Ireland Part III

My Trip to Ireland, Part III:

Dunluce and Monea Castles

First off, so sorry for the delay in Ireland picture posting!

If you recall, a mere 6 months ago I was helping Lee recover from a kidney transplant, and last week we had a little bump in the road. He was in and out of the hospital all week, and everything is once again in working order!

Now back to the Ireland pictures:

The first set of pictures comes from Dunluce Castle.

This was probably my favorite castle we visited, even more so than the Blarney Castle. It may have been because it was the first castle we visited, but whatever the reason, I loved it!

The castle is surrounded by extremely steep drops on both sides, and at one point part of the kitchen next to the cliff face collapsed into the sea. After the kitchen fell the wife of the owner refused to live in the castle any longer.

Here are a few of my many, many, Dunluce Castle pictures:

Another castle we visited early in our trip was Monea Castle.

This castle ruin was a little bit off of the beaten path, but certainly worth the drive!

Here are a few pictures of it:

Flickr Favorites - Ireland Part II

Part II of my trip to Ireland:

The Giant's Causeway

1. How Giant's Causeway Got It's Shape, 2. [IRL] Giant's Causeway, 3. The Giant's Causeway path, 4. Giant's Causeway from above

After my death defying trek across the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, and a spot of lunch, we made our way over to the Giant's Causeway.

The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 basalt columns. They are the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. The tops of these columns form stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are a hexagon, but there are others with a different number of sides.

Legend states that it was the Irish warrior Finn McCool who built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner.

However they came to be, they are certainly a site to see!

Here are some of my own pictures from our visit to the causeway:

Tomorrow's post will be about the first two castles we encountered on our trip.

(One being a top highlight of the trip for me!)

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Ireland Part I

Part 1 of my trip to Ireland:

The view from Larne, and The Carrick-a-rede- rope bridge

First, I wanted to show off just a couple pictures from the town that we stayed in the majority of the time we were on vacation. I don't think Larne is really known as a 'tourist hub' of sorts, but we are lucky enough to have family friends who own a home in and who are originally from Larne. They were nice enough to let us stay there while we were on vacation!

The house was right across the street from the coastal waters:

And even better?

Something called the "Highway to Health."

This fun little walk was right down the road from our house. It was essentially a walking path along the water with super fun, fitness equipment spread out along the walk. My mom and Lee thought this one was the best:

(and it was)

We spent many nights walking and playing along this path, which was really good considering how we ate some nights (can anyone say fish and chips much?!)

Our first actual adventure was up the coastal highway to the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.

(the walk over to the actual bridge)

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is a rope suspension bridge. The bridge links the mainland to the tiny Carrick Island. It spans 65 feet (20meters) and is 98 feet (30 meters) above the rocks and water below.

Up until we got to the actual bridge I was dead set on going across the bridge. When I got there however, I decided it was most definitely not for me. The wind was blowing really hard, and the swaying bridge was way higher up than I had anticipated. I have an incredibly ridiculous fear of heights, so after pacing back and forth for about 30 seconds I said no way.

My mom and Lee went on ahead and I watched them walk across it feeling a tiny bit let down that I wasn't with them. That was when Ricky grabbed me. Ricky was the man in charge of ripping the ticket to let you across the bridge. He kept telling me I HAD to go across! Then other visitors started telling me I HAD to go across! Ricky (and the peer pressure from every visitor to the bridge) convinced me to walk down the very steep set of steps leading to the bridge with promises that if I felt too scared I could go right back up the steps.

By the time I finished walking down those steep steps I had already made up my mind to just turn around when Ricky was standing on the rope bridge and asking me to just take two steps out to it. Further more he stopped all other traffic on the bridge so that it was just him and me. Once I stepped on the bridge I had no choice but to go across. At the other end all I could think to ask him was if he would please do the same thing so that I could get back across.

He did:

(yes, I am that scared girl in a pink sweat shirt, inching her way across the bridge)

In that moment I didn't even care that there were over 8 people waiting to walk across the bridge behind me, or that my entire family was laughing at me. My mind was only on survival! Once I finished and high fived Ricky I turned around to see Lee and my mom walking with a bunch of other people:

(Lee would be the first person practically skipping across the bridge [no fear of heights], with my mom behind him)

They were walking much faster, and gosh darn-it, even managing to smile while doing it! It's okay though. I gave everyone a good laugh and I am super, super, proud to have walked the bridge myself! Besides that, the view on the other end was amazing and totally worth it.

Well that is all for now!

Tomorrow will be all about the Giant's Causeway (flickr favorite's style)

I'm Back!

1. Blarney Castle

I am back from Ireland,

a little jet lagged, but non too worse for the wear.

Everything was amazing!
Over the next week I will be posting lots of pictures and stories. One a day, everyday until all activities have been covered. :)

Shawls

This is my latest Shawl.

It is called Morlynn, and you can find the pattern on ravelry.

Here are a few more pictures of me modeling it:

As soon as I completed it I began rummaging through my stash. I really, really, needed to pick out some yarn and a project to take on my flight to Ireland (leaving in 4days!) Nothing was beckoning me to knit it though, so I began to think I might just not bring a project along.

Then a close friend of mine told me she really liked my Seaside Shawl (or Forest Canopy as it is known on ravlery). The Seaside Shawl, so named for the colors in the yarn, was the very first shawl I ever attempted to knit. It was a Christmas present for my grandma, and something I was immensely proud of.

the seaside shawl in all its glory

Then it hit me.

Why not knit my wonderful friend a Seaside shawl of her own during my flight!

I have just the yarn too. A beautiful light grey heathered alpaca in sport weight. I've been holding on to all 600+ yards of it for a few years now as it was kind of an impulse buy.

I'll be sure to show pictures of it (and the trip) when I get back!

Flickr Favorites - The Perfect Project

1. Red yarn_r 1:366, 2. NHM #10 Palm, 3. autumn aran sock #1, 4. recycled sweater brown and red tote bag with light brown camel yarn

My trip to Ireland is in two weeks.

I have many things in order, but there is one seemingly simple task I can't do. One simple little thing that should be no problem at all to figure out. What is this one little thing I can't do?

Pick out what knitting project I will bring along.

The flight over is 6+ hours and that would make for some prime knitting time! Besides what else am I going to do on the plane? Watch the same movie repeatedly?

I have poured over my Ravelry favorites, patterns, photos of knitting on flickr, and the few knitting/crochet books I have.

And nothing.

I can't pick one single project I want to bring with me.

Any suggestions?

I love lace, and shawl knitting.

I dislike sock knitting.

I am trying, but not very good at garment knitting. Yet.

I also love to crochet. (especially blankets)

I look forward to any and all suggestions.

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