The last day in Ireland was spent close to our place. We visited an historic cottage that showed how an average family would have lived in the 1700's. It was a long low thatched building that had been a rectory and the home of a farming family. Sheelagh read that when the National Trust took the cottage they discovered that the thatch had never been removed when it was redone and there were six feet of thatch on the roof. Roughly equivalent to the weight of three double decker buses. From there we moved on to Downhill House, the remains of a stately home built by Earl Bishop Fredrick Hervey. This large estate was perched on a cliff overlooking the sea. The Earl had a domed library which was removed from the house where he could read in peace I guess. The windows were tall and gave fabulous views up and down the coast and out to sea. The house itself is being worked on by archaeologists restoring the yards and servants quarters.

Next we moved on to the quaint tiny restaurant down on the harbour at Ballintoy. Real Irish food and wonderful desserts. Lumpy bumpy in chocolate, strawberry, toffee or Irish cream were wonderful. After we waddled away from there Dorian wanted to go home and Shush and I wandered around a few Presbyterian grave yards looking for my ancestors, but no luck.

On Saturday we were up and away by 8:30 and the trip back to Dorian's was as smooth and uneventful as the way over. We had a great time in Northern Ireland and would go back happily. The coast and countryside are the draw. The villages are fairly bland and the cities are cities. The homes have been mostly rebuilt and although beautifully neat, are not as interesting as, say, the Cotswolds.

We are now thinking of the return to Canada. We get to meet, or remeet, some of Dorian's friends. The packing has started and on Wednesday we are off to the airport. How time flies when you are having fun.