Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors, all of which are from nearby places in Northern Ireland.
The weather is starting to improve here as we enter spring and the nights are stretching longer. Pure joy! Hopefully, I will be able to frequent outdoors more often and find some more doors across the country over the coming months.
Please let me know if you have a favourite this week 😊
This park was a real gem of a find. I had never been to Rostrevor but I knew it was on the coast of Carlingford Lough, near Newry, Co. Down and thought it might be worth a visit as it is close by. We followed google maps to Rostrevor, parked the car beside the park and wandered in for a look around. Just to the left of the park is Fairy Glen, where it is believed that fairies have or had once lived, according to Irish folklore.
It is well known here that the famous writer C.S. Lewis from Northern Ireland, spent a lot of his time in the Mourne area and in particular, Carlingford and Rostrevor. He was inspired here and once said that Rostrevor was his inspiration for Narnia. In this park there is a dedicated family trail to C.S. Lewis where you can see memorabilia from The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe stories. There is also a play area for the kids and an outdoor gym.
You can walk through the woodland areas, as well as around the park area (where you will also find a cafe) and along the river. It’s a truly magical place that leads back to the small, yet enchanting village. Entering and leaving the park you will see the most beautiful and quaint houses with some impressive murals on the walls leading through the village.
I cannot recommend this place highly enough and I look forward to returning here soon in the not so distant future. If you’re ever in Northern Ireland, be sure to check out this park and village.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors. This week I thought I would show case some of my favourite doorways…minus the doors. Sometimes a doorway can be really quaint, even without the door and I have a few in my collection that I have not yet had the opportunity to show case.
These doorways were all taken in Sydney, Australia. Please do let me know if you have a favourite this week.
My favourite has to be number 6 from Woollahra as I just love the brick work and the colour of the stones. Every time I used to walk past this building, I would stop and appreciate its beauty.
Thanks for having a look at my doorways this week.
Thank you Di from Pensitivity101 for your questions this week!
1. Do you have a lot of friends or do you know a lot of people ?
I would say YES to both of these. I have a lot of friends and I certainly know a lot of people. I have noticed that with growing older, my friend numbers have declined over time. Simply as people move on, have their own families, relocate etc, etc. and you simply drift away from each other. For friendship longevity, you all need to make an effort to be in each other’s lives. However, true friendship stands the test of time, even if you haven’t seen each other for months, when you do meet up, you just pick off from where you have left off. I love when that happens.
2. If you are at a party and know very few of the guests, do you mingle and introduce yourself, sit on the sidelines and people watch, or discreetly leave?
Yes I love to mingle and meet new people. I used to be very shy but as I have aged, my confidence has grown and I feel like I can talk to most people now with ease and I really enjoy having meaningful conversations and learning from others.
3. What is the best job you have ever had?
Working at the Grand Opera House in Belfast. I was a theatre usher for a few years and absolutely loved it. I made many life long friends from here also which was a real bonus. I loved watching the shows, seeing people enjoy the theatre and the buzz after a show had finished, with everyone being on a natural high and enjoying life.
4. Can you swim?
Yes and I love swimming. I’m not an amazing swimmer by any means but I am confident to swim and love being in water. It is such a great skill to have and pretty essential for when I was living in Australia.
Gratitude: I am grateful for having my own home now for the past two weeks. Being able to cook my own meals, wash my own clothes etc. makes me really happy and was something that I had previously taken for granted.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors from around Northern Ireland. I am sticking with my north coast theme this week and showing you some doors from the Causeway Coastal Route that I posted about yesterday. Please let me know if you have a favourite this week.
1 – Portrush2 – Dunluce Castle3 – The Nook at The Giant’s Causeway4 – Causeway Coast AONB5 – Legion Hall, Bushmills6 – Post Office, Bushmills
I think my favourite has to be number three, even if it is a black door. I think it has an elegant appearance, with its transom window and archway. I also really admire the stone work of the building. This was once a school house dating back to the 1850s and is now a very popular cafe for tourists. It’s very quaint inside however it can be pretty pricey. We paid £7.50 for two teas!
Thanks for taking a look and enjoy the rest of your week.
The north coast of Northern Ireland / Ireland is undeniably beautiful and severely underrated. If you are from Northern Ireland, you will have travelled here many, many times as a child for your holidays. When people couldn’t afford foreign holidays, families would travel here to the coast, no matter if there was rain, hail or shine. Sadly, as many of you will know, our weather is notoriously wet and cold, however, when you do have good weather, the north coast is absolutely breathtaking and has a lot to offer.
You can travel along the north coast, also known as the Causeway Coast and there are numerous locations along the coastal route that are very much worth seeing. I have been to the north coast a lot but I haven’t often travelled along the Causeway Coastal route. It is well sign posted along the whole route and I will highlight the top sites to stop and see, at least those that we were able to tick off our bucket list.
We stayed in one of the popular towns in the north of the country, Portrush. I know this town pretty well as my parents lived here for a few years. It’s a really stunning coastal town and an extremely popular holiday destination. There are gorgeous walks along it’s two beaches, the West and East Strand. Portrush is well known for its theme park for the kids, surfing and paddle boarding and of course its abundance of fantastic restaurants and bars along the coast, in the town itself and by the harbour. For us, this is where we started our journey along the Causeway Coastal Route.
