Month: June 2024

IRELAND and NORTHERN IRELAND

No need for any stories, all anecdotes are on the “Tripping the Isles” WhatsApp and Face Book. Here is a photo collage of the two very different cities.

Northern Ireland

The Belfast city hall has been replicated to the exact design in Durban.

The TITANIC tour is well worth a visit and worth every Pound spent.

The last 2 photos are of the Belmont arena. We went to watch a family friend Tyron Koen who is the SA overseas professional playing for the All Ireland T20 champs CIYMS. Unfortunately they lost the semi final to Lisburn by 4 wickets.

Next posting will come from SCOTLAND.

Ross Castle on Lough Leane, is a 15th century tower house.

Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland.

Love the sign on one outlet. Killarney Bar.

The highlight for Golfari fans. Killarney has 2 brilliant courses, with Loch Leane part of both courses. Although mainly flat, with narrow fairways and trees on either side. Very well manicured, and on the Wednesday that we were there, well supported.

Killeen course has hosted the IRISH OPEN on 4 separate occasions and sister course Mahony Point, the Woman’s Irish Open in 2003.

Check out the prices to play a game as an International guest. That is 2 games with a cart if one went to Sun City.

Galway to Cliffs of Moher. Travels along the Wild Atlantic way, 120kms down to 100kmph, through villages at60 and 50kmph. Funny going past houses with gates or drive ways just off the road, and cars go flying past at 80kmph. Could be very dangerous if implemented in SA.

264kms travelled during the day. At the Cliffs there were more than 1000 people at 12 Euro each, and the multitude of different languages, proving that Ireland is definitely attracting tourists.

Bristol airport Monday 17th June 07h15 flight to Dublin. Temperature 11degress.

Arrival to an overcast day in Dublin to the same temperature as England. Durban winter is warmer than these Summer parts. Car hire of a Suzuki Swift (Hybrid). Google maps showed only one set of Tolls around Dublin. Forgot to mention the other 2 on the way to Galway.For interest Euro3.7 /3.4 and 2.3. A total of E9.40 or R184. It is cheaper to go to Mtunzini and return. The roads though, even the one lane rural roads are perfect.

Galway- 218kms on M6 and M4. A University city on the West coast of Ireland. Journey in parts with a 120km per hour parts, but like England, speed restrictions and cameras along the very green and lush country side. Very beautiful.

Galway-Guru Free walk talk with Ashleigh. Very informative and interesting.

All in all a busy day one in Ireland.

Originally a wooden fort built by William The Conqueror in 1068, situated on the river Avon in the town of Warwick, County Warwickshire. Rebuilt of stone during the 12th century and remodelled to what it is today.

The visit to the castle was not only entertaining and informative ( all rooms with visual and audio commentary with Madam Tussards lifelike wax figures) and all well worth the cost of entry. Much attention in the grounds outside the Castle walls, is given to the younger generation, with play areas, fantasy maze and much more.

Highlight: Falconers Quest. A journey into the past of Birds of Prey and how well these birds play to the audience, directed by 3 expert Falconers.

Well worth the day out, cool but NO rain.

Let the adventure begin. Wednesday 12th, with Fly Safair, Durban 13 degrees. Arrival in Joburg at 9 degrees. Qatar airways to Doha arriving at 11pm, 35 degrees and this morning arrival in Birmingham to a UK summers day at 7 degrees. What a less than 24 hours temperature swing.

Supper on Qatar was a type of sweet and sour chicken with extras, and breakfast the normal egg type quiche(scrambled egg). Tasty but not as exotic as Emirates.

In Birmingham, there to meet us was the ex South African long term friend Gayle.

This is the first of many a blogs to come out of England, Ireland and Scotland over the next month, with much more to follow from Malta, until the end of September.

Last weekend in Durban harbour. A visit to the LOGOS HOPE, an INTERNATIONAL SHIP sharing knowledge and LITERATURE and much more:

LOGOS HOPE STATS: From 2004

10m VISITORS – 11m BOOKS SOLD – 238 Ports of call – 82 Countries visited(Logos Hope stats as presented).

Second point of the story is— see where the Logos Hope is registered. VALLETTA in MALTA, where I shall be in a months time.

Many posts to follow during the next 4 months.