Around the British Isles

Last week was an extremely busy, exciting and memorable one. It was also very tiring. I spent the week traveling around Ireland, Northern Ireland and London with my two sisters, Alissa and Lindsey. From the time they arrived at 44 Gleann Dara (after only a few mishaps), we were on the move almost the entire time. The only "rest" day for me came on Saturday, but that night I ran my second race of the summer (5 mile, 24:36, 3rd), not exactly the relaxation my body needed.

While my latest race produced a time a ways off my personal best, I think I am fast approaching a record of another sort. Last Friday, I visited the Cliffs of Moher for the third time in a little more than a month's time - a frequency only approached by tour guides and bus drivers. Friday also brought my sisters and I around the Dingle Peninsula, a drive that was highly recommended by the owner of a B&B my parents and I visited. It was well worth the long day of driving. I even got some mountain climbing in, as I climbed down from the road to get the shot below.

(Bird on the Dingle Peninsula)

After my race on Saturday night, we got an early start on Sunday morning. We drove up to the northern coast of Northern Ireland. This area and the coastal drive was beautiful. Among the places we visited were Whiterocks Beach (near Portrush), Giant's Causeway, and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. This was one of the few days where we had a goal set in mind about what we wanted to accomplish. Everything went extremely well up until the point where we decided to stop and look for a place to spend the night. The tension in the car grew as the light faded and still we had no place to stay. To make matters worse, the rain started coming down, making visibility all the more difficult. We finally found a B&B sign in a small town along the coast, but after a few minutes of awkwardness with a hunchbacked old man, we were still homeless. After 10 more LONG minutes of driving, where nobody spoke, we saw another sign for a B&B. This time, we were pleasantly surprised. If the owner would have sensed our desperation, he could have made off with a lot more than we paid him. Thank goodness for honest people. The room was spectacular, as was the full Irish breakfast we received in the morning. It was just too bad we couldn't have stayed in the small town of Ballygally any longer.

(Whiterocks Beach - Portrush, Northern Ireland)

Next up for the Erichsen children was Belfast. After hearing almost nothing but negative things about the city, we were glad to find that it appeared to be a modern, thriving city. At least in the area we were in, there were office buildings, shopping centers and other features that all seemed very new and clean. We didn't get to see the Titanic, but we did take some pictures by a huge fish by the docks.

(Me in front of some big fish in Belfast)

The weather turned out to be fantastic for almost the entire week Alissa and Lindsey were visiting me. The only time it rained was when we were in the car driving, which wasn't really a bother. After leaving Belfast we headed around the Ards Peninsula, eventually stopping in Greyabbey to visit some of Drew's relations. They were extremely friendly, going so far as to relieve us of the headache of finding a place to stay for the night.

(Alissa and Lindsey posing in front of hydrangeas)

We didn't run into any more stress (following the first night trying to find a B&B) until we left Greyabbey early Tuesday morning heading for Dublin Airport. We were on a tight schedule and couldn't afford to miss our flight to London, since we were only staying about a day and a half as it was. So, while scurrying around trying to find a gas station, return the rental car, and store our luggage at the airport, we were near our breaking point once again. It wasn't actually that bad, but after nearly an entire summer with minimal stress, any stress seems like too much.

(London's Eye)

As I said before, we were only in London for a short time, but we still got around quite well. The first day we were completely on foot. It was tiring, but also nice to be able to see all the little things that lie between the big attractions. On the second day, we all had to carry our bags so we scrapped the whole walking idea and opted for the Tube, an experience in itself.

Whether looking for a bathroom, place to fill a water bottle, directions, or coffee, I think we were in Starbucks about 8 times while in London. I think seeing them everywhere is just a transition for when I return to the U.S. in a few weeks, as I have gotten used to storefronts without those familiar green letters.

I have posted the pictures from my week with Alissa and Lindsey and they are all under the "Pictures" link to the right.