Norway In Monochrome

Mid term came around and we set off on our first roadtrip in our new car  - a quick post-Easter trip to the northern reaches of Donegal. After a crazy GPS guided trip through the backwoods of Cavan and Fermanagh we reached our destination and stayed in a nice modern hostel at the base of Mount Errigal. 

View From Errigal Hostel

The plan was to base ourselves as close as possible to the Glenveagh National Park and it most definitely wasn't family camping weather, so the hostel ticked all the boxes.

Errigal Hostel

 The wet in Donegal is a special kind of wet and it rained for our entire trip and snowed for some of it. In Donegal, the wet gets in. We caught glimpses of the snow-covered peaks around us but spent most of the time driving the coastline or cooking/eating back at the hostel. Despite the weather, we'll definitely be back. 

The scenery is spectacular when the cloud breaks and some of the beaches were in the most picturesque settings I've seen anywhere. 

Mount Errigal in Winter. 

The shoulder to shoulder contours of its snow-covered summit left for the imagination to join the dots on as it had been dunked upside down in a bucket of cloud. 

One day we'll come back to see Errigal's outline against a bright, brilliant blue sky. We may even tackle the climb. All things are possible with some determination and a favourable wind.  

Donegal = Norway In Monochrome

 

Very Chilly Near Lough Swilly

 I made an announcement on a big decision I'd made recently to the girls in this café in Letterkenny. It was received warmly with a kiss and a big hug of support. We regularly underestimate the maturity of our children's outlook on life and I'm definitely guilty of overthinking when trying to predict their reactions. I think we may be reaching a tipping point where our children have learned enough (or perhaps they're still sufficiently unlearned and unencumbered by society's hand-me-downs) to start teaching the adults a thing or two.

Glenveagh National Park Visitors Centre

Exploring The Grounds Of Glenveagh Castle

The Entrance Hallway Of Glenveagh Castle

The Entrance Hallway Of Glenveagh Castle

The Machine Is Telling Us Something

A Brief Break In The Weather

We made our way home via Sligo, knocking in to that old drapery store we normally visit when in the town in the hope of scoring some unicorn / faery livery for the ladies, but no joy. We had a magnificent supper in the Sweet Beat Café (highly recommended) in the town and then made our leisurely way home.