Hello all! I actually meant to do this Friday or Saturday, but I'm so glad I didn't because now I have an especially good story to tell you all. So this weekend I actually didn't have any trips planned, but instead I got a special surprise adventure. I'll get to that, later, though.
First off, I want to tell you about my adventures last Sunday! I mentioned that my travel buddies and I had plans, and we did in fact, though our group expanded from our typical 4-6 to 9. We got together in the morning and traipsed over to the University train station and hopped on until it stopped in Castle Rock. Castle Rock isn't actually that far from Coleraine, though a bit too far to just stroll there.
Our goal was a lovely 1700s castle atop a hill and the widely known Mussenden temple just a short distance down the path. It was a really beautiful, sunny day in the early afternoon, though the ground we ended up having to trudge through when we got to our destination was ridiculously muddy, and my poor boots still bear the proof of that venture. However, when we made it there, after a 20 or so minute walk through a lovely little town, it was certainly worth it. We were actually able to walk around in the ruins of the castle. There's a grand hall right in the middle, sans roof, unfortunately, but it's so wide and open and you can just imagine banquets and balls and it made my heart happy. I have no shame admitting I started to waltz a little while passing through it.
The temple wasn't open, though we could take pictures around it. There's a stone fence on either side to keep visitors from tumbling over the cliff it sits on and down onto the stony beach below. I decided to lean on it and look over, and there, with the sun on my back and the wind playing with my hair, I was so incredibly... peaceful. It was just so nice, and so I unfortunately didn't get a chance to go much farther down the path before we had to book it back to the train station for the train to Derry~Londonderry (OH! P.S. I know why both names are used now! Fun facts with Amber will follow the regularly scheduled program.)
It was a wonderful, wonderful place and I'm really hoping that, since it's not too far away, we can go back soon. Like I said, though, we had to speed-walk (cuz their aint no way I was going to run that far) back to the station to catch the train. I was pretty proud of us, though- we made it with five minutes to spare! The train ride to Derry~Londonderry was gorgeous, too; or, at least, the first 20 minutes or so, because after that I was out. Train rides make me so sleepy. I've taken multiple naps on trains in the last few weeks. Anyway. So yeah, the ride was delightful. Here's a little snippet of it:
Derry itself was quite nice, too. Because we'd already been there and seen some of the main attractions, it wasn't the most thrilling trip we've had. We did get Asian food for lunch in the mall though, which was glorious; I love Asian food. We broke off into groups of three after lunch based on what we wanted to do. Me and the two ladies I was with decided to walk along the top of the beautiful old wall, reading the informative signs along the way, and stopping occasionally when something on the streets below intrigued us. We headed back to the mall, then, after failing to locate an open bakery, for pastries, because no outing would be complete without pastries. It really was an altogether lovely day.
We headed back, then, and I again napped after the train lulled me to sleep. The next few days I had classes, like normal, and on Wednesday after some an intense trip planning session, I bought a ticket for a flight to Edinburgh for over Easter break; pretty excited about that. As a result, though, I decided that I'd not plan any trips for this weekend to make up for the money I'd spent on the ticket. It was actually a really really nice weekend!
Thursday it was really too lovely outside for me to be able to justify lazing the day away in my room, and so I went on a walk. I only really intended it to be a short walk, but I ended up being out for almost two hours. In my travels, I actually had a fabulous little encounter with a stranger. I was passing this older gentleman who had a gray mustache, wore a plaid cabbie-hat, and walked with a cane, and when he saw me and caught my eye, he smiled, winked, and tipped his hat. I was grinning practically all the way back to my flat.
Friday I was surprisingly productive- I made a list early on in the day of things that I could or should be doing instead of wasting my time on various social media sites and Netflix, and so I actually followed the list and did a number of the items I'd written down. First of all it was too nice out to not go out at all, so I did find a nice perch behind my dorm, facing the river, to update my journal and read a little bit of a book I brought with me from home. Then I started working on things on the list; among them, I cleaned my room as well as the pile of dirty dishes in my flat's kitchen, I brainstormed a bucket list-I'd actually never had one before, but I thought it might be a good thing to have, I read everything for two out of my three classes, and made some delicious fried rice for dinner; and I still had time after that to watch the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland, since I'd never seen it before.
