On route from Dublin to Belfast our first major stop was the UNESCO heritage site of Bru na Boinne, an inter-connecting series of several Neolithic tombs close to the River Boyne and the village of Slane. Irish road signs have proven to be more than challenging on this trip and our route from the M1 (the Dublin-Belfast road) was made even more frustrating with no signage to this “must do experience”. What we discovered was that all the signs indicated the site of Newgrange, the name of one of the main three tombs, whereas all our tour literature (in hotels, info hubs and in guidebooks) refers to the site of Bru na Boinne. Grrrr! Another village detour behind us and we were in the visitors carpark and taking a short walk to the visitors centre. The Bru na Boinne set-up is exceptional and to protect the site all access to the tombs is via the visitor centre shuttle buses (which depart at regular intervals). The short 5 minute drive through lush green fields containing happily grazing cows and sheep leads you directly to the incredible grass-topped stone dome. Newgrange, the first of three tombs that you can visit, pre-dates the Celts in Ireland and the site is approximately 500 years older than the Pyramids of Egypt. 
Walking inside the tomb is a humbling experience especially when the lights are extinguished and you’re treated to a re-enactment of the fleeting filtering in of the Winter Solstice sun that this Neolithic construction captures. A definite highlight. 
Arriving in Belfast in the late afternoon we were welcomed into a bustling, cosmopolitan city and one which I did not expect to embrace in the way that I did. Having a serviced apartment for this stay also meant we all felt slightly more relaxed about our surrounds and could finally do some washing. Taking the much recommended Belfast Black Cab Tour of West Belfast troubled spots was a unique and compelling way to experience this cities recent violent history. Ask any black cab driver to take you on a tour and for a small fee they’ll ferry you safely around these sites for approximately and hour – you’ll take in various wall murals from both sides, the headquarters for Sinn Fein and to visit memorials of some locations of horrendous and notorious atrocities such as the Bombay St fires. The West Belfast wall is the world’s longest memorial mural in the world and this was an shocking and saddening experience and one which I would highly recommend for any visitor to this city.
Our 2nd day in Belfast was actually spent much further north within Northern Ireland as we explored the Causeway Coast Road and some of this islands most picturesque coastline. Our first stop was the underwhelming Dark Hedges, an apparently haunted road in the undulating countryside, where the trees form a zigzagging canopy across the across the road. No ghost but a couple of good photos. However our 2nd stop, the Mussenden Temple, provided us some of the most spectacular scenery of our trip. After a short amble through the Mussenden gardens, you emerge in a bare field containing three or four significant structures. The most attractive being the Mussenden Temple, which sits perched on the edge of the cliff overlooking a stretch of golden beach. The ruins of Mussenden House, which sits in the foreground of the temple, hints at the grandeur and opulence of this property in its heyday...it’s skeleton now standing grand and quiet; an echo of its former self. 
Our next stop on the Causeway Coast Road was the stunning Giant’s Causeway, which proved to be one of the best signposted sights in all of Ireland (no getting lost here!). Arriving in the late afternoon, and beating most of the crowds, this is another UNESCO heritage site and a place stepped in Irish legend and lore. According to legend this is the site that Finn McCool, he who consumed the salmon of knowledge, created to spite his Scottish rivals. The blackened cliffs of the multiple bays are dribbled with lush green grass that spills unevenly over them like icing. The spectacular Stepping Stones, which happen to also grace the cover of Lonely Planet Ireland, are a geological phenomenon; a peaked avenue of stone steps that lead directly from the sea to the cliffs where all visitors are permitted to clamber and climb over this natural wonder. 
The next bay over provides more picturesque landscape photograph moments as rolling waves crash onto blackened rocks and the huge cliffs play house to a myriad of noisy sea bird life.After several hours of walking in and around the Giant’s Causeway, we returned to Belfast via the stunning cliff top ruin of Dunlace Castle. Unfortunately we’d left our run a little late and the castle grounds were closed however as the castle dominates the coastline views it was easy to capture some great sunset images of the site.
