Conquering 10 more miles of the Ulster Way (Fermanagh)

Thursday saw a the Gault's awake in different rooms! I hate that feeling but although I had had a poor night's sleep, sweet Andrew had barely any sleep at all. Boy it took us a while to get our heads in gear and get the door that morning. Hence, we didn't start on the 10 mile walk until 11am! And guess what? It was even hotter than the day before - 31 degrees and a billion % humidity!

We tried to walk in the shade as much as we could, of course Andrew is in the lead as usual.

For us this was going to be a big loop walk and this view was of the opposite side of the oblong.

 The cute post office we walked by was open - I think tiny post offices like these are vital in rural communities - just loved this (secretly I have always wanted to be a post mistress * blush*)

It was around here however that I started to have a catatonic episode - always scary but Andrew and I always get through them and I AM BLOODY STUBBORN! My hands were contorted, my legs were difficult to control and I couldn't really move my head, only my eyes. This is something I never talk about as I fear it would freak people out but in this case, it didn't become a full blown attack, and after a very difficult 2 hours I was OK again. We stopped a good bit more than usual and I drink little sips of water and took a wee photo each time.

Roadside beauty abounded, yellow and white is the main theme on the verges of Fermanagh roads - taking photographs each time helped to ground me, lucky there were lots!

The side entrance into Florence Court had the most beautiful dogwood in full flower, I felt like I couldn't go on any further (I get like that when the end or a break is in view, ahaha)

After a lunch stop which saw us have 2 coffees, 2 lemonades and 2 glasses of water each! We were ready to hit the trail again, fresher than before

 A hidden carpenter's workshop on the grounds that we had never seen before

After a beautiful walk through some of the National Trusts' property we saw this sign, Andrew's finger shadow points the way!

 There was open ground and views all around but then we came to this gorgeous hidden path, which was on our route but not many people would walk around here. It was blessed relief from the heat and we even had to climb up and over and across a very old bridge.

 After more open ground Florence Court said a sort of farewell to us as we went on to it's forest trail/ Cuilcagh way/Ulster way. NB. The Ulster Way man isn't wearing a backpack but the wee afternoon walker is??

This was a glorious part of the path and certainly good for the soul, a mainly fir tree plantation but with some wonderful huge native honeysuckle bushes, irises about to flower and high-sided mossy embankments with many ferns.

Just before leaving this forest we came to a fairy glen (a place where fairies are wont to live)

Back on to open roads again - can you spot the cow in this photo??

Beautiful farm life and landscape views - I adore these small haystacks

These sheep kept us company and guided us to the Marble Arch Caves Geopark, by this point however the tarmac was melting and Andrew had loads stuck in the treads of his shoes.

We did go into the Geopark, which is now an UNESCO site but we didn't go down into the caves on a tour - maybe next time. Instead we simply made good use of the cafe and bathroom facilites :)

We did however, have the pleasure of the 'Marble Arch Marlbank National Nature Reserve' which was part of our trail and free too. Here we saw the world famous Marble Arch and saw/felt the incredible air and water that was ascending from deep underground - it was magical.

 Down at the river level there were many a beautiful spot to see and plants were abundant. Plus these fabulous 'Cascade Waterfalls' - it was so very cooling to stand there that is was difficult to walk on :)

Lastly, this was the rest of the walk, to the end of our loop - how perfect is that! At the end there were simply a few kilometres to our cottage :)

If you made it this far without falling asleep - hurrah! I am sorry there are so many photographs but for one reason or another I just couldn't stop taking them and I have only put a fraction up here, hahaha. I am really quite proud I managed these 10 miles, it was not easy especially at the start and end with the mental health problems but I DID IT.

Hugs
Carrie

Websites:
*  Florence Court
*  Marble Arch Caves Geopark

Martel's Cottage Fermanagh

Last week Andrew and I had an adventure to Fermanagh to stay in a grade 2 listed rural thatched cottage and knock off another 10 miles of our Ulster Way challenge. Toby stayed with his Granny (thank you again!).

It was the beginning of this heatwave and the roads got so very hot that by 3.30pm the tarmac was melting! Lucky we didn't have too much further to drive and our arrival at the cottage was blessed with many a large cool tree in the driveway and cool interior.

Martel's Cottage - 250 year old thatch cottage named after the famous explorer Eduardo-Alfred Martel, famous for charting Marble Arch cave system.

So this is the back entrance (away from the busy road) in straight into the dinning room/kitchen. The whitewashed stone walls and flagstone floor were so welcome in the 30 degree heat. The huge range wasn't needed by us - whew! But it cooks food, heats the house and heats the water and boy the instruction manual would need a lot of studying.

Waking into the living room, looking at the books up on the wall and sitting facing the fire was so instantly homely. The decor throughout was arts and crafts style with many handmade touches. The wasn't any TV but loads of DVD's and no Internet - eek! It was actually really nice.

Of course, once the interior had been looked over we had to back outside and check out the garden, the tree house, the out buildings and a surprise or two...

