May 7, 2009 - Bushmills to Glenveagh

It's a nice day in the north of Northern Ireland.

These are of the view from our room...

One last walk through the hotel to breakfast (which was very quaint in itself, with its low-slung ceilinigs and hundred-years-old beams).

Then back through the upper studies back to our room, then out...

Driving through Bushmills and Portrush, we head west.

Detour! Thank goodness we had our GPS and the Europe maps!
This revolutionizes travel!

General scenery in Northern Ireland as we head west towards Glenveaugh.

Out in the northwest (now back in the Republic of Ireland), we get into a drier, badlands looking place.

We head right.

It is windy here!
Actually, it was windy everywhere, but unusually so here.

We arrive at Glenveagh, which is their biggest national park.
Fittingly, it has a castle.

Cool gargoyle.

Cool castle!

We take a walk through the expansive gardens.

The we take a hike in the hills to overlook the lough and the castle.

It was damp, windy, and cold. Heck, it was late spring in Ireland!

The windswept landscape has no doubt borne witness to hardships and war, but it is quite striking nonetheless.

The path keeps winding up the hill.

Finally, a look back down at the castle and lough (Irish for 'loch').

Misty rain rolls in from the southern valley.

After getting dampened, then drying off at the teahouse, we check out the greenhouse, which they call the Orangery.

Calamondins!

Looking back at the castle's greenhouse from the walled garden.

That's an adorable gardener's cottage!