Holiday

I can hardly believe we've been back from our holiday in the USA for almost three weeks. I thought I'd share a few photographs with you, hope your not bored by them.

This holiday took some planning because we were using air miles, so getting the dates took a bit of juggling. It has taken us quite a while to collect enough air mile to fly both ways in upperclass, I must say it was an experience actually laying down and sleeping on a flight, (how the other half live is all I can say!) it then took a time to book the car and hotels independently.

We flew into Boston and spent three nights, we have been to Boston before so this was a chance to repeat some things and a chance to do some things we'd not done before. Always on the list is a visit to the Prudential Centre the views are spectacular.  This time we went on the Boston Tea Party experience, that was good fun, booing and hissing the British and throwing tea over the side of the ship, when we were there before the ship had caught fire so was off limits!

View from the viewing tower Prudential Center

Reflections

Leaving Boston we drove to Sandwich on Cape Cod, this was a repeat too, and so was the Whale watching but it was just as good as I remembered. Heres just a few of the hundreds of photos we took of the Humpback Whales (I could spend my life watching these amazing creatures)

On the way back to shore we sighted a couple of Basking Sharks they were huge!

Basking Shark

After three days we had a long drive to Syracuse, New York. We made an overnight stop here before continuing onto Niagara Falls and into Canada. Our hotel was next to the falls and the view from our room was amazing, every time you looked out of the window the spray from the falls creates an ever-changing scene.

View from Hotel

 We took a guided coach tour, this included walking down to the bottom of the falls and a trip on the Maid of the Mist, on both of these we both got drenched but it was worth it. All of these were firsts and I would do it again.

Going into the wet areas the guide recommended that we put our cameras, iPhones etc into plastic bags and make a small hole for the lens to stop them getting wet. I must have pressed something because for the rest of the day all my images were black and white, but to be honest I got some really good shots which I'm going to have blown up and framed, not all of these images are mine some are Dave's.

This is the route down to the bottom of the falls

Maid of the Mist

 Then on to Gettysburg, another first, we did all the tourist things and a guided tour of the Battle Fields, we stayed in a B and B called the Brickhouse it was there during the Civil War and there were bullet holes in the back wall. The only problem with Gettysburg is that during the tourist season it gets invaded by Ghost Hunters, they do night walks and all the usual things (not for us), other than that it was a lovely place to visit.  The B and B was lovely and the breakfast was so filling, I've never had dessert at breakfast, we only had it on the first day, Shoofly Pie an Amish dish, well you have to try these things.

Brick House

From there it was onto New York, going there was not a first, but driving through Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Flatbush as you can tell we got slightly lost. Once we dropped the car off at the airport and got a cab into the city it was time to relax. We stayed across the road from Central Park, it was lovely to walk in the Park on a hot day. Then after three days it was a cab back to the airport and a flight home, just in time as the temperatures were rising. Of course we did a lot more than I've included here trips to museums and galleries and of course I managed to slip in a couple of visits to quilt shops and even a Quilt Exhibition in Boston. As always though, It's nice to be back!

Flat Iron Building

Central Park

I have so many photos that I could put on here but I must resist........

Hearts of the Kitchen

I couldn't make up my mind what to do with the heart stones I found on holiday last year in Ireland, it seemed such a pity to keep them in a draw or in the jar where I pop shells that I collected over the years from beaches across the world. Then on a trip to IKEA I saw black frames and I just knew........

After a lot of arranging and re-arranging I decided on these three and they now hang in a row on a wall in the kitchen instead of being forgotten in a draw, they are looked at every day and I remember the day they were collected on the beach of heart shape stones!
So what do you do with the bits and bobs you collect on holiday?

A photo heavy post!

We've been on holiday in Ireland  a small village (not sure if it was a village no shop NO PUB) but still a great holiday! We rented a house in  Arthurstown Co. Waterford,  a 30 minute drive from Wexford when taking the car ferry from Ballyhack to Passage East.

The weather was kind, the people very friendly, the scenery beautiful and the food, well totally wonderful. I'm not a lover of fish but in this part of Ireland it appears a lot on the menu, never one to shy away I jumped in so to speak and ate a lot of delicious fish cooked in various ways.

The first day after an over night ferry from Pembroke to Rosleare we had a wander around Waterford, as I said there wasn't a pub in the town but a short distance away is Dunbrody House, they have  this year opened a pub called 'The Local' to fill the gap when the pub in the town closed. The Local is only open from Thursday to Sunday and serves a very limited menu but boy it was delicious food. We also had a couple of meals at the Champagne and Seafood Bar in the main house that was amazing!

