Categories: places
Tags: Northern Ireland, family
Date: 04 April 2008 21:22:50
After the Easter weekend, I went off with the outlaws (parents-in-law, sister-in-law and next-youngest niece, but without HD, who still had to work) to Northern Ireland for a couple of days to meet our new niece. The journey took forever (we arrived at Dublin around about rush hour, so it took ages to get through the city), so it was dark by the time we arrived at our cottage. The next day though we headed off to HD's brother's and his partner's place. which is a little smallholding in the middle of nowhere which eventually will be like the Good Life, except not in Surbiton! (They have 4 acres, and so far have 5 or 6 ducks, 80 chickens, a very pregnant horse, a slightly mad dog, and are hoping to get a pig later this year). Our niece Edie is beautiful, really leisurely and calm and sociable and not whingey at all, though as she already has 3 siblings I guess she can't yet get a word in edgeways. That first day, apart from going for a pub lunch, we just stayed at the house all day, but the next day we all went to a National Trust place called Mount Stewart (stately home with fabulous gardens) where the kids did a dragon hunt (with perhaps a little help from the big kids) whilst the oldies among us just sauntered round leisurely. It was really beautiful there, and I took plenty of photos - it was the kind of place where I could see lots of places I could have had a go at drawing, but I didn't have my pastels with me and as I wasn't on my own it wouldn't have been fair to expect everyone to wait around for me anyway. Later that day HD's dad drove me to the airport (the rest of them were staying one more day), where I managed to meet up for a quick cup of tea before my flight with my friend (and Kerensa's) the Media Dahling, which was really lovely - so in a couple of days I did manage to pack quite a lot in.
I took some photos of the family and also at Mount Stewart. I've decided that I'll keep the family ones out of public view, as they're not of my children, but if I've done it right then you should see 4 pictures here including some fabulous Guinness topiary! (if you're logged into flickr and are one of my friends then you should be able to see the family ones as well). Photos here.