We have told the owners that the place has overgrown rather and gone from rural woolly chic to 'get your strimmer out' and tidy up now! They are going to get on it as soon as they can; they don't live near here and took our thoughts (mainly excellent) but some constructive, really well.

You would probably feel the same as us simply by being there - you would do it yourself, oh it would be so satisfying! Plus those raised beds NEED veggies in them, right? To the left of the first picture of this collage there was a fairy garden too but it was so overgrown (kids would LOVE it) and the photos are poor.

the view from the top of the den - no boys allowed, haha

Surprise number one was this original gypsy caravan which is only just starting to crumble - it could be saved and it was so cute! The roof and interior seem in good condition, the floor and start of rot on the trailer base are the only urgent things. Thinking on that however when there is so much work still to do on the property, tackling this too sounds exhausting even just writing it down!

The second surprise was hidden in beyond the woodshed...
A fantastic wilderness area with swings (we played on those far to much for the average adult, hahaa), a shelter and a fire pit! it was perfect and we went back after dinner to enjoy a bottle of wine and a beautiful open fire on a peaceful summer night with the sounds of birds singing and cows mooing.

OK. I over did it with the photos but seriously this is them parred down. It was quiet the magical place and with a 10 km walk ahead of us the next day in 31 degree heat and a billion percent humidity, it was a good start.

Love and hugs
C xx

July photo a day challenge

Hello my dear, lovely reader - how's your Sunday treating you? We're still sitting here in our pjs drinking coffee and messing about on the internet, haha.

I loved getting into a photo a day last month so I am continuing this month, but not only on books. After a good rummage around I mixed up some old prompts on Pinterest and made my own 😃. Join in if you like, no pressure but I have a hashtag for it on Instagram #ASOjuly

Oh here is June's final one - thanks to Booktopia for getting me back into my hobby..(they'll never see my thank you, they don't know me, I mean nothing to them, hahaha)

Day 30 - June round up

A big thank you to Booktopia and everyone else who took part in the June Challenge - it was great fun and quite inspiring. I made this bookmark last night and this is the book I've been getting through this month 

Hugs
Carrie x

Daily photo challenge (4) - June Books

So this is it, the end of my first month's photo challenge 😄  Tomorrow the Instagram account Booktopia only has the 'challenge' set as 'a photo challenge wrap up', which for me will be a wee thank you to all the people who took part and were so friendly.

For now here are this week's photos....

Day 23 - Book + flowers

Down at the allotment today 😊

 Day 24 - Needs to be a movie

Day 25 - Book map

Well you can't beat the incredible imaginative maps found in The Lord of the Rings; helping to bring the story to life.

 Day 26 -  Book in an odd place

The dishwasher needs two priests, an old one and a young one, quick!

Day 27 - Book in the wild

I'm staying in a listed thatched cottage in he wilds of Fermanagh for a few days. This book is from the cottage and that, in the distance is an original gypsy caravan! 

Day 28 -  Favourite winter book

In the depths of winter I turn to the most summery and hopeful of books, those about the bright sunny to come.

Day 29 - June book haul

A girl can dream...I'm at the stunning Florence Court in Fermanagh. A perfect National Trust property and those these aren't my books, they could be as they're for sale in the book shop.

Love and hugs

Carrie x

Trostan (A birthday hike)

It was Andrew's birthday on Sunday and to celebrate we decided to finish off that awkward middle section of the Moyle Way/Ulster Way that is simply impossible to do unless you make a circular walk out of it and double the distance. The distance we walked in the end was 10 km but it was the hardest 10 km ever. The terrain was almost impossible for me and the heat was beautiful but too much. I had 'Goldilocks syndrome' - nothing is ever just right, hahah...

We arrived at our start point late, at 2.45pm and were off.

* A hike in photos *

The car park and our start/stop point

Cimbing slowing up into the forest 

Looking into the mossy forest

Some of the forest path flowers (Thistles, Forget-me-not, Tormentil) 

Andrew forest Bathing (Komorebi)

A tricksy bit of very uneven and boggy ground but beautiful all the same and still on the right path

The joy of the stream in the hot and humid forest 

Andrew leading the way - roots and fallen branches are double vision friendly

We followed the stream basically up to this tiny waterfall and slightly beyond

Out the other side and then more climbing up and up the side of Trostan. It's always good to look back and see how far you have come (our car is at the other side of that forest).

Bog cotton in the boggy land that went on for eternity - I fell many times into ditches and holes up to my knee but it did eventually turn into pasture land

The view once we scaled a fence - looking out to Glenariff on the left and Cushendun to the right with the distinctive pokey porcellanite hill top of Tievebulliagh, (important to Neolithic stone axe grinders)

Later we came to the first of many dried up water falls where Andrew filtered some water and I took pictures of ferns

Off again and you can just about make out the rough, level path of an old rail line

A single, friendly sheep in the bog land below us - check out those horns!

From here the terrain required all my attention again as the more tired I get the worse my vision becomes. We didn't have much further to go but the grass was thigh high. Then there was a quick walk along the roadside back to our car.

A Happy Birthday pint and a big feed for my hubby (and me) afterwards xxx

Hugs
Carrie