West Strand, Portrush Arcadia Portrush, once served as a dance hall and cafeEvery Sunday you can find people having a very quick and cold swim here, before warming up with a coffee. Not something I could do 😅1 – Magheracross Viewing Point – Our first stop has been on my bucket list since it opened a couple of years ago. The views of the Causeway Coast from here are something else.2 – Dunluce Castle – One of the most stunning castle remains in Ireland. This magnificent castle dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries. You can pay a small fee to visit the information centre and walk around the castle or like us, you can simply view from afar. 3 – Portballintrae Causeway Loop – this walk is absolutely stunning and only takes about 45 minutes one way. If you want to see the Giant’s Causeway without having to pay the hefty fee, park your car for free at Portballintrae Beach and enjoy the walk to the Causeway along the old train line.4 – Bushmills – This is a really quaint little town near Portballintrae that is really worth checking out when you’re in the vicinity. We stopped for tea at the famous Bushmills Inn.5 – Dunseverick Castle – I couldn’t wait to see this castle so when I found it along the Causeway coastal route, I actually laughed out loud. I couldn’t believe it was simply a couple of pillars left. However, this was once a majestic castle with an impressive history dating back to as far as 5AD. It’s said that St Patrick also visited here to baptise a local man who would later become the Bishop of Ireland (National Trust, 2023). 6 – Pans Rock Pier – This was our last stop along the Causeway Coastal route. I had wanted to see this pier since seeing it on Instagram a few months ago (the power of social media). It’s a beautiful pier situated at the far end of Ballycastle Beach. Ballycastle is a fantastic seaside town to check out along the Causeway Coastal route and I have been here a few times before but somehow had never seen this pier. Also this beach is pretty extraordinary as it is compiled of many different pebbles of all shapes and sizes that comprises of quartz, sandstone and granite.
I hope you have enjoyed the journey along Northern Ireland’s spectacular coastline and hopefully one day you may be able to see it for yourself, if you haven’t done so already. I know I am biased but it is honestly extremely beautiful!
Happy Sunday to you all, I hope you’ve had a lovely weekend. This sunset was taken a couple of evenings ago from our new home in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland. You will probably have seen from my previous posts that I have been frequenting this town for some time now and have really grown fond of the area. Thankfully, we are able to live here for a while and are looking forward to enjoying all Hillsborough has to offer in the coming weeks.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to my FORTIETH edition of Doors of WordPress. I thought with tomorrow being St Patrick’s Day in Ireland, I would showcase some of my favourite green doors that I have seen recently in Northern Ireland.
Sadly I will be working tomorrow and not seeing much of the Patrick’s Day celebrations. It used to be one of my most favourite holidays to celebrate, wearing something green, having a big fry for breakfast and then heading out with friends for some Guinness and Irish music. Even when I was in Australia it was always fun to celebrate the occasion, I guess as there are so many Irish people living in Sydney. I suppose there are so many Irish people everywhere as you will see huge celebrations all over the world, especially in America where many Irish people once emigrated to, just like Australia.
Will you be celebrating St Patrick’s Day this year or have you celebrated in the past? Also please do let me know if you have a favourite green door this week. I love to hear your thoughts.
For me, the favourite of the week has to be number 7 from Rostrevor. I think the door and whole building is absolutely fantastic, the windows, the greenery and that homely, country feel. Outstanding.
Have a great day everyone and I hope you all have a lovely St Patrick’s Day tomorrow ☘️☘️.
Happy Thursday from a very cold and snowy Northern Ireland. We are into our first week of spring here, so of course that means snow here! Without fail, we become excited when winter is over, only to be hit with a cold front. This happens year in year out, with the possibility of this right up until April and even May. I’m not sure why we are always surprised by this!!
For this reason, my doors for this week aim to brighten up your day or even week as I pick out some of my most colourful doors from my archive. Please let me know if you have a favourite.
1 – Dolls Point, Sydney2 – Woollahra, Sydney3 – North Bondi, Sydney4 – Banbridge, NI5 – Hillsborough, NI6 – Carlingford, Ireland7 – Newcastle, NI8 – Waverley, Sydney
I’m finding it difficult to choose a favourite but I really do love the yellow door from Carlingford. The colour and design of the door, fitting snugly into the brick wall just oozes quaintness overload for me. I hope these doors add a little colour to your week. Enjoy your day everyone.
Describe the most ambitious DIY project you’ve ever taken on.
To be honest I am not the best at DIY projects, nor do I enjoy them. My most ambitious project was probably having to build our bed in Australia from IKEA when we moved into our first apartment.
Even with instructions, it will take me more than the average amount of time and patience but I will arrive at the finished project eventually. IKEA furniture is typically straightforward to assemble and requires very few tools, yet it still will be an unwelcoming challenge for me.
I did, however, manage to build the bed with the help of my husband. On my own, I fear that building the bed might have taken me many weeks to put together! Nevertheless, we succeeded not only once but on three different occasions as we had to mantle and dismantle the bed on a few occasions when moving homes.
Thankfully, it does become easier the more times you put the bed together, although never any more enjoyable. I’m sad to say this is my most ambitious project to date. Who knows what future DIY projects await in the future. I dread to think…
Hi everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying your weekend. Today I want to share with you an amazing landmark in Northern Ireland that is very well known here and is quite the spectacle. We took a drive here yesterday for a walk and some fresh air.