Saturday I actually did spend most of the day wasting time, though a good deal of my wasting time was spent on watching an anime I'm currently invested in, and I really had to make sure my favorite characters weren't going to die. Tears were shed and then it got happy and then it got frustrating again. Darn you, S. A.O. Anyway. That evening I did get out of my room, though, and spent some time with two of my friends trying a deliciously diabetic recipe for peanut butter cookies and watching silly youtube videos.
Now we come to today. Well, yesterday, now, since I've passed the 1AM mark here. Last night I had looked into churches in the area, since it was the first Sunday I'd been around since I arrived. I picked out three that were within walking distance, all with different start times; I'd determine which I attended based on how motivated I was to get up in the morning. As it turned out, I made it to town just in time for the 11 o'clock service at the Coleraine Baptist church. And I am so, so glad I did. I'm not even kidding when I say today was on big, glorious God-thing.
The service was nice, about the second chapter of Nehemiah, and it was really refreshing to get back to worshiping. I hadn't realized how much I missed it until I was happily singing "Days of Elijah." After the service, I was getting ready to go when a man by the door, a greeter I think, told me that there was coffee and biscuits if I wanted any. Which I did- I might have mentioned this before, but I don't have nearly as regular access to coffee as I'm used to or would like. So I went to get a cup, and as I was standing around sipping it and munching on a chocolate cookie, several people took it upon themselves to come and chat with the awkward girl standing by herself. They asked where I was from, what I was studying, if I'd ever been to the church before and they were sorry if they'd previously missed me. I said no, this was my first time, and they were so very welcoming. One woman, Miriam, was especially kind to me.
After a bit I decided my stomach was rumbly enough to motivate me to trek back to my flat, and excused myself. Even as I was leaving a man and his daughters made sure to introduce themselves and make me feel welcomed. When I got outside it was gorgeous and sunny, so I decided to walk around a bit before heading back to school. I found a sweet little park and took some pictures. I was wearing a super cute outfit, if I do say so myself, and so since it wasn't bone-chilling weather, I took off my coat and skipped around a bit until my stomach really did start to protest extensively. I got to the main road and crossed the street, then merrily dawdled my way towards home, when I suddenly heard someone calling me. I looked up, and a car had pulled up across the road and someone got out. Turns out Miriam had just been going to look for me, willing to head to the college in search of me, even, to ask me if I'd like to have lunch with her and her family.
I was so touched. It's certainly not a situation I'd been in before, and normally I wouldn't recommend getting into a car someone who is practically a stranger, but I wasn't at all worried. I smiled shyly and got in next to her two charming children and chatted with Miriam and her incredibly personable husband all the way to their house. They insisted I sit while they get the food ready, and we talked about history and some sights I should see while I'm in Northern Ireland. Lunch was delicious, and it was incredible to have a real, balanced, home-cooked meal with a family. We talked about school and reading and traveling, and it was so, so nice. After lunch Steven- Miriam's husband- made me coffee and we had a thoroughly delicious cake and little yummy chocolate biscuits for dessert.
Then, because it really was nice out, they asked if I'd like to go on a walk down at the beach in Castle Rock. I, of course, said yes, and off we went. It was such a pleasant time, and watching the family was really heartwarming. Miriam and Steven held hands as we walked along the beach, Adam and Emily kicked a soccer- sorry "football"- around and climbed the dunes, then we all walked along the water and headed back. I even picked up a few shells along the way. Then they drove me home and gave me their number, telling me to call them if I ever needed anything.These people didn't know me but they invited me over, fed me, let me spend time with their family, and it didn't even feel awkward; it felt comfortable, and so outstandingly blessed.
