Day 10: Lisburn - Harrogate

We learned back in 2012 that travelling on higgledy-piggeldy itineraries involving boat, bus and train with a small child wasn't such a great idea. Ignoring all of that, we set off early on Friday morning for the Stena ferry to Scotland, final destination Harrogate, where Matt's university friend Jonny was to get married. This would be completely different: it was Scotland & England not France, and we had two children instead of one!

Aye aye capt'n

I'll start by saying that I had thought the Man in Seat 61's bashing of Stena's replacement of sailing to Stranraer (where there is a train station) with a bus to Ayr from Cairnryan was disingeneous. However, after watching Birgit try to calm a tired 1 year old down on a coach without enough room to swing a mouse nevermind a cat, I may have changed my opinion. It was brief though, soon both children were fast asleep, and the views of the Ayrshire countryside and the sea just splendid. It's a good idea to keep your eye on that sea - the twists in the road might hit your stomach faster than you think. It was a difficult situation for Stena Line when they made the switch, and all in all I think they do a good job. We had fun on the boat of course, lots for children to do, and again good quality and value food on offer for breakfast.

Once we reached Glasgow, we were prepared to sit on a relaxing express train all the way to York (which is most of the way to Harrogate). And this is where we were surprised. Not one, but two hen parties boarded in Glasgow: destination Newcastle (which is most of the way to York). What adjectives can I use? Loud (they even had a music system), terrifying, traumatising, disruptive.

Help!

The highlight for me was that Birgit had commented that it couldn't happen on a German train (because someone would complain). When we looked at the train in York, we saw it was being part run by the Germans...

"Are we there yet?"

Only one last short leg to go. We were weary. and in need of upliftment. And then, like an angel sent to help, arrived a cheery, happy Paddy. Who was shocked to learn he had paid more for his ticket from Birmingham than we had from Belfast ;-) He helped us find the hotel in Harrogate. We were there. Time to change and head for pre-wedding tapas, reserved for family, best man and ushers!

Day 9: Lisburn & Belfast

Our final full day in Ireland was spent coffee drinking, visiting Matt's mum's cousin (Reader quiz: what relation does that make her to Ronja? Answers on a postcard please) on the far side of Belfast, getting somewhat lost in the process, packing and taking a very late night trip to Tescos to buy baby travel food. Everybody ready?

Day 8: Lisburn - Entrepreneurial spirit

After all those gifts for Silas, it was time to spoil Ronja. Well, not really, it was more a trip of necessity to prepare for Saturday's wedding. Green shoes from NEXT - perfect. Matt and Birgit had a fairly quiet afternoon in Lisburn, while Ronja was building a grocery store (with little help from her Granny, of course). That evening there was a chance to witness late-night coffee drinking (serving till, wait for it, 9pm!) in Lisburn at Costa Coffee near the cinema with an old friend. Fantastic.

Day 7: Trip to Navan, Armagh and a party

It was Easter and that meant family friendliness and special events all round. Time for a trip well off the beaten track down to Armagh, specifically Navan Fort, just outside the city (I've bemoaned the fact that anything child-friendly was removed from Armagh before after our last planned trip there was cancelled). There was a short play and craft activities for children themed around the story of the ugly duckling. I give it top marks.

Then we dashed back home to help with party preparations. Matt's mum usually finds an excuse for a party when we return, this time it was Silas' birthday. The birthday boy got a large amount of really nice clothes, and a lot of attention. And people sat outside. In April!

Day 6: Lisburn - Return to Wallace Park and Aghalee

A well earned quieter day with a trip to the park, ice cream, lunch at home followed by a trip to Aghalee to catch up with some relatives. It was Easter Monday, driving to any tourist hot spots would not have been wise.

Teamwork in Wallace Park

Day 5: Easter at Lisburn Cathedral

It's been a long time since we last had Easter in Ireland. Matt got up for the dawn service, enjoying a gluten free "bacon butty" afterwards as a reward for standing tired in the cold. Later there was a big church service, for the Cathedral especially important as they had been out doing community work for much of the week. And after church? Well, ice cream of course! It was an Ice Cream Sundae (get it?). There was some sort of spiritual message to the white ice cream being brightened up by all the possible additions.

And afterwards? Easter Egg hunting!

Day 4: Lisburn goes mad

When I (Matt) was young, Lisburn was a fairly dreary place. It has come on since then. I've read about a Lord Mayors Parade... there were people out on the streets having fun. And the day before Easter, there was an "Easter Eggstravaganza", concentrated on Castle Gardens: car rallying in the afternoon on the Lagan Valley Island and Queens Roads, amusements for the kids in the gardens aswell as a diverse range of food, and a "Frozen"-themed celebration in the Cathedral. I'm going to stay positive and not talk about the worse-than-19th-century handling of the traffic diversion or how I feel about the Disney film music, needless to say that a good time was had by all. There were reports of someone being reduced to tears by the appearance of a Frozen-character in the town. And I still am having a hard time getting the tune of "Let it Go" out of my head as I write this two weeks later.

<Insert random lyric from Frozen here>

Bounce bounce baby

All play and no work just won't do. Time to clean up before Easter Sunday.