Here are just some of the things we did, a drive to The Hook Head Lighthouse and a stop at a couple of the beaches, we were the only people on the beach, not warm enough for skinny dipping but the idea was there! We sat in the warm sun after a lovely lunch in the Light House restaurant, I could have sat there all week just watching the sea crashing against the rocks, so restful.  Mind you I wouldn't want to be sitting there when the Irish sea gets really rough.

Hook Lighthouse

View from the hook

Beach on Copper Coast Route

Rock

Rock

I did become a bit obsessed with heart shaped stones on the beaches, Dave called a halt and said if we carried on we wouldn't be able to get on the ferry coming home in fear of it sinking from the weight in our car, spoil sport! I had hoped to find some sea glass but didn't maybe another time another beach......

Copper Coast

As a break from beach combing we made a visit to Tintern Abbey, it's such a shame  the visitors centre  was destroyed by vandals, who robbed it then set fire to it. Yes, it happens in the most beautiful parts of the world, and to give the staff at the Abbey their due they are struggling on whilst the centre is being rebuilt.

 Another day we visited the Famine Ship at New Ross, a very interesting visit with a guided tour of the ship and two woman who played out the parts of a woman who travelled steerage and a woman who travelled upper class. Boy what a life those woman had. After that disturbing and touching visit we  needed (I needed) a touch of the textile world.  Strange there just happened to be a 'Ros Tapestry' the history of the Normans in Ireland in stitch. An interesting exhibition which is still a work in progress.

Potato Famine Ship

Potato Famine Ship

The Local

Another day it was off to Kilkenny and the Design Centre, some lovely things there and a few must haves, six pottery mugs a jug and a sugar bowl, well they are beautiful and you must support the artist especially when you have visited their studio, mustn't you? Shame, Dave didn't feel quite the same when we popped into the Goldsmiths and then the Silversmiths studio's, but you can't have it all. On the same site is the National Craft Gallery there was an exhibition called 'Future Fashion' I only took a couple of photos ( I did ask first) the work was beautiful, but all I can say is this is a fashion I will not be wearing in the future! But I did admire the skill of the workmanship.

Una Burke

Stephanie Bila

On our way back to the house after the Kilkenny  we passed through Inistioge a  small village  used for scenes in the films 'Circle of Friends' based on the Maeve Binchy book  and 'Widows Peak'.

Inistioge

You can't go all the way to Waterford and not visit the  House of Waterford Crystal, we did the tour and saw how the pieces are made from start to finish. We had decided to also go and see a glass engraver who has a studio in Waterford, we watched him work for a while and then chatted to him about his work. Dave had already spotted a piece of  work  he wanted to buy, Sean Egan was employed by Waterford Crystal and  made a beautiful piece of work after the  9/11 tragedy its called Miracle on Stairwell B. He presented the work to the FDNY, there are several variations of this sculptures  one in the Waterford Showroom and another in Sean's studio. Sadly after working for Waterford Crystal for 35 years Sean lost his job and opened his own studio. We did buy a piece of Sean's work which he signed for us, he asked what we would like him to put on it, just his name was enough on such a lovely piece.

No we didn't buy the clock thats in the Waterford Crystal showroom, we bought a square piece with butterflies engraved into it.

Crystal clock

9-11

Now we're home and looking forward to our next break away.

A Week Away

Last week the family were together for a whole week of sun, food, drink and relaxing in the sun!

 Great views!

Interesting Villa!

 Fish for lunch in little restaurants  on the beach!

And the occasional cocktail before dinner!

Ahh! Lanzarote.........

Holiday in Mauritius

1. IMG_2649, 2. Paddling in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius, 3. The Indian Ocean, Mauritius, 4. the Indian Ocean, Mauritius, 5. The local wild life, Mauritius, 6. 20 Degrees Sud, Grand Baie, Mauritius, 7. Lunch at 20 Degrees Sud, Grand Baie, Mauritius, 8. Grand Baie, Mauritius, 9. Grand Baie, Mauritius, 10. 20 Degrees Sud, Grand Baie, Mauritius, 11. 20 Degrees Sud, Grand Baie, Mauritius, 12. Grand Bassin, Mauritius, 13. Grand Bassin, Mauritius

