From Riga, Latvia I fly back to Manchester, England, arriving at 8:05pm. From Manchester I take a series of three trains to reach Liverpool, walking from the last station to Mairi’s flat, where my bike was left when I cycled there almost three weeks ago. Surprisingly it takes 20 minutes longer to travel by train from Manchester to Liverpool than it does by plane from Riga to Manchester, at least at this time of day.

After six hours of sleep, I am up the next day. I shower and head upstairs to the kitchen. A few minutes later Mairi is home from her 12-hour night shift, all she has been working recently. We head to the shop down the street and buy items for making breakfast: semi-scrambled eggs and bacon on almond croissants -- so good.

Already behind my intended schedule, I have just a few minutes to transfer some items from my backpack to the pannier bags on my bike. I cycle to the train station and after two short train rides, I am at the ferry terminal. An 8-hour crossing on Stena Lagan, and I arrive in Belfast.

From the ferry terminal in Belfast, I cycle to Yorkgate Train Station and just before 7:30pm am on a train leaving north. Just before 9:00pm, I arrive in Castlerock on the North Coast and then cycle 2.4 miles (3.8 km) west to a guesthouse.

In the last 28 hours, I've travelled by plane, ferry, six trains, and a handful of miles by bike. Welcome back to Northern Ireland!

This post covers Tuesday, June 30 to Tuesday, August 18, 2015 (7 weeks). Believe it or not, of all posts to date, this has the least amount of writing and largest number of photos. And there were actually 26 days that I did not take photos, 7 of them being in a row. We also have some new special guests appear this post!

For six weeks I am at a guesthouse located on the beach where I help with the daily operations such as changing linens, cleaning, washing linens, mowing the lawn, checking in guests, and other various tasks. This is in exchange for room and board. Why to do this? Because from the front door of the house to being on the beach is literally a one minute walk, and I thought living this close to the ocean for a while would be pretty nice.

View from the road coming down the hill to the beach with the guesthouse on the right.

Standing on a sandbar not far from shore, looking east with the Mussenden Temple at center and the guesthouse located on the right.

Mussenden Temple on the edge of the cliffs above as the sun sets across the water.

The sun setting on the other side of Donegal.

Primarily, the three-story, nine-bedroom house is booked out as the entire house to large groups. In between the group bookings, bookings are for individual rooms making the accommodation during these times similar to a hostel. Groups include a hen party (bachelorette party), family reunion, wedding anniversary, wedding party, and surf camp. Upon a group checkout with the whole house needing to be turned over, two local cleaners come for that and I focus on moving the laundry through three washing machines, the drying lines, and folded, back into the linen closet.

Sometimes groups leave food when they checkout, such as wedding cake, and then you have it to eat for a few days, sometimes for breakfast.

On the Fourth of July, I sent emails to all my subscribers in the USA and I thought it would be fun to combine and share what I heard back of what we did for Independence Day!

For the United States of America’s Independence Day I am…

…having some friends over for a BBQ with our family at a cabin on Samish Island and drinking some good craft beer, and trying not to melt in this heat.

…going to have an enjoyable day with a round of golf in a couples tournament, followed by a good old-fashioned barbeque, and then we are going out on a boat on Lake Washington.

…in the ferry line right now heading to Whidbey Island, there we are going watch fireworks from our rooftop deck today, I only hope we have enough cold beer to keep everyone hydrated!

…visiting my oldest son and my two grandsons and summiting Goat Mountain with a great group of friends.

…right now sitting on 2nd Street waiting for the Central Point 4th of July parade to start. Got food, lawn chairs, and family. There are two F-15 fighter jets set to fly over and lots of old time stuff, tractors mostly, horses, high school band, etc. Got my water hose set up so I can spray parade people if I need to retaliate, of course I don't hesitate to spray someone I know who happens to be part of the parade.

…pretty soon heading to the state fairgrounds where one of my friends is getting married today.

…going to my sister’s for a family BBQ and she flew in Maine Lobster, we are going to have MAINE LOBSTER ROLLS!!!! OMG it is going to be heavenly!!!

…in my neighborhood where it’s a war zone and with a new puppy for my 10 year old daughter’s birthday it isn't that great when it gets dark.

…camping and watching all the fireworks over Birch Bay, all BBQ’d out over here, three times in three days…need some lettuce. Still got fingers and toes.

…at the Kirkland parade this morning. Of course the grandkids with us came primarily for the candy. We found a place near the downtown marina, on the south side of the street with a grassy area, shaded by the park trees. Following with chicken, salad, etc lunch picnic. Some have access to 16' boat, so a few are going to Lake Union for fireworks via water.

…climbing Mt Shuksan.

…on my boat in the San Juan’s beyond cell coverage.

…at a cabin by Mt Rainier.

…spending the day on Lake Tapps at my girlfriend’s mom's house.

…headed to Long Beach in a couple hours to watch fireworks from a boat with some friends.

…hanging out with family and friends at a Bible convention this weekend.

And me, I’m…

…kicking my feet up in a hammock after eating a burger on the Fourth of July.

Ten weeks ago when I left Belfast by ferry to Liverpool with my new bike, I had downsized what I was traveling with and left my suitcases in Northern Ireland. So a week after I am back, I head by train to Lisburn, where Stephen and Susan’s home, where my suitcases are. Graham and Heather come over and we all have dinner together before I head back north by train to Castlerock, arriving just before 11:00pm.

