Back to Belfast and an Optometrist who was only too happy to help with contact lenses and not even charge me. Sight at last! It takes a few days of reduced eyesight to really appreciate what I had taken granted. I'll never go away again without backup of some kind!
We headed off to the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum with Tony and the most delightful 6 year old I've met in years - his grandson.
The outdoor museum is located on 170 acres of land consisting of houses relocated and rebuilt on this perfect site overlooking the Belfast Lough and depicting early 20th Century life in Northern Ireland. Museums like this really give you a sense of time and place and what it was to live back then.
We all took off in our own directions after arranging to meet up for tea at the restaurant. For those of us who know the Marshalls, this isn't unusual. We all like people but are more than happy to have time to do our own thing.
So, for me it was into the village and a good look around all the cottages.
People were smaller back then I think, this is an incredibly narrow staircase.
Ran into Ann at the weaver's studio. There are costumed visitor guides in a lot of the houses and shops who are happy to chat about what they are doing and what life was like.
The pub, not much has changed then.
The bank manager's abode, above the bank.
A coal yard.
Apothecary.
Cobbler.
Cycle repair shop.
Some familiar brands.
Precious ornaments and clocks.
A movie house showing Charlie Chaplin. Diverted for a while there. I'd forgotten how funny those movies are, and how violent!
Time for tea. The food at this restaurant looked delicious but it was a bit early so we made do with scones. Pretty good too.
Sustained we headed out of the village and into the countryside. This was my favourite part. The sun came out and ambling down the country lanes was just delightful and peaceful.
A shepherds hut
This is Ireland of course, so an Orange Man's Meeting Hall.
And farm houses with farm animals.
Mama pig and babies.
I really loved this place. It's so well done and absolutely engrossing. We had spent so long in the Folk Museum part of it that we didn't even get to the Transport Museum but we had been walking for hours so it was time to put our feet up with a glass or two of wine.
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