With the Royal Wedding taking place the following day and this being our “transit day” from Ireland to Scotland we decided it was best to leave our apartment early and find a cafe screening the event. Thanks to Oscar’s Champagne Cafe, some bacon buttys and some strong coffee and we watched Willy and Kate wed – a nice way to end our Irish leg of this trip. Next: Fort William and Isle of Skye, Scotland
Cultural Stop 2: Trinity College Library and The Book of Kells Exhibition 
Things I learnt from the Leprechaun Story Teller.
Couple of quick tips:
On arrival at the Abbey we were ushered into car park 3 (was this a good sign?). The Abbey grounds contain a massive Victorian Walled Garden and being Easter Sunday it was hosting an Easter Egg hunt within the walled grounds for all the local children (hence the crowds...not to mentioned that the nearest city was also closed). This site is well-catered for with the local cafe offering a stunning selection of home-made food. Irish Stew, Quiches and Baked Salmon were all on the lunch menu perfectly accompanied by home-made Apple Pies, Chester Squares or Rhubarb Crumble (some serious walking required post the food frenzy).
Home to a cluster of Benedictine Nuns (who’d relocated from a war-torn Ypres, France) since 1920 Kylemore Abbey contains the stunning Abbey, Gothic Chapel and a much-lauded Walled Garden and accompanying tea-house. The grounds and houses are ripe with history, both dramatic and tragic, and all set against the incredible mountains of the Connemara National Park. This stop has been our best detour to date. 
Leaving Waterford behind we made our way down the coast to Cork via Dungavan (and our lunch stop). Our Lonely Planet Ireland guide recommended we stop at Dungavan’s Nude Food (www.nudefood.ie) for a veggie burger and that we did. Fed and happy it was on to Cork and our final stop for the day staying at the lovely B&B Garnish House. Cork is an incredibly confusing city to navigate – with too many quays and one-way streets for a city of this size – and it took us a crazy amount of time to finally arrive at our destination. But on arrival at the cute B&B we were presented with a lovely afternoon tea of coffee, tea, scones (with local preserves) and cake by our host Marcel.
Hats off to Garnish House who provided the most incredible breakfast experience of our trip to date with a staggering 33 options to choose from on the menu...
For only €10 you’re able to access all of the grounds, including an up to 4.5 km woodland walk, and the castle itself. Blarney Castle is a staggering structure – intimidating and dominating the castle stands quietly within a serene garden setting of Daffodil, Azaleas, Oak, Elm and Ash. Having scaled to the height of the castle I found myself on my back, dangling backward over the edge (hanging onto two iron poles) and puckering up to a stone! Truly odd.
What is rarely referenced in much of the “tour” literature is the other elements offered in the grounds of Blarney Castle...like the fascinating Poison Garden which contains growing examples of the British Isles most deadly plants with matching descriptions (where’s Felicity Kendal?). The garden contains Wolfsbane, Foxglove, Oleander and intriguingly Box Hedge (which was used to prevent Witches from entering your property). Other ground highlights included the secreted Fern Garden and Horses Cemetery and the intricate Rock Walk which contains within it the Wishing Steps, a Druid sacrificial alter and the creepy Witches Kitchen...a ruin of an old Witches resident.
Adieu Cardiff...but one last stop on the way out of the Welsh capital would mean that I’d completed all the “must do’s” on my list – St Fagan’s Natural History Museum. For £3.50 this could be Cardiff’s best kept secret. Approximately 10 minutes outside of Cardiff and attached to the cute little village of St Fagan’s the Natural History Museum is a replica village of transplanted house types from throughout Wales. Painstakingly reconstructed ancient stone houses, old timber barns and the 16th century castle and manor house make this is a credible and interesting snapshot of Wales’ yesteryear. Unfortunately for us it was school holidays and as the Museum has no entry fee (just the £3.50 for parking and 30 pence for the map) the site was inundated with families escaping Cardiff and wanting a picnic in the beautiful spring sun. Undeterred by the throngs of families we set off across the fields and our first stop was the castle. St Fagan’s Castle was everything we wanted Cardiff Castle to be – room after room of life as is was back in the 16th and 17th centuries with fully furnished bedrooms laden with lush tapestries to the fascinating kitchen with its massive ovens. The other big highlight was a stunning reconstruction of an ancient Celtic village. This was a definite highlight of the trip so far. 