It is known as Scrabo Tower and was built in 1857. Situated on Scrabo Hill, Newtownards (just outside Belfast) you can see the most amazing views of Strangford Lough and across the whole of Co. Down, as far as the Mourne Mountains. I simply put the landmark in to Google maps to find this spot, very simple to do thankfully.
I had always wanted to visit here as I had seen some spectacular photos from other Northern Ireland fanatics and I also love buildings like this one, towers and lighthouses are my absolute favourites. I love the tower’s design and how it is made from stone found at Scrabo Hill, including sandstone. Researching about this tower, I was surprised to read that a family actually grew up in this tower for many years and they even ran a successful tea room, specialising in Irish country teas. You can read more information here if you are interested.
My photos do not even do the view any justice, you really need to see with your own eyes to truly appreciate the beauty all around the tower. If you want some information on the history of the tower and how to get there, you can click the link here. My advice would be to wrap up warm as this site, being so high from sea level, will be very cold and extremely windy. We nearly had our heads blown off! Also try visiting on a clear day to ensure you have the best views possible.
You can’t help but think of Repunzel 😄
At the bottom of Scrabo Tower, just beside the car park, you can find Scrabo Country Park. This is a beautiful woodland park where the paths meander, taking you up and down and round and around. We actually got a little lost here believe it or not but it was worth it for the views at the top of the park that we happened to stumble across. We stopped here for some sandwiches and a cup of tea. This was a real highlight and I was just so grateful that the tea had managed to stay hot in my flask, very welcoming when it’s so cold. The view from our pit stop was out of this world and just encapsulated Northern Ireland for me. You could see hills, green pastures, Strangford Lough, the Mourne Mountains and even Harland & Wolff, the two most famous cranes from Belfast’s ship yards. Thankfully, there were also bathrooms at the end of the walk 😅.
This is a great park to walk in if you’re looking for somewhere different to try and you have the added benefit of having Scrabo Tower just beside you. I can’t wait to return, maybe in the summer and maybe even take a walk inside Scrabo Tower (only open in summer).
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of wonderful doors. Two weeks ago I flew over to England to visit my sister who lives just outside London in a small town in Cambridgeshire and of course I was able to spot a few lovely doors.
I only managed to picture five doors but I know there are hundreds more. I look forward to seeing more in the future and exploring doors from other parts of the UK. Please let me know if you have a favourite door this week. Not all the doors are clear to see but I love the design and architecture of the whole buildings, however, if you zoom in, you should be able to make out the doors 😉.
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Thank you all for taking a look and have a lovely weekend.
Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.
So I have just transitioned to the Jetpack app (I wonder will I miss seeing the WordPress app on my phone?!) and now I appear to have prompts for writing. That’s pretty cool, especially on days that you’re maybe struggling to think of material. I maybe won’t always respond to these but this prompt I found interesting.
My favourite pair of shoes were a pair of Vans that my cousin recommended. They were black with brown laces and I found them to be stylish, yet extremely comfortable. I love a shoe that you can wear with chinos or jeans and appear smart but also look casual with a pair of shorts. The downside was that they didn’t last too long but I guess I wore them to death! They took me all over Sydney on many, many walks and also around Northern Ireland when I wore them home in 2019 when touring the north coast.
Visiting the Game Of Thrones spots in Northern Ireland. Check out my Vans 👆🏼
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors. This week I am showcasing a few more of my doors from my recent trip to Carlingford as they are too good not to share, in my humble opinion.
Please let me know if you have a favourite this week.
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As much as I love them all, mostly for their quaintness and colour, I really love the last door. To me it looks very regal and sophisticated. The red colour really pops and I love the pillars/archway and transom window.
Thanks for taking a look and enjoy the rest of your week everyone.
Hi everyone! I recently took a trip to this amazing town in Ireland called Carlingford and I just really want to share this place with you. I had been here before for a day trip but had always wanted to return for a longer duration in order to really get a feel of this place. Carlingford is well known to us in Northern Ireland for being a fun place for hen and stag parties or nights out but I wanted to return to explore what else was on offer.
Carlingford has an abundance of things to offer the locals and tourists alike. It is a coastal town in Co. Louth, about halfway between Belfast and Dublin, making it easily accessible to either sides of the Irish border. It’s actually only 40 minutes from where I live by car and 11 km south of the border but you instantly feel like you are a million miles away when you stay here. It’s a coastal town, nestled between Carlingford Lough and Slieve Foy mountain, therefore, you have the opportunity to view beautiful scenery, taking lovely photographs, enjoy the walking trails, view the local attractions, have picnics and even partake in outdoor activities such as horse riding or surfing.
We stayed at Wildwood Lodge, a beautiful hotel style room overlooking the Lough and just a 5 to 10 minute walk into the town. I loved it here for the tranquility and the views were absolutely stunning, especially as you can see the sun rise every morning. I will highlight a few of the attractions/landmarks that we were able to witness on our three day break and to be honest, we could have stayed here longer as there is so much to do. I would love to have taken a few of the walks/hikes but that will have to be for another time, simply meaning I will have to come back 🙌🏼.
Sunrise from our accommodation 😍
I have highlighted my favourite tourist attractions below in the order that I seen them and hopefully they will inspire you to maybe visit the wonderful Carlingford one day.