GAH! Like... who does that? When does that really happen outside of Hallmark films? Then, the day wasn't even quite over, because for dinner and in preparation for a friend's birthday, I got to try out two new recipes- banana pancakes and Nutella pie(really more like brownies)- and they turned out really really well! This has just been the most wonderful day, and the best part of it is that none of it was planned! It just happened! I almost didn't go at all this morning because I was feeling exceptionally lazy, and then I only on a whim decided to spend some time in town and in the little park before heading back, just in time for them to drive past right at that moment to find me. How beautiful is that? I feel so loved and cared for, by the church I visited, by the kind family that adopted me for the day, and by my Father in heaven. I can't even find a way to express how very blessed I feel.
So, that was my week. I did't think it was going to be terribly exciting and then it was absolutely spectacular. It's funny how that happens. : )
Well, that's all I have for now. I expect I'll have more adventures to share with you soon. Talk to you later! Bye!! <3
OH! Right! Fun Facts with Amber.
Okay, so Derry~Londonderry is near the border of in the county of Londonderry (duh) which borders with Donegal, which is part of the Republic of Ireland. Now, Northern Ireland is legally part of Great Britain, while the south is it's own country. Long story short, that division of the country was obviously a kind of tense situation- and by tense I mean, like, really, really bad- and Derry~Londonderry was smack dab in the middle of it. Derry is what the town has historically been called. Londonderry references, well London, which is obviously under British Rule, since, hey, England! So nationalists (pro-united Ireland) I assume would typically prefer it be called Derry, but federalists ("we are part of Britain and there ain't nothin you can do about") would, I assume, prefer Londonderry, since it insists the monarchy be remembered. So that's the reason for both names being used; it's not just for the sake of being redundant.
And this has been Fun Facts with Amber. Tune in next week to hear more random Irish trivia(maybe)!!
Kay, for real this time, I gotta go. Talk to you soon. : )
First off, I want to tell you about my adventures last Sunday! I mentioned that my travel buddies and I had plans, and we did in fact, though our group expanded from our typical 4-6 to 9. We got together in the morning and traipsed over to the University train station and hopped on until it stopped in Castle Rock. Castle Rock isn't actually that far from Coleraine, though a bit too far to just stroll there.
Our goal was a lovely 1700s castle atop a hill and the widely known Mussenden temple just a short distance down the path. It was a really beautiful, sunny day in the early afternoon, though the ground we ended up having to trudge through when we got to our destination was ridiculously muddy, and my poor boots still bear the proof of that venture. However, when we made it there, after a 20 or so minute walk through a lovely little town, it was certainly worth it. We were actually able to walk around in the ruins of the castle. There's a grand hall right in the middle, sans roof, unfortunately, but it's so wide and open and you can just imagine banquets and balls and it made my heart happy. I have no shame admitting I started to waltz a little while passing through it.
The temple wasn't open, though we could take pictures around it. There's a stone fence on either side to keep visitors from tumbling over the cliff it sits on and down onto the stony beach below. I decided to lean on it and look over, and there, with the sun on my back and the wind playing with my hair, I was so incredibly... peaceful. It was just so nice, and so I unfortunately didn't get a chance to go much farther down the path before we had to book it back to the train station for the train to Derry~Londonderry (OH! P.S. I know why both names are used now! Fun facts with Amber will follow the regularly scheduled program.)
