Limavardy
Trip Start
Jul 25, 2008
1
22
56
Trip End
Sep 18, 2008
Limavardy,
United Kingdom
Friday, August 15, 2008
Coastline
. We were running behind schedule and it was drizzling rain, otherwise I might have joined the hoards and walked across. The next stop was the Old Bushmills Distillery. It is the world's oldest licensed legal whiskey distillery and has been producing "The water of life" for 400 years. Graham sampled a wee dram of this finest Irish Malt Whiskey and purchased a bottle!!!We then went back to the Giant's Causeway as when we past it earlier in the afternoon there were cars lined up for miles waiting to get in. It was a little better at about 4pm when we went back but the weather had not got any better and the drizzle was getting heavier. We were pleased that a bus was available to take us down the steep winding track to see the impressive hexagonal basalt columns left by volcanic eruptions sixty million years ago when molten lava cooled suddenly on contact with water. It is a World Heritage Sight and very unforgettable and a most unusual sight. Finn McCool, the legendary giant, got another mention as he was supposed to have built the steps to Scotland. A bit wet, but pleased we had made the effort, we set off for our accommodation for the night. We had booked most of our Irish country accommodation over the internet and so were not sure how they would be, but we were pleasantly surprised. We were looking for the Drummond Hotel at Bellykelly just before Limavady (means the Leap of the dog) where in 1851 Jane Ross noted down the famous Londonderry Air (Danny Boy) from a passing fiddler
Flags in towns
. We settled in and went down for dinner, where we struck up a conversation with another couple. They were from the area and farmed in the Roe Valley. They bred charalais cattle and we broke all the rules about discussing religion and politics and had a long conversation over dinner about farming in Ireland, the economy and politics and also "The Troubles". As we found, the Irish people were extremely friendly and before we knew it they were taking us for a drive before it got too dark to show us their farming operations and Graham and he were like two neighbours discussing cattle over the fence and summing up the confirmation of the bull that he had recently purchased for 10,000 guinnies!!! (AUD $21,000). He had also gone into the construction business and showed us some houses that he had built but since the sudden downturn in the British Isles in general he was unable to sell. We heard many talking about the housing market slowing right down. As we were thanking them and swapping names and addresses, we found out, to our amazement ,their surname was "Mullan" They made our stay in Limavady very memorable.