1 – The Doors (and quaint/colourful buildings). I am an absolute door lover so I was in my element to see so many amazing doors, as you may have already seen and I will be posting more over the next couple of weeks. You can see my doors from last weeks blog post here.
2 – Thosel Street. I am obsessed with quaint and historic places so this street was right up my street, so to speak. It just oozes charm and character with its old stone buildings and historic architecture.
3 – Ruby Ellen’s Tea Rooms. We loved this place, so much in fact, that we returned the next day again for breakfast. Quirky and chic with delicious food and the friendliest staff.
4 – The Giant’s Chair. I love anything gimmicky like this for a fun photo but this was even better as it was located in the Leprechaun and Fairy Cavern. This was magical and although the tours are only on weekends, we were happy to take a walk around ourselves and marvel at the Irish folklore.
5 – Carlingford Heritage Centre & Carlingford Tourist Office. This was great for a history lesson of the town and for £3 you can have a talk from a local historian. The church building is exquisite and you can take a walk around and appreciate the old graveyard. The tourist office was fantastic for finding all the spots you want to see and the tourist officer was extremely friendly and helpful.
6 – Carlingford Marina & Anchor. This can be found just off the Lough front, a one minute walk from the town. You pass here to find the Leprechaun and Fairy Cavern.
7 – The pubs. These are fantastic for some great Irish beers, food and live traditional music. We had the best Guinness in Carlingford!
PJsMa BakersMcKevitts Village Hotel – live session music here is great!
8 – Carlingford Abbey. This monastery dates back to 1305 and still looks impressive even to this day. I love these type of historic, stone buildings so I couldn’t wait to see this. Situated about a five minute walk from town, you can easily find this on google maps.
9 – King John’s Castle. Initially built around 1190 to defend the sea lough, this castle rests on a cliff overlooking Carlingford and its Lough. Although closed off to the public for repair, you can still walk around the outside and see some spectacular views. This was close to our accommodation so we would walk past this at night to return to our room and it was pretty special, albeit a little spooky.
10 – The Marina. I only stopped here to take a picture as it was beautiful to look at but there is a restaurant here too if you’re looking for somewhere different to eat. I believe the Greenway walk begins here also which I hope to do when I return.
11 – Flagstaff Viewpoint. This is actually outside of Carlingford, near to Newry. I had to add the location to google maps on my phone to find this spot but it’s well worth the short drive to see a stunning 360 degree view and Carlingford from a great height (without having to walk up). Sadly it was quite overcast for us but I’m sure this would be out of this word on a clear sunny day.
That’s my lot for Carlingford. I hope you enjoyed seeing this amazing town just over the border from Northern Ireland. I absolutely loved it and cannot wait to return to carry out some of the walks and view more of the outstanding scenery. Many thanks for having a read.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors. Over the next two to three weeks I will be showcasing some of my doors from our recent trip to Carlingford, Ireland. I will create a blog post for this town also as it’s too amazing not to share with you all. Let me know if you have a favourite door this week.
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I love the colours of these doors, bright and fun. They really give you a sense of what Carlingford is all about. I love door number five, especially with the wreath, however, the two houses in image six are my favourites this week, just beautiful and the doors blend in perfectly.
Stay tuned for more doors from Carlingford next week and enjoy your day everyone.
This beautiful sunrise was taken a few days ago when we took a trip to Carlingford, Ireland. I can’t wait to show this place off in a blog post coming soon. I hope you have all had a lovely Sunday. I’m just back from visiting family in the south of England and now counting down until work tomorrow. However, not before a Chinese meal and some Star Wars! See you all next week.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors. I have a selection from three different places in Northern Ireland. Please let me know if you have a favourite. I love the last two doors, especially with the beautiful wreaths attached and I believe the home was lived in by the popular artist Colin Middleton ( a Northern Ireland landscape artist).
We have just returned from Carlingford in Ireland for a mini break and I have thee most amazing doors to show you all in the coming weeks so be sure to stay tuned. I will also write a blog showcasing Carlingford, highlighting the best things to do and see. It’s a special little town just over the border from Northern Ireland.
1 – Craigavon 2 – Craigavon 3 – The Hillside Pub in Hillsborough 4 – Bangor Marina 5 – Bangor
Can you believe it’s the last day of this blogging challenge? Blogging every day in January has been fun and it’s great to have a prompt, especially if you are struggling with topics to blog about. I quite like Bloganuary as it asks you questions that you normally wouldn’t ask yourself. So thank you WordPress and your people for providing us with some thought provoking topics.
Today’s prompt is a lovely one to finish on. I often post sunrise or sunset pictures on a Sunday as I thoroughly enjoy watching and photographing these. There were so many locations in Sydney to watch epic sunsets, however, I am yet to find the perfect spot near me in Northern Ireland to catch a worthy sunset. I did manage to see some amazing sunrises this weekend in my trip away to Carlingford (I will show case this very soon), however, the nicest sunset I have seen recently near me was literally outside my house in the town I am currently living in, Banbridge.
I will be making it my mission to find some amazing sunset spots near me in the not so distant future but for now, the sunset in my town will have to suffice.
Stunning sunset in Banbridge, made even prettier by the recent appearance of snow.
If you know of any great spots to see the sun setting in Northern Ireland, please do let me know and I will endeavour to check them out.
