The Beautiful North

From Fairhead to Dunseverick

The boys are climbing walls

It is like being in a film set - Oisin

It is so beautiful - Ghin

It is like being in Ark... both my sons

So awesome

Wild and free

Just look out over there mom

This Easter Sunday we spent the day roaming the North Coast. I have never really roamed the North Coast. When I am there it is usually for a reason. Like visit Giant's Causeway, which hasn't happened now for about fifteen years, true. But usually it is because I am heading to Rathlin. I think I once went there to see a farmer, and another time it was because I was on a retreat as part of the teacher's training course. Then once i went to White Park Bay which was awful cos there were about five million people on it. But this time, I was just about to say, hey what say we just try this to the boys...

My sons have also never really seen the North Coast. Mostly they have tagged along with me. They have both visited Rathlin more times than they could remember and they have also done the touristy sites, but again, never really seen the place in a relaxed way. So there are many things which I was astounded by when I had the chance to see the place properly - and by properly I mean over one and a half days.

1. People are really friendly. Of course they are when compared to Belfast people, who are SUPER friendly anyways.

2. The place is OLD. When I was walking to Fairhead with the boys, I was struck by how, for the very first time, I realised how OLD the Irish landscape was. I had never really done that before. The geology of the place is off the scale amazing.

3. It is tremendously beautiful because of the natural geological formations and then all the 16th century ruins. Kinbane and Dunseverick in particular were just exquisite - and the number of geological features were eyepopping. I never saw that till this weekend.

4. Wildness must be kept in a place or else it loses the patina of age. My sons for instance found it impossible to pay any money to go into Dunluce which was manicured grass and you weren't allowed to touch the stones. This place is horrible was their verdict. Thank god we went to those other places first, said one. You mean you can't even TOUCH the stones, said another in disgust. What is the point of history if you can't reach out and touch the bits that can be touched? When you cannot allow your imagination, your fingers, to seep into the nooks and crannies carved out by time?

5. Commercialisation has made an ass out of attractions - we tried to go to Carrick-a-rede and we said nope cos of the overmanagment. This is a curse now of beautiful places - it was the same with Rome and Barcelona and Seville. Just too many people. Too much health and safety. The goose that laid the egg was well and truly gutted.

6. There are gems of food and well made local ale, and homemade icecream, and gorgeous art all over the place. It is just wonderful that some money has made it possible for these wonderful things to be supported - that is the upside of tourism.

7. My sons have an eye for beauty and being outdoors. They love exploring and taking risks in a sweet, non obnoxious way. They have inquiring minds. They are able to hold intelligent conversations which are funny. They are full of confidence and humour. I look at them I know I have done good. We have.

Who knows what the future holds for them, but for one shining day in April, we were happy, we were free, we were together, and anything was possible. Oisin said, when we went to the Smugglers' Inn, this has been the best day ever.

My blogging was interrupted by a sudden FB messaging flurry from old friends in Singapore. Well, I suppose we are now moderately old. But they began messaging me at the same time. We caught up about different things and now they have gone off to cook, weirdly enough. I am going to do the same thing too.

It is very VERY wet today. You just know it is not going to brighten up at all. The rain is also pretty heavy. Well, now all that remains for me to do, is to decide what I AM going to do for the rest of the holidays. It has taken me a little longer to get fully rested, not sure why. I was also hoping to head up to Skelling Michael, but the weather isn't great - though that is the least of my problems - it is the TIME now that is running out. Perhaps I could leave tomorrow if I clean the house today. Yes, that will be my incentive. Get my routine going again today and leave tomorrow.

Just something about how I have always brought up the boys - to face life completely and utterly. To have no fear about testing boundaries. I have never told them to never do anything so that when I say, that is dangerous, they take me seriously. I have always held open possibilities for them. Yesterday as we were coming home in the car, there was a radio piece about how circus is very fashionable these days. The boys have of course done circus since they were four. To me circus was not about being fashionable, it was about doing something exciting, being an outlier, it was about learning something which you could do for nothing. About being in communities which accepted you for who you were - and is partly why I also signed them up to a Steiner school.

Life is hard enough when you are an adult, are you going to make it tough for kids as well? Nope. Never.

So when I see them climbing walls of ruins, unafraid to head up cliffs, taking good risks, I know there is something good. I occasionally forget to celebrate myself as a mother... this was one of the days.