“May the road rise to meet you!” the Irish like to say. Who wouldn’t want to visit that land of full-blooded adventure and magical escapes? So what exactly does this Island country have to offer? A history so powerful and rich that it colours every aspect of Irish living, a people so passionate and proud …
Fanfan is kind of obsessed when it comes to flowers here in Northern Ireland, to the point when she would try to have me take photos of them for her when she’s not here. Which I don’t. But when she is here, in Spring and Summer, it’s all about visits to Bangor’s parks and the …
We have been recently looking for newer pastures to explore in Northern Ireland on our National Trust Pass, as we aim to tick off some of the less obvious properties on the list, and ultimately get our money’s worth or the year. And this brought us out to Rowallane Gardens (a name I continue to …
Until recently Greyabbey was little more than a road sign along the coast of Strangford Lough and the Ards Peninsula to me. As I really had no reason for visiting until a chance encounter when arriving at nearby Mount Stewart with no cash and they don’t accept cards for the entrance fee. And so this …
We’re really not great when it comes to hiking, in fact we’re more the opposite, and when planning this outing we were looking for the easiest way possible to walk from Silent Valley to Ben Crom Reservoir. And hoped to just use the shuttle bus that supposedly travels between the two, only it never came. …
We have covered a fair few road trips in Europe through various times of the year, with around 16 different European countries under our belt now. And here we share a quick list of our best road trips in Europe to date when travelling on Self Drive Holidays in Europe. And while the list is …
The Belfast to Bangor train line, aka the Gold Coast Train Line (train timetable here), connects the capital city of Belfast to the nearby coastal town of Bangor in Northern Ireland. The railway line follows various destinations along Northern Ireland’s famous Gold Coast, and is the main tourist line connecting the major tourist areas of …
To be honest, Belfast Castle is a bit underwhelming when it comes to castles, as it doesn’t have the old motte and bailey design, or the battlements, or even an interesting story to tell. And when compared to the great castles of Britain it is more of a big house. In fact, it was only …
Streamvale Farm is a family-run dairy farm located just outside of Belfast (Dundonald) that opens to the public with all sorts of fun and inclusive activities to entertain all ages. But most importantly it is an educational experience for the whole farm-to-fork concept and it promotes the importance of local farming in Northern Ireland. Meaning …
Bangor’s Premier Inn is the first and only hotel to open in central Bangor, whereas all other accommodation has focused instead on the seafront stretch of this small town centre. So it would at least be more convenient for arrivals to the town centre where it’s found pretty much opposite the main bus and train …