I have learned over the past few months that life cannot be taken for granted. We need to appreciate every day that we have and appreciate our nearest and dearest.
Life is short and you just don’t know what life will throw at you. I feel that being a nurse, I have somehow always known this but I think my life over the last few months has just reinforced this and I am more grateful than ever for the little things in life.
Take each day as it comes and have a little patience with what the word has in store for you.
I do love a good birthday cake. For me it can be a traditional vanilla sponge cake with buttercream in the the middle (and sometimes jam) and a good thick layer of icing at the top.
I really am a sucker for icing. So when the whole cake is covered, I love to eat a corner slice, with icing down the side also. This is my absolute favourite and only ever eaten on birthdays.
To be honest, I very rarely have a birthday cake, however, I do enjoy eating birthday cake when celebrating other people’s birthdays.
What a very appropriate question. I love to procrastinate but I also hate it. It’s very 50/50 concept for me.
Pros
It helps you destress by taking your mind off the subject at hand. I used to play online games as a way of distraction but I believe it actually is good for you to clear your head and reset.
You end up achieving so many minor wins, for example, cleaning the bathroom when you should be studying. I end up doing lots of chores instead of doing what I should be doing.
You feel clever for fooling others that you’re being extremely busy and productive, when you’re secretly watching episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Cons
The thing you should be doing gets placed on the back burner and your work maybe doesn’t reach its full potential. Youcould have finished an amazing project but yet you failed to stay focused and ended up completing otherunnecessary tasks at that point of time.
It can make you more stressed as you freak out from “wasting time”.
You’re really only fooling yourself with pretending to be productive. You should just get back to what you’re supposed to be doing.
To conclude, I really sit on the fence with procrastination. I think it’s a good and bad thing. To be honest I have procrastinated a lot in the past, however, I do always manage to complete the work that I was doing. Therefore, it can be a necessary thing to procrastinate to keep you mentally sane but as long as you can stay focused. Some people work better under pressure. This isn’t really me but I do think a little nudge to do more work is something I subconsciously benefit from. Once I have procrastinated enough, my mind then kicks me into work mode and I become productive again.
How about you? What are your thoughts on procrastination?
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another glorious week of doors. I have been thinking of Sydney, Australia a lot this week, therefore, I think it would be good to show some more of my Sydney doors, even if it’s just for me to be able to reminisce. Please let me know if you have a favourite this week.
My personal favourite is the first one. It’s the colour for me, so bright and full of life. The panelling and transom window are great features and I also love the greenery and picket fence in the frame.
Thanks for taking a look and have a lovely end to your week.
I show love in small ways. I tell my other half that I love him every single day, sometimes two or three times a day…and I mean it. I tell my family and friends I love them, not all the time and probably not often enough (some people, especially in Ireland, can become embarrassed). I love to give and receive hugs, even once a day or if you or your loved one needs it. It can make such a difference to your emotional wellbeing.
I love to show love for people by giving them confidence boosts and reassuring them. For example, complimenting them if they have a new outfit or haircut, listening to their concerns and being there for them. I don’t often do big gestures but I like to be there for people I love, even being a shoulder to cry on if need be.
I also love the appropriate use of touch. A hand on someone’s shoulder or holding their hand. I feel these little things can make such a big difference and let’s people know that you care for them and their well-being.
Happy Thursday to you all. For this week’s doors, I am running with the prompt from today’s Bloganuary, ‘Whatcolour describes your personality and why? I think of blue being my colour, so for this week I am showcasing some blue doors from my catalogue. Let me know if you have a favourite.
Funny enough, we just made this dinner last night. It’s our favourite meal at the moment, salmon, rice and pepper/capsicum (depending what side of the word you live). Our favourite meals to cook do vary over from time to time but this has been a favourite for some time now. It’s quick, easy and nutritious.
This is another tough cookie. I have had so many amazing days that I have lived throughout my life thus far. From my wedding, to receiving my permanent residency in Australia, to becoming a nurse, to passing my driving licence etc etc. However, the one day that sticks out in my mind, where I was so happy all day long and bursting with joy, was way back in 2017. I had just returned from an around the world trip in six days!!!
I had planned a world trip that would last for a year. I was going backpacking with my good friend and three months prior to departing, I had just fallen in love with my partner, my first real relationship.
My friend decided against travelling and I thought ‘I can do this on my own’. Off I headed after a very emotional goodbye with my partner and many epic leaving parties from my friends, family and my two jobs.
I traveled to New York for a couple of days and stayed with my friend there, before heading to my next stop in Boston. I was so sad every day being away from my partner. I was calling him every day and wishing we could be together. After six days I called my parents for advice and they advised to come home immediately. That was all I needed to hear. I stormed straight to the airport to book the next flight home. I was on standby and luckily for me there was one flight left and it was in business class but they would just charge me economy! I was over the moon!
Eight hours later I arrived back home to Ireland. My partner collected me and it was the BEST feeling ever, walking towards each other in the airport arrivals, smiling from ear to ear, a very ‘Love Actually’ moment, if you have ever seen the movie! This was definitely one of my best and most memorable days 😊.
