Booming Banter

You can live for ever in a city and not see the places visitors see. There is always the excuse that we’ll do that another time.

Having grown up in Belfast and visited several times a year since leaving the province in 1984 today was the first time I’ve ever visited Stormont the seat of Northern Ireland’s government.

Phyllis our host had been several times and booked for us to take a tour today and have lunch in the Members dining room.

Built at the time of the partition of Ireland the building is in the neo classical style we’d seen it from a distance many times. Today we got up close and personal and discovered how beautiful it is inside as well as out.

There is so much to discover including a chandelier « borrowed» from the Royal Family that was gifted to them by Kaiser Willhem of Germany no less!

We went to both the upper and lower house, sat in the seats of Members of Parliament and of course dined like the Lords and Ladies.

Alas the visit to the extensive gardens had to go in the Next Time We’ll Do It  list thanks to pouring rain. Always good to have something to look forward to.

Blessing # 424 – Tourists In Your Own Town

There are some things you wouldn’t miss for the world. The eightieth birthday of cousin Agnes was one of these occasions.

The day kicked off with an invitation to lunch with John, Norman and Yvonne before heading off for the party.

Family gathered from as far afield as New Zealand. Some of us hadn’t seen each other in 53 years! Some have never met!

Thanks to Facebook many of us are in touch so we aren’t like strangers but nothing beats a real Face to Face!

Meeting your family playmates and hearing those familiar voices that you haven’t heard for a while is such a great joy.

The setting for the party was a beautiful house set in the majestic Mountains of Mourne. The day could not have been more perfect. Blue skies and a gentle breeze.

There was enough food to feed an army and more cake than Marie Antoinette could ever have imagined the Piece de la Resistance being a birthday cake fit for a queen.

Aaron was in his element meeting so many people and has decided he wants to move back to the homeland.

We are so thankful to Anne and Joyce who organized this great day that will live in our memories for ever.

Now it’s time for bed because like sweet little Poppy who traveled all the way from England for the celebration we are pooped!

Blessing # 423 – Reunited

 

When we come home to NI there are two  family members we always make sure we see that’s  Aunt Helen and Cousin Yvonne.

We keep in touch regularly by phone and email but nothing beats seeing each other face to face and having a big hug.

They are the Golden threads that connect us with the Gibsons and because of them we always feel the ties to our roots. My Mom played this role too in the past with many family members abroad. There are some people so gifted in holding all parts of the clan together. We owe them sincere thanks.

Today we went out for lunch together and got all the latest news. It’s such a great feeling to know that some things are timeless like the love we have for each other.

Tomorrow we have a much bigger family get together with my cousins that Aaron has never met and I haven’t seen for fifty years.

It will be an event of a lifetime uniting us across continents and we look forward to it so much.

Blessing # 422 – Catching Up

Heavy showers throughout the day forced us to find our fun indoors.

We kicked off with a Belfast tradition for us the all American ten pin bowling. We started this with Auntie Carol when Aaron was just a little lad and as always we had lots of laughs!

The Titanic Studios where the famous Game of Thrones was filmed had an exhibition on all the costumes and props. It was fantastic!

We turned ourselves into hero’s and villains and we took ourselves very seriously when we sat on the throne!

Next up we took Aaron to the City Hall to see where Mum and Auntie Carol grace the walls of the permanent exhibition.

He was suitably impressed by this but better still we were able to pinpoint where both his great grandfathers had signed the COVENANT. This historic time in Ireland took place in 1912 when people committed and made their pledge to the Union.

How ironic that history is repeating itself once more as the debate about Borders has once again resurfaced with Brexit!

Unlike GOT this seems destined to be a tale that will never end! Unless of course you have a birds eye view on the future!

Blessing # 422 – Legends!

They say 13 is lucky for some and so it was for us today.

We left Cardiff on the dot of eight to be sure to get to London Heathrow Airport to drop our hire car off before twelve. Never knowing what road works or traffic jams we might encounter we gave ourselves much more time than needed. We didn’t hit a single snag and had returned the hire car by 10:30.

Our flight to Belfast was scheduled for five in the afternoon. A long wait ahead? Well no! British Airways came through and were so very good to us.

They told us the earlier flight was full but to check with customer service at twelve o’clock to see if we could get on.

At customer services they couldn’t have been better, they didn’t question our tickets being the very cheapest you could find and got us two standbys.

We ran to the gate and quick as a flash we had our boarding cards. Better still we were boarded immediately and had much better seats than originally planned.

So surprise surprise rather than a cancellation as we first feared yesterday we had a much better outcome and got to Belfast five hours ahead of schedule!

Blessing # 421 – Early Arrivals

Cardiff was easy to reach today and did not disappoint. Can’t help asking when we visit these places why we didn’t do so before.

With a huge and very beautiful castle as the central feature the city is easy to get around and has just about everything a city would love.