My friend Ruth, who I know from my first time here in 2005, lives in the nearby town of Coleraine so comes to the beach for the afternoon one day. We intend to surf, but with the waves small and not breaking particularly well, we pretty much just float in the water with the boards.

One Sunday afternoon, I go to Ballycastle, located about 45 minutes to the east of the guesthouse.

In Ballycastle I see the Bonamargy Friary, which was built around 1500 and used until some time in the 1700s. The graveyard has been used up to modern times. The oldest gravestone that I could find that was still legible, as there was plenty that were not, was from 1797. Some gravestones have slowly tipped over, some of them now laying all the way flat with grass grown over them. The ones that have partially tipped over, so that the engraving is angled downward and out of the rain, are the most legible for their age as the text has been protected from the elements.

The remains of Bonamargy Friary and the headstones around it.

One evening, Ivan and Christine pick me up and we go to the nearby town of Portstewart for a firework show that is the end of a festival.

My friend Sarah from Australia comes with her two friends Helen and Jess and they stay for two nights at the guesthouse. While they are here we go and see some of the sites along the coast followed by a drive along the popular coastal scenic route.

The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. According to legend, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant.

Looking back towards the Giant’s Causeway from a hiking trail to the east.

Dunluce Castle was built in the 15th century, although there had already been people living at the location since the 13th century. The castle served to control the land and sea routes of North Ulster and was eventually abandoned in the late 17th century.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge links the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede and spans 20 meters (66 feet) and is 30 meters (98 feet) above the water.

View to the east before crossing the bridge.

Sarah, Jess, and Helen crossing the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.

I take quite a few walks on the beach during the day and in the evenings at sunset.

Another sunny day, with Donegal seen in the distance.

After six weeks at the guesthouse, I spend two days staying with Graham and Heather in Lisburn.

Friday, August 14, 2015

In the morning, Heather and I go over to see Susan. George and Warren stop by and with them are my mom, Sally, and her friend Ann, who had arrived to Northern Ireland on Tuesday and have been staying with George the last three days in Tandragee. This is the first time that either Sally or Ann have been to Europe. I planned and booked their entire trip!

George drives us to Belfast and drops off my mom, Ann, and I. We go on a hop-on, hop-off bus tour.

We hop off and see the Titanic’s Dock and Pump-House through a self-guided tour. The pumps were able to empty the dry dock of 21 million gallons of water in 100 minutes, being the most powerful pumps in the world at the time.

The next place we hop off the bus tour is at the Crumlin Road Gaol (prison), known as Europe’s Alcatraz, where we go on a guided tour. The prison was in use from 1846 to 1996 and 17 executions took place here, the last being in 1961.

Looking up through the trap door to the noose above.

At the end of the day we pick up a rental car and go to our accommodation in Belfast.

Saturday, August 15, 2015

In the morning we leave Belfast and drive to Derry and then continue on north into County Donegal, which is in the Republic of Ireland, although being north of Northern Ireland. For the geography to make sense, it is best to look at a map. Basically, Northern Ireland is in the northeast corner of the island, and the northwest corner extends further north and is the Republic of Ireland, being County Donegal. This also means that from where I was at the guesthouse, looking northwest to where the sun sets was the Republic of Ireland.

Eventually we arrive at the holiday home (vacation home) of Derek and Helen. After having lunch, Derek and Helen take us on a drive around Donegal including Malin Head, which is the most northern point in Ireland.

We have dinner at a restaurant along the water in Greencastle, which is directly across from Northern Ireland and where a ferry crosses.

After dinner we go to our accommodation in Burnfoot, which is still in Donegal.

Sunday, August 16, 2015

In the morning we go to Derry, which is back in Northern Ireland, and go on a walking tour. Derry was a walled city with much of the walls still remaining today.

After our time in Derry, we head back to the Republic of Ireland to Glenveagh National Park and go on a tour of the castle there. The castle was built in the 1870s and was a residence and hunting lodge, not for fortified defense.

Next we go to the Stone Fort of Grianán of Aeileach, which dates to 1,700 BC, having been built at the site of a burial mound dating back to 3,000 BC. The views were incredible.

Looking northwest from Grianán of Aeileach.

We stay the night at the same accommodation again in Burnfoot.

Photo Gallery – County Donegal

Monday, August 17, 2015

In the morning we head back to Northern Ireland and visit the Giant’s Causeway, then Bushmills Distillery for a tour and drink, then Dunluce Castle. Next we go to a view point above Magiligan Point, which is directly across from Greencastle where we had dinner two nights ago.

Looking down to Magiligan Point before crossing the water to Donegal.

From there we go and see Downhill House and the Mussenden Temple, which are on the cliffs above the guesthouse where I had been.

View looking east from the path from Downhill House to Mussenden Temple.

View looking west from the temple, the beach below being where all the beach photos are from.

After having dinner in Coleraine at a restaurant in an old courthouse, we continue east to Ballycastle where we stay the night.

Photo Gallery – The North Coast, Belfast, and Derry

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

I drive my mom and Ann to Bonamargy Friary where I drop them off and I then I drive to Belfast to return the rental car. From Belfast I take the train to Coleraine and then a bus back to Ballycastle.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

In the morning we take a taxi to the ferry terminal in Ballycastle and at 9:30am depart on a small passenger-only ferry that holds twelve, although there are just seven on it today.

This day to be continued.

Out of Office Management

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19: The North Coast