This week we celebrate 16 years together. Maybe that wouldn’t have been the case if I had travelled solo for a year. What’s meant to be is meant to be ❤️
Bloganuary day 13 – Okay! So that is an obscene amount of money. I would not wish to have that much ever. Too much money could destroy a person. If I did have a lot of money, I would like to think I would share it with family and friends first, give a good amount to charity and then use the remaining to enjoy life. Maybe no more work, travelling, and having a lovely home, nothing too grand or fancy. A billion US dollars, I just can’t even imagine that amount to be honest. What about you?
Bloganuary day 11 – When I think of success, I think of being happy with what you have in life. Being happy with your relationships, with your work and not needing extravagance or wealth to make you happy. It’s appreciating the basic things in life that many of us take for granted, a roof over our heads, a warm bed, running water, a loving family and good friends. If I have these things, I am very successful.
It doesn’t have to be about how much money you have in your bank, how far up the ladder you are in work, working 70 hours a week or socialising with famous people. It’s not about bragging or name dropping. That does not impress me or show that you are successful. If you are a good, warm person, happy in yourself and kind to others,you are a success in my eyes.
You see so many people now, especially on social media, giving pep talks and trying to show you a life of extravagance, whilst appearing to work their asses off to prove how successful it can make you. This is not for me. Why work so many hours for a life of luxury? Are these people really any happier than your average Joe. I think not. Yes we need to work hard in order to have enough money to enjoy life but you need to have an adequate work / life balance. If I have this, I will be extremely happy and successful in my own life.
What are your thoughts? How do you define success??
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to 2023. These are the first doors to be shown here on my blog this year and I thought I would showcase some doors all found in one street! It’s not often that you find a street where you appreciate every single door. I had seen this once in Sydney in Darlinghurst and now once here in Northern Ireland. As many of you will know by now, there is a quaint little town here in Northern Ireland that I absolutely adore, known as Royal Hillsborough. I thought I had seen most of the doors here, however, after having walked off the beaten track, I stumbled across a tiny street with the quaintest doors I have seen for some time. Please let me know what you think of these or if you have ever discovered a street where all the doors are as fantastic as each other.
This is a good question for day 5 of Bloganuary and is an easy for me. Being outdoors on a good nature walk brings me joy, especially if I am with my other half or friends. I love it. I really enjoy the serenity, the scenery, fresh air, feeling healthy, taking photographs and just generally appreciating life. It’s the simple things in life for me that bring me joy.
I do love walking in general, anywhere really, for example walking tours in the city. However, what really brings me joy is a walk in nature, be that by the sea or in the countryside.
I have accomplished so many great walks in Sydney, Australia and now I really look forward to some fantastic walks here in Northern Ireland and Ireland as a whole. Bring it on!
Berlin walking tourBondi to Coogee – one of my favesSpit to ManlySlieve Donard, Newcastle, Northern Ireland
What about you? Do you love to walk? What brings you joy in life?
Bloganuary day 2 asks for our earliest memory. Mine is living in a little village for the first few years of my life and having a friend in the same cul-de-sac as me. We did many things together until we moved house when I was six years old. I remember really missing her when we moved.
I love the eighties clothes!
It wasn’t until I was fifteen or sixteen years old that I bumped into this girl again at a new school that I joined. It was an amazing moment as we both remembered playing together when we were younger and cherished those memories. I don’t have one specific memory but rather a feeling of happiness when we were together.
One word springs to mind for me, FOUNDATION. I have just returned from Australia back home to Northern Ireland and my goal is to build my foundation for the next chapter in my life. I want to buy a house, settle in a new job and decide what is in store for my future. I am really looking forward and thinking of positive things for the days, weeks, months and even years ahead. I hope you will all follow me on my journey and very good luck to all those participating in this years Bloganuary. I look forward to reading everyone’s responses and making some new friends here in the blogosphere.
Happy New Year everyone and here’s hoping 2023 brings us everything we hope for.
Happy Friday everyone and welcome to my last flower of the day for this year. I can’t believe it’s the 30th of December 2022, however, I will be glad to have this year behind me and focus on 2023. It’s been a tough few months to say the least but I feel like this image below signifies it perfectly. This beautiful lavender periwinkle flower was covered in snow and now it’s slowly thawing out, ready to shine once again.
I want to wish you all a very happy new year and take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you very, very much for all your support with my blog. I honestly appreciate it so much, every like, every comment, every emoji and ALL the positivity shown here in this extraordinary space known as the blogosphere.
Greater periwinkle (fabulous name) – spotted at one of my new favourite places, Hillsborough Castle.
Take care everyone and I hope to see you all back here in 2023! I will be participating in this year’s Bloganuary as I loved it so much last year. Will anyone else be participating?
I was catching up with a good friend from Sydney at the weekend past and wanted to meet in a place that suited us both for travelling. My friend was coming from Dublin and I would be travelling from Belfast. We settled on the Ballymascanlan Hotel, just outside Dundalk. This was a one hour drive away for both us, making it a perfect spot for a lunch date.
This hotel was very easy to find from Belfast. Straight down the motorway, onto the dual carriageway towards Dundalk and then just off the roundabout towards Carlingford. I was aided with google maps but just be mindful that the mobile data may switch off, as did in my case, due to travelling from Northern Ireland to Ireland.
The hotel is very quaint, an old Victorian house in the middle of a stunning parkland. Inside was beautifully decorated, ready for Christmas. We had a three course Christmas lunch that was very tasty and really made us feel those Christmas vibes. We loved it and I will definitely be keen to return in the future. Be sure to check this place out.
