Darling Guinness

Home again with our new (and untrained!) pup Guinness.

Farewell pavlova

Suzanne made this delicious pavlova and Christina wrote 'bye' with strawberries. Last night in Belfast. Sad but exciting!

A really old cottage!

The people lived together with their animals in this cottage!! Smelly!

Another goose!

This goose was friendly but still hissed. Aren't his eyes beautiful?!

Turf fire

Zeke and Luan sitting by a beautiful smelling turf fire in an old cottage.

Cousin Lauren

Lauren and Tilly with her mother in the background (Tilly's that is).

Tilly the five day old donkey

At the museum they also have some animals and this wee donkey had just been born five days ago. She was so beautiful!

Toeing the Line

Luan in the old school house being punished for being SOOO bad so he has to 'toe the line' and stand behind the line on the floor for a long time!

Cousin Suzanne and an Irish cottage

Zeke, Luan and Suzanne outside an Irish cottage at the museum. Suzanne has told the boys some terrible ghost stories about these cottages!!

The boys' great great great uncle was a famous inventor!

Today we went to the Ulster Transport and Folk museum where cousin Suzanne works as an archeologist. They have replicas of shops and buildings showing Ireland's history. They have a replica of Zeke and Luan's great great great uncle's shop. His name was Thomas Edens Osborne and he, with the help of his close friend 'Dunlop', invented the blow up tyre for bikes!!

Derry street art

On our way to Belfast.

Derry boy

Today we are catching a train from Derry to Belfast. We had to go through a tunnel under the road and found some very cool street art.

Crab hunt

Zeke on a crab hunt. Another pair of wet shoes!

Crabs

Crabs crabs run away run away!!

Shadows!

We love shadows in Ireland!

Green hills

Zeke, a wee bit sandy, on Five Strand Beach, Inishowan. Rocks, stones, dunes, rock pools, crabs, jellyfish, green hills - it doesn't get much better!

Five strand beach

Zeke and Luan playing in the sand dunes at Five Strand Beach which has the biggest sand dunes in Europe! The boys found a poor stranded jellyfish. They spent a long time running up and down the dunes.

The beach at the wee house

Big black rocks and little coloured gemstones.

A wee leprechaun we found

We found this wee green leprechaun on the beach.

Not another rocky beach!!!

Luan and me at the beach in front of the wee house.

The wee house

Luan, Grandma and Zeke peeping out of the very wee house where apparently a family lived once. It would've been rather damp and chilly but they would've had a magnificent view.

'the wee house of Malin' and 15th century church

Zeke, Luan and I are in the ruins of a fifteenth century church which is in front of the wee house (which is actually a wee cave).

Surrounded by gems

Luan and Zeke surrounded by stones.

Stones stones stones

Grandma on windy and gemstone filled Ballyhillion beach.

Obsessed

Perhaps we are becoming a little obsessed with gemstones but we visited Ballyhillion beach which is famous for its semiprecious stones. In fact it is COVERED in them!

Snuggled up with Grandma

At the Persian Bar in Carndonagh, Inishowen, Donegal.

Carndonagh

Where we are having our traditional Irish lunch (toasties and pizza! And whiskey).

Sparky our hire car

Sparky our Chevrolet on the inishowen peninsula.

Inishowen peninsula

The most northern (and possibly the most stunning) part of Ireland.

Orange flowers

Luan and me at Malin head beach. I had just stood on a nettle. Shoes are a good idea in Ireland.

Grandma

Finally separated from her sister at Malin head.

Malin head fair!

There was a fair in Malin head with lots of rides and things to spend money on including hamster races!

Lunch at the Seaview

Luan and Grandma having lunch at the Seaview. Delicious halibut and salmon (oh and whiskey).

Gemstones at Malin Head

Grandma, the boys and I are back in Malin head staying at the wonderful Seaview tavern (and what a view it is). These are some gemstones we collected on the beach (agate, cornelian and jasper among them).

The beautiful Antrim coastline

If only it was warm enough to swim in!

We have shadows!

Portstewart again. The grass IS soo green!!

Where's the gold?

Rain and sun and rain and sun creates beautiful rainbows!

Portstewart harbor

Zeke and Luan and a couple of sticks at Portstewart harbour.

Horrible history

Zeke reading another Horrible History book at Morelli's in Portstewart.

Chocolate cake heaven

Luan on his third slice!

Sisters and Luan

Birthday cake

Grandma Smyth makes the most delicious chocolate cakes. This one had a singing candle. Luan blew out the candle, made a wish and then ate three slices!! He won't tell us his wish. Grandma Smyth put penguins on the cake.

Napoleonic fort

Boys (with their new shirts) at the fort.

Birthday boy and big brother

After dinner we looked at a Napoleonic fort amongst the long grass.

Magilligan point

Aunty and niece

Lisa and Robbie

We took Luan out for dinner for his sixth birthday to the Point at Magilligan.

Malin Head

Zeke and me collecting gemstones at Malin Head.

Malin head

Luan the five year old (not for long!!!).

Gemstones!

Beautiful stones at Malin Head.