With St Fagan’s behind us it was my mission to a) get Mum and Dad ambling across some fields and b) to investigate the less visited ancient burial chambers of Tinkinswood and St Lythan’s (both of which are reportedly over 6000 years old). Winding down a single lane road bordered by massive green hedges (hello Midsummer territory) we stumbled across St Lythan’s. A quick stroll across the open field, which we later discovered was known as the Accursed Field, we were presented with the burial chamber sitting centrally on the field like a kind of ancient outhouse. St Lythan’s is the smaller of the two chambers but thought to be an ancient Druid altar where all sorts of dark mischief occurred. A short jaunt down the road and we were on another field and ambling toward the Tinkinswood burial chamber. This is the more impressive site with a massive 36 tonne capstone roofing the chamber. The chambers were buried for thousands of years before excavations in the early 1900’s uncovered these massive tombs from the early Bronze Age. Being the only visitors to the site that afternoon it was eerie and intimate experience – although it appears there’s a lot of night-time activity at the site (with the used tea candles sprinkled throughout the chamber evidence of the locals trying to resurrect Robert Pattinson).
Leaving the Accursed Fields behind us it was onto the small seaside town of Tenby in Wales’ west – a cute walled city and a popular destination for holidaying locals. Staying at the Giltar Hotel (www.giltar.co.uk), currently undergoing a major upgrade, we were housed in two of the refurbished rooms with Mum and Dad’s suite having incredible views of the bay. Tenby’s seascape is dominating by St Catherine’s Island (which can only be reached for exploration at low tide from the sands of Castle Beach) and my inner Famous Fiver was immediately alerted to its mysterious potential. Time and tide did not allow us a Julian, Dick and Anne moment but as a kid this would be a place that would have exploded my imagination with the ideas of pirate treasure, sea monsters and ghosts trapped in the sea mist.
After a good night’s sleep in our cute rooms and with another good B&B breakfast consumed (Dad’s loving the 3 course breakfast...Mum’s not loving Dad’s love of the 3 course breakfast) and we were farewelling Tenby all too early and making our way to Fishguard and the ferry to Ireland...
Another stunning brekkie in our bellies (courtesy of the friendly staff at Oldfields B&B) we left picturesque Bath behind us ensuring that Wendy was kept dormant in her Sat Nav cradle and weaved through the gorgeous sun-dappled English countryside on route to Cardiff, Wales. 
From the incredible grandeur of the tracery which contained the incredible west windows to the soaring Gothic arches that hint at the spectacle that this abbey was when fully functioning this is a haunting, sombre and incredibly powerful place. One of the best stops we’ve had so far. 
Scaling the heights of the Great Tower you get an excellent view of the castle ruins and the surrounding fields blossoming in swathes of yellow canola flowers. Another great stop and an excellent companion site to Tintern Abbey. 
All of a sudden it was 2pm and lunch beckoned and here was where we made our first mistake... 
This is the home of Torchwood...the Hub, Captain Jack, Weavils, Gwen and Rhys, Ianto (sniff), Toshiko (sniff) and Owen (whateva) and it’s fanboy inducing fun. 