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| Welcome. |
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| Enter through this gorgeous gate. Please enjoy your stay here at Epic and Beautiful. |
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| The Grand Hall <3 |
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| I can understand why someone would want to build a castle here. I totally dig it. |
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| I'M SORRY DOES THIS OR DOES THIS NOT LOOK LIKE IT COMES STRAIGHT OUT OF A FAIRY TALE/ ADVENTURE STORY. COME ON, IRELAND. YOU ARE KILLING ME. |
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| This is the Mussenden Temple. I guess I haven't been inside, but I personally found the castle more intriguing. This was still nice, though. |
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| GUUUUUUYYYYSSSS. THIS COUNTRY. I CAN'T EVEN- |
It was a wonderful, wonderful place and I'm really hoping that, since it's not too far away, we can go back soon. Like I said, though, we had to speed-walk (cuz their aint no way I was going to run that far) back to the station to catch the train. I was pretty proud of us, though- we made it with five minutes to spare! The train ride to Derry~Londonderry was gorgeous, too; or, at least, the first 20 minutes or so, because after that I was out. Train rides make me so sleepy. I've taken multiple naps on trains in the last few weeks. Anyway. So yeah, the ride was delightful. Here's a little snippet of it:
Derry itself was quite nice, too. Because we'd already been there and seen some of the main attractions, it wasn't the most thrilling trip we've had. We did get Asian food for lunch in the mall though, which was glorious; I love Asian food. We broke off into groups of three after lunch based on what we wanted to do. Me and the two ladies I was with decided to walk along the top of the beautiful old wall, reading the informative signs along the way, and stopping occasionally when something on the streets below intrigued us. We headed back to the mall, then, after failing to locate an open bakery, for pastries, because no outing would be complete without pastries. It really was an altogether lovely day.
We headed back, then, and I again napped after the train lulled me to sleep. The next few days I had classes, like normal, and on Wednesday after some an intense trip planning session, I bought a ticket for a flight to Edinburgh for over Easter break; pretty excited about that. As a result, though, I decided that I'd not plan any trips for this weekend to make up for the money I'd spent on the ticket. It was actually a really really nice weekend!
Thursday it was really too lovely outside for me to be able to justify lazing the day away in my room, and so I went on a walk. I only really intended it to be a short walk, but I ended up being out for almost two hours. In my travels, I actually had a fabulous little encounter with a stranger. I was passing this older gentleman who had a gray mustache, wore a plaid cabbie-hat, and walked with a cane, and when he saw me and caught my eye, he smiled, winked, and tipped his hat. I was grinning practically all the way back to my flat.
Friday I was surprisingly productive- I made a list early on in the day of things that I could or should be doing instead of wasting my time on various social media sites and Netflix, and so I actually followed the list and did a number of the items I'd written down. First of all it was too nice out to not go out at all, so I did find a nice perch behind my dorm, facing the river, to update my journal and read a little bit of a book I brought with me from home. Then I started working on things on the list; among them, I cleaned my room as well as the pile of dirty dishes in my flat's kitchen, I brainstormed a bucket list-I'd actually never had one before, but I thought it might be a good thing to have, I read everything for two out of my three classes, and made some delicious fried rice for dinner; and I still had time after that to watch the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland, since I'd never seen it before.
Saturday I actually did spend most of the day wasting time, though a good deal of my wasting time was spent on watching an anime I'm currently invested in, and I really had to make sure my favorite characters weren't going to die. Tears were shed and then it got happy and then it got frustrating again. Darn you, S. A.O. Anyway. That evening I did get out of my room, though, and spent some time with two of my friends trying a deliciously diabetic recipe for peanut butter cookies and watching silly youtube videos.
Now we come to today. Well, yesterday, now, since I've passed the 1AM mark here. Last night I had looked into churches in the area, since it was the first Sunday I'd been around since I arrived. I picked out three that were within walking distance, all with different start times; I'd determine which I attended based on how motivated I was to get up in the morning. As it turned out, I made it to town just in time for the 11 o'clock service at the Coleraine Baptist church. And I am so, so glad I did. I'm not even kidding when I say today was on big, glorious God-thing.
The service was nice, about the second chapter of Nehemiah, and it was really refreshing to get back to worshiping. I hadn't realized how much I missed it until I was happily singing "Days of Elijah." After the service, I was getting ready to go when a man by the door, a greeter I think, told me that there was coffee and biscuits if I wanted any. Which I did- I might have mentioned this before, but I don't have nearly as regular access to coffee as I'm used to or would like. So I went to get a cup, and as I was standing around sipping it and munching on a chocolate cookie, several people took it upon themselves to come and chat with the awkward girl standing by herself. They asked where I was from, what I was studying, if I'd ever been to the church before and they were sorry if they'd previously missed me. I said no, this was my first time, and they were so very welcoming. One woman, Miriam, was especially kind to me.