Have you a favourite spot for a Christmas lunch? What do you do to feel Christmassy? Tis’ the season!
I love choosing 12 photos to highlight what I have experienced throughout the year and it’s a great little recap. This has been a big year with lots of changes, some good and some bad, however, I am grateful to have had a good year overall and ending 2022 on a positive note. Please feel free to have a look at my 2022 highlights below and feel free to share your highlights from the past 12 months.
JANUARY – starting the year off with a little trip to Mudgee, NSW. We had always wanted to visit here and this was the perfect place for us to celebrate 15 years together. FEBRUARY – This was one of our most epic destinations and a huge bucket list ticked off. Our trip to Uluru was one that we will cherish for years to come. MARCH – Rain, rain, rain. Two years of rain in Sydney thanks to La Niña. We had many days out in the rain, we wouldn’t let it deter us, it was certainly better than having bush fires. APRIL – a lovely little trip seeing the bestie in Melbourne. So good to catch-up after so long apart and seeing these Brighton boxes was another item ticked off the bucket list. MAY – Seeing Dermot Kennedy in concert was pretty special, especially with my Irish friends. JUNE – BBQ with the boys. Some of my favourite people, fantastic Lebanese food and this was the beginning of my many leaving parties as I leave Sydney for the time being. JULY – the beginning of our travels. Queenstown in New Zealand was an absolute highlight. We loved it here. AUGUST – Next on our travels was Bali, Indonesia. Stunning place to visit and we welcomed the sunshine after being in NZ at winter time. SEPTEMBER – a big reason for me coming home was to see my sisters become married. A beautiful day and I love this photos with my sisters. I’m a lucky guy to have not one but three amazing sisters 🤍OCTOBER – the main reason for me to come home, my family. Precious time with my niece and nephew, priceless! NOVEMBER – my baby sister has her wedding. A lovely day and feeling very proud here 🤍DECEMBER – Home with my number one person. Grateful to be here together and look forward to 2023, side by side ❤️
Happy Sunday everyone, one week until Christmas! We were walking around Banbridge recently (the town where we have been staying mostly since arriving home) and stopped to appreciate this amazing sunset. I love the houses with their chimneys, the trees and the frosty suburban streets, with the sun just setting behind. Enjoy your day everyone and enjoy the lead up to Christmas.
Happy Friday everyone and welcome to the weekend. This little gem was spotted on our trip to Hillsborough Gardens last weekend. Thankfully it wasn’t covered in snow and we were able to spot this. It’s bright colour certainly does catch your eye.
Red Bistort, originally from the Himalaya Mountains, can be seen all over the UK. They can be found in meadows, pastures and along the roadsides. Traditionally they would have been used in deserts at Easter time, more so in England, I have never heard of this but fascinating all the same. These flowers can also be boiled, roasted and even used for making bread (The Wildlife Trusts, 2022).
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors, the last one before Christmas. This week’s Thursday Doors challenge is to show your favourite doors of the year, thanks for that Dan, not an easy thing to do! I have chosen my top 8 doors of 2022, from Australia and NZ, all the way to here in Northern Ireland. I have ranked them in my order of preference, some have been shown already and some are newly featured. Please take a look and enjoy these magnificent doors and hats off to their owners for doing such a fantastic job.
1 – People in Northern Ireland are EXTREMELY friendly.
2 – The cost of EVERYTHING has increased drastically since I lived here five years ago, from food, to rent, to energy bills (this one is worldwide at the moment). Everything has increased, except for wages, shocking really.
3 – It is BALTIC here in the winter. I had forgotten how cold it can be here. It is minus five degrees this morning!
4 – The pubs and restaurants here are very cosy and quaint. I have missed this. Pints of Guinness by a warm fire.
5 – Everything is so festive here at Christmas. I know it’s what you’re used to but I have really missed the cold, dark evenings, the smell of warm spices, mulled wine, hearing Christmas songs etc etc. For me it was never the same wearing shorts and T-shirts.
6 – The importance of family.
7 – The quality of television shows is pretty high here and I love the Christmas shows/movies that are available in the lead up to Christmas.
8 – We walk a lot less here. I miss doing my 15,000 steps a day in Sydney. My step count has dropped significantly since being home and that’s sad. I guess it’s the cold weather and lack of somewhere good to walk nearby.
9 – It’s dark for most of the day. I love the dark evenings but I forgot how much daylight you miss. You travel to work in the dark and drive home from work in the dark. That can be hard and we have this for the next few months.
10 – People in Northern Ireland say ‘Wee’ ALL THE TIME! Everything can be described as ‘wee’. A ‘wee’ cup of tea, put your ‘wee’ card in the ‘wee’ machine, would you like a ‘wee’ bag? I had totally forgotten how often we use that word and it’s not simply used for small items! It’s actually insane how much we use that word but lovely at the same time. You instantly know you’re home when your hear ‘wee’ being used.
Many of you here will have heard of Hillsborough from my doors posts, as there are many fantastic doors found in this quaint little village.
Hillsborough is well renowned for its character and charm but more so for its historic castle and gardens. This is the place of residence for when members of the Royal family come to stay in Northern Ireland and only very recently has Hillsborough been renamed Royal Hillsborough for that reason.