Desperate for a bit of Torchwood re-enactments I found the perception filter stone but this appeared to be malfunctioning as most could see me...even photograph me (weird). And then there’ the tribute...down on the wharf of Mermaid Quay is the tribute to our favourite coffee boy Ianto Jones. A wall of the wharf is dedicated to the memory of Captain Jack’s favourite barrista with tribute messages from all over the world haphazardly pinned to the wall. Bless the whoniverse. BTW – he’s not coming back. RIP Ianto. A great dinner at the Bayside Brasserie later we were back at the hotel and playing cards in the bar. The next morning we hit Cardiff in earnest with a morning of serious shopping in the fabulous St David’s Mall. After a shaky start the day before (courtesy of a dodgy route, some bad directions and copious amounts of roadworks) Cardiff was beginning to appeal to us. Unfortunately we were a little disappointed by the much hyped Cardiff Castle, positioned at the heart of Cardiff, as we’d been spoilt the day before by the spectacular ruins we’d visited. 
With the Dr Who Exhibition at the Red Dragon Centre closed, the Norwegian Church at Cardiff Bay closed for renovation and Custom House also at Cardiff Bay again closed until May 2011 we realised Cardiff would re-open in May 2011 (pity we were a month early). And to top that off even though I kept feigning alien suffocation Captain Jack did not miraculously appear to provide prolonged resuscitation services. Well can’t blame Cardiff for that one I suppose... Next update: Tenby, Wales
Mum and Dad have the larger double room whilst I have the ever so cute small single room directly opposite. Each of the rooms is equipped with an en-suite bathroom, flat screen tvs and tea & coffee equipment...but it’s the minor touches that make it really nice (Molton Brown shower product, pre-heated/pre cooled room). The morning’s breakfast service also proved to be more than ample with full cooked breakfasts as well as my preferred option the continental breakfast (fresh pastry stat!). Once gorged on food we rolled down the hill into the heart of Bath...and more specifically to the Roman Baths. Everything you read on Bath puts the Roman Bath exhibition at the top of the to-do list which always makes you wonder whether people are just plagiarising one another because they’re too lazy to have their own opinion or if it’s actually that good. And I was pleasantly surprised...it’s that good. 
From the gilded bust of the Goddess Minerva to the hissing streams of water from the full flowing spring to the exterior backdrop of the stunning Bath Abbey the Roman Baths have plenty to offer and is well worth the admission fee. Around every corner you’re ushered into either another exhibit or another excavated section of the Aquae Sulis where your handy audio-tour will be sure to tell you all the fascinating (and not so) facts about this unique place. Be sure to avoid the dinky costumed human “Romans” who lurk around the Baths waiting to be asked a crappy question – they’re twee and unnecessary. A further wander around the heart of Bath took us past the stunning architecture and houses of The Circle, Royal Cresent and Pulteney Bridge. 
Again, being off the tourist route, this attraction was almost devoid of visitors and it felt like we had the entire ruin to ourselves. This sites audio tour (theme appearing here) was a little peppier than the others and ran for only half an hour but was crammed with juicy stories (Lady Agnes killing her husband with a neckerchief and having his body flung into one of the baking ovens) and grotesque tales (18th Century folk taking the embalmed fluid from the bodies laying in the castles crypt and drinking it...um sorry?). 
Another 10 minutes down the road and we were in Bradford on Avon where we sat having tea in the kitchen gardens of a local Tea House whilst watching the canal boats passing through the local lock. What better way to finish the day than with a Mexican dinner at La Iguana accompanied by “Happy Hour” cocktails (make mine a Long Island Tea please). 
