Hitting the links

A quick round-up of our time since Tenerife. We don't do much Mon-Thurs when I'm working. The weekend after we returned, we had a visit to Newtownards on the Friday, lunch at the very traditional Knott's Bakery and a look around the very traditional Warden's department store. Saturday had ups and downs. Lunch at my favourite bakery then a stroll around Botanic Gardens and the Palm House--glorious to see tropical flowers in the middle of winter. Then Paragon Fabrics, opened in 1930 and packed to the rafters with every gew gaw a sewer could ever ask for. Then an antique shop packed to the rafters with with Staffordshire statues. Then to a film at Queen's Theatre that was advertised as being mesmerising and offering stunning cinematography. It was called EO and was about a donkey travelling across Europe. Mom hated it. Worst film she's ever seen. She also said that at Shape of Water, another film that was challenging and award winning. On to Sunday, when we had tea at Thea's on the good china. Thea lives in the same house as her mother and grandmother. She says she has to bring out the good china to appease her forebears.

On to the weekend just past. Friday we visited some charity shops on Cregagh Road and Two Sisters cafe, where we got presents for Peggy. Then we went to Lisburn Road, where all the pricey shops are, and visited an interior decorator's shop and had lunch at the Yellow Door cafe.

Saturday we were meant to go to Derry to see the O'Dwyers, however they have Covid so instead I decided today was the day to hit the links. Links golf courses allow buggies, unlike parkland courses, like my course.

We had a gorgeous drive down the coast of the Ards Peninsula, lots of lovely secret little beaches and cute coastal towns. When we arrived at Kirkiston Golf Club we found it was a bit breezier and cooler than at my house so we lasted only five holes, but it was good craic.

We made a detour to see Grey Abbey:

"It was founded in 1193 by Affreca, wife of John de Courcy, the Anglo-Norman invader of East Ulster. Poor and decayed in the late Middle Ages, the abbey was dissolved in 1541 but in the early 17th century was granted to Sir Hugh Montgomery and the nave was refurbished for parish worship until the late 18th century."

Then on to Harrisons for dinner, where we enjoyed a beautiful view of Strangford Lough, the other side of Ards Peninsula from the Irish sea. The food was good too.

I'll leave Sunday for the next post.

25 Feb.