After a bit I decided my stomach was rumbly enough to motivate me to trek back to my flat, and excused myself. Even as I was leaving a man and his daughters made sure to introduce themselves and make me feel welcomed. When I got outside it was gorgeous and sunny, so I decided to walk around a bit before heading back to school. I found a sweet little park and took some pictures. I was wearing a super cute outfit, if I do say so myself, and so since it wasn't bone-chilling weather, I took off my coat and skipped around a bit until my stomach really did start to protest extensively. I got to the main road and crossed the street, then merrily dawdled my way towards home, when I suddenly heard someone calling me. I looked up, and a car had pulled up across the road and someone got out. Turns out Miriam had just been going to look for me, willing to head to the college in search of me, even, to ask me if I'd like to have lunch with her and her family.
I was so touched. It's certainly not a situation I'd been in before, and normally I wouldn't recommend getting into a car someone who is practically a stranger, but I wasn't at all worried. I smiled shyly and got in next to her two charming children and chatted with Miriam and her incredibly personable husband all the way to their house. They insisted I sit while they get the food ready, and we talked about history and some sights I should see while I'm in Northern Ireland. Lunch was delicious, and it was incredible to have a real, balanced, home-cooked meal with a family. We talked about school and reading and traveling, and it was so, so nice. After lunch Steven- Miriam's husband- made me coffee and we had a thoroughly delicious cake and little yummy chocolate biscuits for dessert.
Then, because it really was nice out, they asked if I'd like to go on a walk down at the beach in Castle Rock. I, of course, said yes, and off we went. It was such a pleasant time, and watching the family was really heartwarming. Miriam and Steven held hands as we walked along the beach, Adam and Emily kicked a soccer- sorry "football"- around and climbed the dunes, then we all walked along the water and headed back. I even picked up a few shells along the way. Then they drove me home and gave me their number, telling me to call them if I ever needed anything.These people didn't know me but they invited me over, fed me, let me spend time with their family, and it didn't even feel awkward; it felt comfortable, and so outstandingly blessed.
 |
| And seriously, what a gorgeous day! |
GAH! Like... who does that? When does that really happen outside of Hallmark films? Then, the day wasn't even quite over, because for dinner and in preparation for a friend's birthday, I got to try out two new recipes- banana pancakes and Nutella pie(really more like brownies)- and they turned out really really well! This has just been the most wonderful day, and the best part of it is that none of it was planned! It just happened! I almost didn't go at all this morning because I was feeling exceptionally lazy, and then I only on a whim decided to spend some time in town and in the little park before heading back, just in time for them to drive past right at that moment to find me. How beautiful is that? I feel so loved and cared for, by the church I visited, by the kind family that adopted me for the day, and by my Father in heaven. I can't even find a way to express how very blessed I feel.
So, that was my week. I did't think it was going to be terribly exciting and then it was absolutely spectacular. It's funny how that happens. : )
Well, that's all I have for now. I expect I'll have more adventures to share with you soon. Talk to you later! Bye!! <3
OH! Right! Fun Facts with Amber.
Okay, so Derry~Londonderry is near the border of in the county of Londonderry (duh) which borders with Donegal, which is part of the Republic of Ireland. Now, Northern Ireland is legally part of Great Britain, while the south is it's own country. Long story short, that division of the country was obviously a kind of tense situation- and by tense I mean, like, really, really bad- and Derry~Londonderry was smack dab in the middle of it. Derry is what the town has historically been called. Londonderry references, well London, which is obviously under British Rule, since, hey, England! So nationalists (pro-united Ireland) I assume would typically prefer it be called Derry, but federalists ("we are part of Britain and there ain't nothin you can do about") would, I assume, prefer Londonderry, since it insists the monarchy be remembered. So that's the reason for both names being used; it's not just for the sake of being redundant.
And this has been Fun Facts with Amber. Tune in next week to hear more random Irish trivia(maybe)!!
Kay, for real this time, I gotta go. Talk to you soon. : )
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