There is a great sports stadium which was the big draw for Aaron. He loves rugby and the stadium is one of the biggest and best of its kind.

There is also a top class art and natural history museum that we both enjoyed. We saw portraits of Queens like Henry VIII first wife Catherine of Aragon who lived in Wales with her first husband Prince Arthur.

Modern artist are well covered even some Welsh celebrities are there too including the universally famous Tom Jones.

There is also the bay and port and a beautiful little suburb called Penarth with beaches for family fun where not so long ago you might have met a hairy mammoth!

Tomorrow we head towards London Heathrow Airport to fly to Belfast the most familiar spot for us in all of the UK. We aren’t sure though when we’ll make it to the Emerald Isle as British airways staff are planning a strike!

If we can’t fly we’ll have to find an inn or a palace or a tower because this mama ain’t driving no more!

Blessing # 420 – Capital Castles!

We entered and left Wales a few times today. Traveling from Chester to Newport the border with England is never too far off.

The scenic route through Brecon Beacons National Park hit many places with funny names that we’d heard before but never seen.

The day was warm but dull at first and while the rolling countryside was inviting. It was gentle rather than powerful.

Our plan had been to drop our things at the hotel and hit Cardiff but there was a huge tailback in that direction so we changed plans and went to Bath instead.

This is a Jane Austen worshipper’s heaven! Lydia and Wickham or Elisabeth and Darcy might turn up at any moment. I won’t ever sleep the same again.

The Roman baths, the pump room, the assembly rooms and the Royal Circle. What a very special city.

Would love to come back.

Even noticed a Bennett Street and wondered was it Jane’s inspiration for the Bennett Family or did someone name the street after them when they became so famous. Any of you know?

Having done enough for one day we slipped into Waitrose and bought a picnic and are tucking in now in our room.

So enjoying also having the treat of an AC  especially since all those thoughts of officers and handsome landowners could make one a little hot under the collar!

Blessing # 419 – Classically Cool

Aaron sipped a little of the Liffey last night as the sunset on our long and great vacation.

Now it is travel home day! Well maybe not all the way if UNITED is to believed!

Seems Chicago is going to be hit by a major inundation but what to do but plod on prepared with the galoshes they recommend. Ironic that we dodged the rain so we’ll for the rest of our trip only to get it on our return!

The day got off to a good start though. We had decided to take the coach to the airport as it was just beside where we were staying. We’d all our change sorted out to pay and were standing waiting at the stop when taxi driver of a certain age pulled up and told us to hop in and he’d take us for the coach fare. So we did and he did as he promised too. I wonder did he feel sorry for me? He made a point of telling me he was playing sixties music as though it was just for me!

At the USA security we also got some special treatment. We were pulled aside for a full scale check as new staff were being trained. We had all the works including the total pat down and the explosive check but the result was we got through security and immigration at lightening speed!

Now we are first at the gate for our flight so have had our Brekkie at leisure. Aaron opted for a fajita while I had my last taste of a real KitKat for a while!

Alas the last treat of the day as the flight is full so no upgrades for us!

Blessing # 427 – Life’s Little Lifts

What a great experience visiting Liverpool. It has such energy and the waterfront is so vibrant and well restored.

Of course we went to the city to take the Magical Mystery Tour that covers all the Beatles history. We were so glad we didn’t try to find these places ourselves or we would have been totally lost.

Hearing the stories of how the Fab Four met and seeing the real places that were the inspiration for songs like Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields was very touching.

Ringo and George came from working class backgrounds whereas John and Paul were more middle class. They all loved skiffle music and it was ultimately thanks to this that they connected.

There is such a lot to see in this great city and we would love to have stayed longer to explore.

Once we’d heard a few songs in the Cavern Club we had to run. It was time to head to the seaside of North Wales and have some good fish and chips.

Blessing # 418 – City by the Seaside

Heading south from Loch Lomond to Chester took us into the suburbs of Glasgow and past Gretna Green. We motored on through the Lake District and to the only spot where Aaron had any interest in stopping his favorite team Manchester City’s Football Stadium.

Aaron regularly watches premiere league back in the USA and knows all the players and form. I have no clue but was very impressed by the Ethiad Stadium

We are staying in Chester because it is an ideal spot from which to visit Liverpool and North Wales.

It’s also a place of great affection for me. It’s where I had my first every experience of life outside of Northern Ireland. That was forty seven years ago and to this day that school trip is still one of the most memorable I’ve ever had.

My bestie Lesley and I and two other girls shared a cabin on the boat to Liverpool and didn’t sleep all night. I have no recollection where we stayed the next night so must have been exhausted.

What stuck in the memory was the beautiful Tudor buildings and the city wall, the river and of course the zoo.

We also went to a Tudor House the name of which escapes me but I remember stopping in a village and my other bestie Sandra buying a bag of cherries. It was the very first time I’d ever tasted them! Tonight I’ll have a beer instead.

Blessing # 417 – Happy Returns