Day 19     Continue via the Giant's Causeway to Bushmills whisky distillery

This was a very quiet and pleasant camper parking spot.

I believe Robin Hood used these to make bows!

This was a parking spot just south of Carrik-a Rede, with a great view point.

View across to Rathlin Island with Scotland in the background.

The small island is Carrick-a-Rede

In the photo below you can see the rope bridge connecting the island to the mainland.

The above two photos were taken from a different location on the lookout.

Now we have rounded the point and are heading west towards the Giant's Causeway.

This looked like a nice little beach,

where the cows go surfing!

Portballintrae in te distance.

Joinng the crowds to visit the Giant's causeway.

This is the coastline just before the causeway.

and our first impression of the stone formations.

It is certainly fascinating.

The geologists have a differnt story, but the ancient story is that a local giant here heard that there was another giant in Scotland, so he built the causeway to get across to Scotland. He then crossed over, but when he saw how huge the other giant was, he retreated quickly, destroying the causeway behind him. Just as he got back to the Irish shore, he lost one of his slippers. This is what Elisabeth is resting on here!

These pillars are parlicularly impressive.

The track we were following came to a sudden stop here. There had been a few land slides across the track

We returned to the visitor's centre.

Afterwards we tried to join a tour of the Old Bushmill's Distillery, but had missed the start of the last tour for the day.

We booked for the first tour in the morning.

and returned for a better look at the visitor's centre at the Causeway.

We noticed there were very few tourists, so deciced to have another look at the causeway.

Almost no tourists.

This is where the causeway stretched across to Scotland!!

It was much easier to frame a photograph without the people.

Most of the pillars are pentaganol, but there were also hexagonal,

and even square ones.

We walked to where the route was closed, top RH corner of this map.

Day 20    Bushmills to Derry

We overnighted at a camper parking near the Bushmills Distillery,

and then joined the first tour of the day.

an old locked spirit safe so that the Crown could check on the strength of the whiskey.

Why are older whiskies more expensive. Becase of the share that the Angels got!

Used Sherry casks waiting to be filled with whiskey.

The Angel's Share!

After 20 years it is around 50%

Immortalised on the Five £ note.

Our guide was an ex policeman who retired early, while he was still alive.

An old still

The tasting centre.

Coopers

Guess who missed out again!

But we did take s few bottles with us!

We departed Bushmills and drove to Derry, where we found parking near the railway museum.

If you are not a motor homer, parking can be a real problem for the larger vehicles, as many parking spots are limited to 2m high.

Reasonable prices too.

Affordable suits anyone!

Now that is a posrhole borer!

These beautiful flowers were in the garden of the Cathedral

We found this Campground on a farm right near the border to NI.

  Day 21   Continue via Donegal to Blaney Caravan Park on Lower Loch Erne

Ruins of the Donegal Friary

Donegal Castle

A model of the castle

The tide is out!

Belleek Pottery factory.

Part of the exhibition in the foyer.

This and the following photos are part of a film in the visitor's centre, hence the poor quality of the photos.

I have left them in as they do explain the processes in the manufacture of the pottery.

Now we are back in the display section.

Here we start on a guided tour through the factory.

Just out of the mould.

Our tour guide.

The mould storage.

More moulds

Drying a little before further work.

An older photo

Various stages of Glazing

Before and after dipping.

Elisabeth giving it a go.

St Patrick

Lamp stands

Here we are actually crossing an island on the northern shore of Lower Loch Erne

This used to be the Post Office at Bally Cassidy. The sign above the entrance has now been removed.

This was the corm mill at Bally Cassidy

Before the water level of the lake was lowered, the boats used to moor agaist the building to load and unload.

Sign on the bridge. I think it reads 1847

The post office again.

The Corn Mill at Bally Cassidy The current mill building was built in 1810 on the site of the old mill and at one stage employed about 100 people..

The current owner is building a new house on the site of the old mill building, which was seven stories high.

Self explanatory

We continued on via Enniskillen to overnight at Blaney Caravan Park