county down

i set off for downpatrick this morning armed with some vague instructions and the forecast of a lovely day. the good thing about driving in ireland is that really you just need to know the town you're heading to and the ones inbetween - then follow any sign pointing in that direction. one of the fun parts of driving in northern ireland is that they use mph and my car only has kph - so i have no idea what i'm supposed to be driving. ah well. :) i had pulled over early on to take some photographs and as i was about to head on, a lady honked at me. i thought i'd done something wrong but she was wanting my help to get to kilkeel. i checked my map and gave her directions. and she was irish. :)

i think i'm going to have to give up the computer soon, so i'll be brief...i got to see the saint patrick visitor centre and the downpatrick cathedral & cemetery where saint patrick is buried. the centre was surprisingly well done. after that i visited the ruins of inch abbey and then tried to find a dolmen west of ballynahinch, but the road i needed was closed and i couldn't figure out another way, so i headed back east to newcastle. on my way i stopped a few times for sheep. there are loads of lambs and they're so adorable. if it was easier to stop along the road more, i would. newcastle is along the coast, so i walked the promenade for a bit and then treated myself to some ice cream -- blackcurrant & cream. seriously?? so good.

this evening i walked through the park again. there are some marvelous trees. i didn't take my camera w/ me b/c sometimes i like to be free. just me walking. but now i might have to wake up early and go for a short walk again so i can take pictures of some of the trees i saw. then, i sat on a hill overlooking the loch. and watching the mountains and water in the gloaming. *sigh*

so now tomorrow i'll be heading up to cushendall and after that rathlin island.

arrived.

so things had originally been set for me to arrive in dublin yesterday. but due to strange weather in atlanta, delta cancelled my flight on monday and booked me on one for tuesday. certainly not my happiest moment, but now that i'm here, i can only look forward. so tuesday morning i flew instead to jfk airport where i got to hang out for six hours awaiting my flight to dublin. an elderly welsh man saw my hiking bag and noticed my welsh flag patch and came over to chat with me for a moment. on the flight, i was seated by a lovely couple around my age. the husband is irish and the wife is american - californian to be exact. we talked a fair amount and had some things in common. they ended up giving me their phone #s as he works with the police so could help me out if i need anything. they even shared a bit of their easter candy with me. all in all the flight was good (except for not getting to sleep).

driving to rostrevor from the airport wasn't too bad. though i did have a false start off the lot when the car kept beeping at me and i couldn't figure out why, so i turned back only to have the guy note that i hadn't let up the emergency brake fully. nice.

the weather today has been overcast and rainy, but i was able to go on a brief walk mid-morning and after tea this evening without getting too wet. for those of you who helped with my camera bag rain cover -- it's holding up grand! the people here at the christian renewal centre are lovely, really going out of their way to make me feel at home. and i have a room facing the loch.



tomorrow i think it's to be nice out. and i plan to drive up to downpatrick and check out some saint patrick sites. and so the adventure begins! i hope i sleep well tonight. my mind's been a bit dodgy all day. please keep me and my little car in your prayers!! :)

not much

i was sitting on my back porch tonight, well after the sun went down. the sky was deep purple. the dark greyish sort that is still definitely purple. the night sky is a strange, illusive thing. normally blackish-blue or navy. but sometimes there is another hue, like purple or a strange teal. but it's just a hint. you have to be sitting there looking at it to see.

whenever i sit outside by myself - especially at night - it's like i'm in a moment connected to a succession of previous moments like that one, where i'm sitting on a back porch or front porch, not looking at anything particularly beautiful and yet there's that bit of sky there and the way the neighbour's light is glinting off the silver wind chimes in my yard. and i'm not one for talking on the phone, but there are a few friends with whom i can chat and it's those whom i call at times like this and even when i can't reach them, it's like they're sitting there with me and the conversations we've had before are hanging from the branches of the trees.

it's not much. but it's nice.