This was the first time I had visited the gardens and I was extremely excited as I had always heard how amazing they are and I have always wanted to visit here. We didn’t visit the castle today but that will be for another time. We just wanted to have a good stroll today and get some fresh air. It was made even more special as there was snow on the ground and gave the gardens a really festive and Christmassy feel.
The admission fee is £11 which is expensive enough (in my opinion) to go for a walk, however, the gardens are absolutely stunning and the castle is a true spectacle. There is also a light show featuring in the gardens at present that can be seen at night time, running until the beginning of January. It’s pretty pricey at £22 a visit so we’ll have to wait and see if we decide to return for that or not. From what I witnessed during the day today, it would be quite the display.
If you would like to read more about this wonderful place, you can take a look at the official website here. Thanks for taking a look and I hope you are all enjoying your Sunday.
Happy Friday everyone. So, I have showcased this flower before but recently I have seen a different variety and it looks so much different in another season and another country. You can see my previous poinsettia here from March when I was living in Sydney. This flower is always grown as a potted plant and is often used as a Christmas decoration due to its bright red leaves. This flower definitely feels Christmassy, more so as it is now the Christmas season and it’s cold here in this side of the world, unlike when I had previously seen this flower in summer in Sydney.
Have you ever given or received this flower at Christmas? It certainly blends in with our Christmas decorations.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors. This week I’m really missing Sydney and Australia so I thought I would showcase some more of my doors from Sydney, taken just before we left for our travels home.
My favourite this week is number 3 from The Rocks. I think these police doors are amazing and very welcoming for a police station. Do you have a favourite this week?
Thanks for checking out my doors. Have a great weekend guys. I will be at another wedding this weekend so won’t be online too much until next week.
Does anybody else love to take a Sunday stroll? I love to walk, as nerdy as that sounds but it really makes me feel good. Since leaving Sydney I have been walking less and less, mainly due to being extremely busy but also as there aren’t too many interesting walks nearby. This riverside walk in Banbridge is the nearest walkway to me and I really love it. The only downside is that it’s really quite short, therefore, it doesn’t enable you to obtain many steps for the day.
The name of the walk is pretty self explanatory, it’s a short walk along the river, the River Bann to be precise and it’s one of the longest rivers in Northern Ireland. The walk itself in Banbridge could take you about 20 minutes but it’s beautiful all the same. It’s especially scenic at this time of year with all the autumnal colours.
It’s a shame you can’t walk the whole length of the river, however, I am grateful to have even a small path to walk along when you need to clear your head and breathe in some fresh air.
Have a great Sunday everyone. I will be watching a Christmas movie this afternoon to get into the festive spirit 😉.
Happy Friday everyone. I spotted this flower in the Botanic Gardens Belfast and I loved its uniqueness. I have never seen this particular species before. I love the colour and find it a very uplifting flower. Have you ever seen a common borage?
Also known as beeplant or starflower. The edible leaves of common borage, said to have the fragrance and taste of cucumbers, are often used to make salads, soup, and sauces. Its blue, star-like flowers can also be used as an attractive drink garnish and as an ingredient in some gins (Picture This, 2022).
Happy Thursday everyone. As it was Halloween this week and we are still in Autumn/Fall, I thought I would try to share my most autumnal and spooky doors. Let me know what you think and if you have a favourite.
1 – The Gatekeeper’s Inn2 – Banbridge 3 – Hillsborough Castle4 – Elmwood Avenue5 – Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park
I hope you all had a lovely Halloween if you celebrate at all. I was driving in the evening so I missed it all. I did manage to see a few fireworks in the sky though which was nice.
I love this week’s edition as it’s simple and fun, thanks Fandango! Also I have just realised that you also used simple and fun to describe your question! Or maybe I subconsciously repeated them, who knows?!
Let’s have some fun this week. Or what I hope you’ll think is fun. My question is simple. It’s all about favorites. If you were asked to name your absolute favorite in each of the following categories, what would they be:
Song – Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve
Musical artist or group – Mumford & Sons
Book – Life of Pi
Author – RL Stine
Movie – Big Fish
Television show – Friends (Series 1-5)
Movie or TV actor (male & female) – Luke Evans and Julia Roberts
Stage play or musical – Chicago
Live concert – Eminem, surprisingly one of my favourite concerts I have been to.
Oh what a dreary, dreary day. Window wipers wiping frantically and rain smashing to the ground.
Everything grey and melancholy.
Halloween today and eerie essences are encircling us. Not so much spooky, more Thérèse Desqueyroux. Dark and wet, I sip my coffee by the coffee shop window looking out to the puddles and grimaces on people’s faces.
Darkness begins to fall, autumn is laughing. It knows that winter is around the corner. The darkness is coming for a long, long stay, weeks that will lead into months.
Soon this will be a cosy period of time but for now, it’s pretty grim.
Are you a fan of cold, dark and wet evenings? I normally am but not today 😕.
The sunset I am sharing today is from 12 weeks ago in Bondi, Sydney. You don’t actually see the sunset but the colours that were on show were absolutely stunning. I haven’t seen anything quite like the colour changes here of the sky anywhere else, from yellow to orange and then pink to lilac. I was just standing in the middle of the road, outside our friend’s apartment, in complete awe, as were many other locals.
Beautiful Bondi
I hope you enjoy the colours and have had a lovely relaxing weekend.
WrookieSchU 