Life - Saturday Beach Walk

I think one of the best things about living in Northern Ireland is that you're never too far from the sea, even if it is a bit chilly. These are just a few photos from a walk with my mum, sister and Heidi at the beach today...

Love finding some seaglass!!

16

Wednesday Walkies

Since I'm leaving for uni again in a couple of days time I've just been spending a little time with my family, making the most of the little time I have left at home as well as the rare appearance of some Irish sunshine! This afternoon we took a little road trip to this beautiful park for a wander and these are the resulting snaps I took:

6

Easter Fair @ Castle Ward

Today being Easter Sunday, we decided to take a family day out to Castle Ward, a National Trust property near to where I live which some Game of Thrones fans may recognise as the filming location of Winterfell Castle, the home of House Stark! There was an Easter fair on today so the place was very busy, full of families and young kids enjoying the lovely weather we had for a while this afternoon (though it didn't last long). I just took a few snaps of the day to show you. 

We had a wander through the manor house itself first of all and then went on for a walk around the grounds which was dotted with food and traditional craft stalls, and where I picked up some lovely chocolate strawberries! We then had a picnic in the grounds by Strangford Lough before we encountered the cute (and very photogenic) little donkey pictured above... Can I just say as an aside, I love donkeys, is there a cuter animal? I'm not sure that there is... 

Unfortunately, it actually started raining quite heavily and we had to make a quick dash to the car, but even still I had a great day. I hadn't been to Castle Ward in a long time and had forgotten how lovely it was. I would definitely recommend a visit for anyone who's staying in the area, especially if you're a Game of Thrones fan as there's a bicycle trail you can take of the various different filming locations on site. It's a beautiful place and definitely will not disappoint!

2

Birthday Shenanigans

I turned 19 yesterday!! Yes, I am now in the final year of my teens with absolutely no idea where the last few years have gone! Life is really strange sometimes.

 I'm back home from university now, snuggled up in bed, recovering from an absolutely amazing birthday "weekend"  (actually from Sunday to Tuesday) courtesy of some of my very best friends from home.

 First of all, on the Sunday afternoon, myself and two of my friends left for a trip up the Antrim Coast  where we stayed in a little town called Castlerock which has a really beautiful beach that has been used as a filming location for Game of Thrones in the past. That evening we just chilled out, watched some movies and then went for a late-night walk on the beach (one of my favourite things!), then the next day got up early to go bodyboarding which was really really fun even though the water was freeeeezing! I think the warm shower that was waiting for me when we got back was probably the best shower of my life so far, no exaggeration. It was lush. 

After a spot of lunch we headed up to Downhil Demense and Mussenden Temple; property owned by the National Trust which sits high up on a cliff overlooking the sea. The views from here are absolutely spectacular. I'd say it's definitely one of my favourite scenic areas in Northern Ireland, it's truly stunning. We stayed there until the sun started to go down then headed back to the house for a late dinner before heading back home.

THEN, yesterday morning a group of us set off once again to Belfast Castle and after a little wander around the gardens we started out on a fairly strenuous hike up Cave Hill-  for which I definitely wasn't wearing sensible footwear- but it was well worth it in the end for the amazing view over the whole of Belfast from the top! I'd never been before so I was really glad I got to go yesterday. It's funny how little you see of the things on your doorstep sometimes.

Finally, last night I went for a meal in the city with a few of my friends from school who I hadn't seen in a few months since I'd been away. It was really lovely to see them and get to catch up before I head back to uni again. A perfect end to a perfect day!

1