From Doolin to Armagh

  Armagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Sunday, April 27, 2008

Today we said goodbye to Doolin and set off for Armagh.  We were sad to go and would recommend it as a destination for anyone.  Sea View House was great - delicious breakfast, clean rooms, nice view of Doolin and the ocean.   Darrah is a wonderful hostess and excellent cook!

We headed North to Armagh by way of Sligo and Enniskillen.  We were a little delayed by a local traffic jam.  The drive from Sligo to Enniskillen is gorgeous!  The landscape is totally different from the Doolin area.  We tripped across a gorgeous lake and took an impromptu side trip to check out a waterfall.  It turned out to be the highlight of the drive. 

After a second traffic jam we were on our way again. 

Patrick has a work associate who grew up in Enniskillen and still has family there.  When she heard we were going right through there she sent us a bottle of wine to deliver to her cousin.  He owns a bar, restaurant and a deli/wine store.  They were all so cool in their own style.  He insisted on treating us to dinner at his restaurant.  It was the fanciest place I have ever eaten in my life!  Gourmet all the way but not a bit stuffy.  It is in the cellar (think wine cellar with arched brick ceilings) below the bar he runs.  The bar has been in his family for generations and he turned the cellar into a gourmet restaurant.  The place was packed.  Here is a picture of two ornery Irishmen.  The photo is taken showing a cheap bottle of wine with a screw top.  The actual bottle was quite expensive.  They are going to show this to the cousin who sent the wine to make her think we took the good stuff and delivered this cheap wine.  Notice they have the same twinkle in their mischievous eyes!

Dad found a restaurant that was just his speed, too!  It is the only chain restaurant we have seen here.  We did see a Subway sign.  It is funny because most things are foreign but every so often you run across something you recognize - Palmolive, Shell, Heinz, Super Valu.

Now we are in Northern Ireland.  It is a whole different country than Republic of Ireland.  It is actually part of the United Kingdom.  Ireland on the other hand, is independently governed and part of the European Union (EU).  UK is not part of the EU.  You can really tell the difference in the cities from Ireland to NI.  NI is much more industrial, less tourist activity, more gritty urban.  The cities we have seen in NI are larger than the ones we were in while in Ireland.  The overall feel is just different.

Time for bed!  Lots to do tomorrow searching out our Davison family history!!  Good Night!