1. Mauritius, 2. Mauritius, 3. Bois Cheri,  Mauritius, 4. Bois Cheri,  Mauritius, 5. Tortoise at Pamplemousses, Mauritius, 6. Pamplemousses, Mauritius, 7. Pamplemousses, Mauritius, 8. Water Lilly, Pamplemousses, Mauritius, 9. Lotus Seed Heads, Pamplemousses, Mauritius

I wanted to share with you some of the images from our recent visit to Mauritius, the island is so beautiful and the people are lovely. Unfortunately half way through the first week of the stay I had a really bad back ache and that put an end to anymore sight seeing. Luckily the day of our twelve and a half hour flight home my back improved, so the journey home was relatively pain free! But the day after I ended up needing to visit the Accident and Emergency unit at our local hospital.  My left leg was numb from the knee to the ankle, as a precaution I was treated as though I had a DVT, luckily my sister in law (she is a nurse) was able to inject me in the stomach with a blood thinning drug until I could get an appointment at the  DVT clinic.  It was confirmed yesterday that it isn't a DVT,  thankfully. I must say that I was surprised to be asked by the hospital if they could give me the medication and to do it myself?  It is thought that I have a trapped nerve in my spine so now I'm waiting for that to be investigated. Oh dear now we feel as though we've not had a holiday!

The Changing Sky of Northumberland

Several years ago we spent a holiday on the Isle of Skye on our way home we stayed one night in Northumberland, we said we'd return and spend longer and so........off we went.

Antony Gormley's Angel of the North welcomed us, a background of a blue sky and fluffy white(ish) clouds,  was this a good sign had we left the rain behind us in the south of the country?

Waking on Sunday morning to a cloudy sky we headed  north from where we were staying in Bellingham to Berwick upon Tweed. After a stroll through the streets of Berwick  we headed into Scotland and the village of Coldstream and a visit to their museum.

Monday we drove to Hadrian's wall and visited Vinolanda Museum, I would recommend a visit to this ever changing Roman site, archaeological excavations are still taking place and you can  watch and speak to the team about their work. It was a lovely day and quite warm, but we were glad of our walking boots the ground was soggy.

The fields of Northumberland were full of sheep and cattle......

Tuesday looked as though it was going to be the best day of the week,  and so a visit to Holy Island  (Lindisfarne). It's a mile walk from the car park to the castle but well worth it. After all that walking and climbing of stairs up to the top of the castle, it was lunch at a cafe, we sat in the garden in the warm sunshine, after lunch we visited the Priory.

It was then back to Bellingham and dinner in the Hotel two doors away from the cottage we had rented for the week, the food was good so we ate there every evening and as they served real ale  why try anywhere else?

On one of our trips out we  passed a tree and I noticed lots and lots of boots trainers and shoes in the branches. Next time we passed  we stopped to have a look, there was nothing saying why, Art? This tree is miles from anywhere and I don't think it would be easy to get the shoes etc so high in the branches from the side of the road.

Wednesday we visited Otterburn Mill in the morning, now I know where the expression 'on tenter hooks' comes from, it's all to do with the drying of the woven fabric ( yesterday Country Tracks included it in the Programme). The rest of the day was spent at the cottage reading and dozing well one of us dozed while the other one read and did a bit of needlework. Well we were on holiday!

When we visited the Priory we joined English Heritage, Dave was happy, he has reach that age where he gets 'Concession'! So to take advantage of the membership on Thursday we visited Belsay Hall, Castle and the Garden.

The gardens were beautiful!

Dave decided to take the steps.... I decided to stay on the ground and take photos.....

After all that walking and climbing it was time for lunch.

Stottie was on the menu, the girl serving said it was a lump of bread with a filling! A lady standing next to us said it was a North East thing, so we both decided to try it. I chose hot beef, horseradish and gravy, Dave had hot chicken and gravy. I was a bit unsure when the girl asked 'do you want dressing with the salad'! Salad and gravy, but it actually worked really well the gravy soaked into the bread so didn't mix with the salad..... I have to say it was a lot of bread but it was lovely, not sure I could eat one every day!!!!

From there it was a drive to Kielder Forest, the weather was starting to turn and the forecast for Friday was heavy rain and strong winds.....

Time to head home we thought so it was back to the cottage pack our bags, a last dinner at the hotel ( a light one after the stottie), Friday it was  a rainy and windy journey home. No photo of the Angel of the North she was shrouded in a rainy mist.
Washing done, shopping done Betsy collected everything back to 'normal' have we been away? And guess what, the sky has changed here too, yesterday we sat in the garden in the warm sun today it's raining........Oh well, when is the next holiday?