We travelled to Ireland by ferry from a place just south of Glasgow called Cairnryan. We have found that in order to get the best benefit from our Eurail pass we need to do a bit of our own research and not just count on the apps for information. Google told us we had to get off our train a town called Ayer, and take a two hour bus ride for $16.00 per person. However after a bit of research we were able to find a train that stopped at a town five minutes from the ferry port and paid 7 pounds for a taxi. When the ferry dropped us off in Ireland it was pouring buckets and after a short time of deliberation we decided to get a hotel. We deal with rain when we wake up to it, but never choose to set up in a downpour. We use Priceline for last minute hotels and landed a good price on the Holiday Inn in Belfast. Not exactly traditional, but clean and dry and as it happened, right next to a yearly strange tradition the Northern Irish practice on July 11th each year. When we stepped out of our hotel the next morning (July 11th), we were greeted by this site right in the parking lot. This is literally a huge bonfire that they were building with the plan to burn it down that night. They hold these bonfires every July 11th to celebrate something William of Orange did in the 1600’s, as well as all things Protestant and Orangeman related as well. This is what the bonfire looked like! Murray happened to speak with a fire captain who was sitting in his truck supervising and he told us that they basically have to spend the night hosing down the nearby buildings so that they don’t catch fire! The next day we set up camp right in Belfast at a place called the Dundonald Caravan Park. It is a great place to stay if you want to be accessible to sights right in Belfast. It was an easy bus ride downtown and to the train station for the side trips we took. The campground itself was really nice and very safe with a locked security fence around it and a code to get in. The only negative about this campground is that the bathrooms and showers were not very clean. I think this is because it’s a city facility and so the cleaning staff is not s motivated as they could be. But the location made up for it and there is a row of inexpensive and very nice restaurants and a small grocery within a few minutes walk from the campground. On our first full day we took in the Titanic Museum which was very informative on the history of shipbuilding in Belfast as well as honouring the lives of those lost in the tragedy. The next day we took the train to Cullybacky (which is my ancestral village) to visit the grave of my great, great grandparents I had a very sweet experience happen on the way there that really blessed me. I had wanted to bring some flowers to the grave, ideally a permanent arrangement in a weighted vase. However I had no idea how to find something like that in Ireland and even though we kept our eyes open in Belfast we did not find anything. Then low and behold, as we walked up the street to the churchyard in Cullybacky an older lady had a little shop open and was selling among her fruit and vegetable produce, some vases exactly as I needed. I chose old tea roses, as they remind me of the Victorian days and I thought my mom would like those too. Visiting the grave triggered a whole fit of crying on my part about losing my dad, and I’m sure that anyone who walked by must have wondered about the foreign girl sobbing at the grave of people who have been gone 100 years! We ended our time in Ireland with a visit to Dublin, which is very touristy but also very fun and included a trip to a pub to sing along to the old songs my grandad used to sing to me. I also tried on a few Irish wool sweaters and will have one delivered directly home. Not the one in the photo). Camping Key ... How to choose a bed.A good sleep system should be ideally be ultralight and ultra comfortable. If you are going to sleep for one to two months on the ground, it’s worth putting some money into getting the right equipment. However with each piece I show you that we own, I will also link you to a comparable version that costs a lot less and let you decide how much to invest. Some of these knock off versions were not available six years ago when we first bought our equipment or I may have considered them. Our beds consist of four different layers and need to be flexible for any weather. We experienced 7 degrees celsius while we were in Scotland and are expecting up to plus 40 degrees Celsius in Italy. So we need a system that works for both cold and hot weather. Our bottom layer consists of a Thermarest cot. This ultralight cot keeps us up off the ground which keeps us warmer and also creates a much softer base for our air mattresses. https://www.thermarest.com/cots/ultralite-cot Thermarest sells this cot for about $200.00. However you may want to look at this knock off brand which sells for only $49.00 if you are on a tight budget. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ultralight-Portable-Folding-Camping-Cot-Aluminium-Alloy-Off-Ground-Foldable-Bed/112596851662?epid=857402163&hash=item1a374b9bce:g:NnsAAOSwaQ9dJCeI Our next layer is made up of a Thermarest Trecker air-mattress. We bought thesealong with our cots six years ago and they are very durable. They sell for around $150.00 https://www.thermarest.com/mattresses/trek-travel Here is a more budget friendly version of this mattress for $50.00 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Naturehike-Mattress-Super-Light-Inflatable-Fast-Filling-Air-Bag-with-Pillow/192885070865?hash=item2ce8d89c11:m:mAUqQ_uX2aF6kcRRcABCGiw On top of our air layer we add this next layer of a simple flannel sheet. In the past we have tried silk sleeping bag liners but were unimpressed. We find a flannel sheet layer ads warmth when it’s cold outside and can also be used as a very light sleeping bag when it’s really hot out. We like that flannel is soft, absorbent and washable which protects your actual sleeping bag from sweat and dirt. Flannel weighs more than silk though so you will need to decide which is more important to you... weight or comfort. Our final and top layer is an ultralight on round down sleeping bag. On our last trip we used very cheap two pound sleeping bags which barely lasted the summer, but for this trip I decided to invest in one pound down bags. These can cost $100-$200, but I did a lot of research and found these ones from a wholesaler in China. It took a bout six weeks for them to arrive, but the quality is very high and the price was super affordable at just $52.00 https://m.ebay.com/orderDetails?itemId=191576499031&txnId=1621163529009 On my next post I will tell you about our adventures in Wales, and share a bit of information on the portable table and chairs we use.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Wendy Peter is the North American Director of Events for the Women on the Frontlines Organization.
Archives
May 2022
Categories |