to us.

Art shot. Anyone know what kind of flower that is?

Think like the pillar... Be the pillar.

We probably weren't supposed to sit on the boot but...

• 12:05 pm: On the giants causeway now, enjoying the breeze & rocks. Couple dozen people here

Ahhh, the sun comes out and it's time for a nap.

• 12:52 pm: Now back at the visitor center & hot from the climb. sun coming & going as the clouds wander across the sky.
• 2:09 pm: Been at Dunluce for 30min or so.
• 2:26 pm: Sitting in one of the towers at Dunluce castle writing postcards, looking at scenery and wondering if the rain clouds are going to open up on us. So far we've just been dripped on but not seen anything serious.

• 3:00 pm: Old Bushmills tour. Almost 400yrs old. mash tun is the first tank. wash back. stills (smells strong here). highly computerized, the testing tanks look a lot like at Talisker. Bourbon cask holds 200l. Hogshead cask 250l. they keep 190k barrels. Bottling.
• 3:40 pm: taste test. I now have 8 small containers of whiskey
• I liked Bushmills & black rush best. After the tasting I seriously thought about buying one of the flasks in the gift shop so that I could save the whisky from the tasting. Didn't though. The tasting was fun. At the end of the tour, our guide asked for volunteers for the tasting and nobody raised their hand (it wasn't a big deal to me so I wanted to give other people a chance). He asked again and I raised mine and eventually a second person was picked. We went to the bar area and each were given eight small communion cups of whiskey to sample. Strangely enough I liked basic Bushmills the best because it was nice and smooth.

It was tempting to finish all the whiskey at the table but I was able to restrain myself.

Susan volunteers to finish my whiskey.

• Beautiful rainbow on way to Carrick a Rede

• 5:09 pm: Carrick a Rede car park. We bought our tickets and a scone and headed toward the bridge.
• 5:42 pm: Top of Carrick a Rede. We got here with just enough time to look about and take too many pictures and video. I don't know what it'll be like but I also got video of the two of us crossing the bridge. We're off way above the ocean and can see Scotland, (some island I can't remember the name of) a few caves and lots of birds.

• 6:02 pm: Raining. We tried to get a pair of panoramic pictures but it started raining after I'd done the video and before Susan has finished the still panorama. The area is very pretty with the sound of water and birds all around. The birds sound a bit like children screaming which takes some getting used to.
• 7:06 pm: Been back and Whitepark house for a little while now. Long enough to change shoes, freshen up a bit and have some tea while talking with Bob. He's recommended a few places to stay in Donegal and places to see as well as a chipper down in Ballycastle. Susan's writing out a postcard while we let the tea settle.

• 7:14 pm: Bob just came back in to put a log (12" diameter) on the fire and we talked briefly about iguanas, sri lanka, india, computers.
• 8:09 pm: Car park near Ballintoy
• 8:47 pm: Guinness McDonnel pub - "wispering tom"
dunkeneely Mcintyre W
annagray(gary)
donegal McGroarty's
letterkenney
fintown Teach a' cheoil
• nice man.
• 9:16 pm: Chipper, Flash in the Pan, two fish suppers & sprite
• make more notes about country music & unionists (bob talked about the connection between the two).
• 9:49 pm: finished. it was "ok" but too greasy for me. chips were good. I can't wait to get away from the country music
• 10:44 pm: back at Whitepark.

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(the background image is the Carrick a Rede rope bridge)

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