Saying so-long to London Mum, Dad and I packed ourselves into our hired Volvo XC90 and started off on the trip to Bath, via Stonehenge and Avebury. Today’s mission...see as many stone circles as possible. It was not long before we were on our first Motorway and encountering our first (and what will be our last) “Service Stop”. Minor hissy fit later and a quick exit from the service stop we were on our way to Bassingstoke for a proper stop and some real food. Fortunately we found “Giraffe” a nice little brunch place attached to the slightly overwhelming Bassingstoke Shopping Centre where the food was great and the crazy motorway crowd were a distant memory of twats falling over one another to get their dirt tasting Starbucks triple shot latte. Much refreshed and with time on our side we were back in the Volvo with Wendy, our Sat Nav, guiding us toward Stonehenge. What Wendy did not tell us was that we were about to hit the mother of all traffic jams due to a ridiculous amount of Roadworks outside of Amesbury. Cue detour...an army barracks (beware Tanks Crossing), some crazy small town backroads and back to the same army barracks Wendy the Sat Nav was switched off and we reverted back to the beautiful book of road maps. 15 minutes later...hello Stonehenge. The lovely monoliths also known as the Hanging Stones are an extraordinary site. Due to the traffic chaos below the stone circle the crowds were significantly down so parking and entry was swift and easy. Within 15 minutes you quickly find-out, via a little bit too perky audio tour, all about the monoliths and what is known about them. 
With one stone circle down it was now onto the sleepy town of Avebury, the setting of creepy 70’s kids show The Children of the Stones, a town sitting inside an actual stone circle. The difference between the two UNESCO listed sites is that Avebury being that little bit harder to find is devoid of the crowds – making the experience much more intimate and real. 
Avebury’s walking tour allows you to wander right up to and amongst the stones (with the grazing sheep) as you follow a cute trail around the perimeter of one of the circles. Inside the village you’ll also find the stunning St James Avebury Church, which was initially erected in the 11th Century, and its surrounding cemetery both of which sit nestled amongst a series of thatch roofed cottages. 
A dinner at the local Avebury pub felt mandatory after this experience. Once we’d downed our food from The Red Lion we were on our way to our next pitstop...Bath. 
Sounds like an episode of 70’s Tom Baker Who but no...it’s the recreation of the Bards Globe Theatre. Nicknamed the Nest of the Devil by the residents of the time the re-created Globe is a beautiful and open working theatre. Although the opening run for their Spring/Summer series won’t be on my must see list – a word by word reading of The King James Bible. The tour takes you through a thorough exhibition of the who, how, what, why’s of the recreation and ushers you into the body of this working theatre. The 40 minute + tour was worth the small admission fee. With the Tate Modern next door and St Paul's Cathedral opposite this is a precious little pocket of London. 
Onto Oxford...via the train... Quick Tip – get your ticket at the ticket office rather than using the ticket machines. Although the machines are convenient we saved ourselves 30 pounds on the tickets by getting various discounts via actually ticketing office. ...after passing through Slough and Reading we disembarked at Oxford station and toddled off into the city to do the obligatory self-guided walking tour (and pub lunch). 
Highlights included the stunning Radcliffe Camera, the view from the St Mary of the Virgin Church (even Dad managed to get up all the internal spiral steps) and the picturesque grounds of Christ Church Cathedral famously known as the place where Lewis Carroll penned Alice in Wonderland and housing the Great Hall which acted as a setting for the Dining Hall scenes for Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. 
Tomorrow things start in earnest as we hit the road and Stonehenge, Avebury and Bath beckon. 
For a meagre 7 pounds our guide (who was full of extra stories when prompted) took us on an amble through the forest of the dead as she sprouted her best tour monologue. I particularly liked the stories of the graves of Mr Cruft (he of the dog show fame) who we were told actually hated dogs and was a cat person and his namesake dog show was created as a sponsorship and marketing wagon for his pet food business. Not to mention the story of the family tomb where some clever individual inscribed ENTRANCE on the front. Mmm – no exit then? 
Other facts that I learnt from our guide... 
..and all this for less than 10 quid! Bargain. 
Well, London has turned on some of the best weather for April in 30 years...apparently Thursday was the hottest day on record for the month of April (a whopping 23 degrees) – so just like the entirety of Melbourne’s summer this year then? No complaints – I love the crisp mornings and evenings and the beautiful cloudless skies during the day have persuaded Londoners to strip off, embrace the flip flops and adopt the most pleasant demeanours. Let the sunshine in indeed! 
