When we spent the weekend in Belfast last September, I'd been impressed how it had brought the scene more into the heart of the church. I'd experienced something similar when living in Leeds. Through the visits of other saints, we gradually progressed from being a quirky Northern outpost where some odd members lived, to full part-of-the-church status. So I'd made the intention to return to Northern Ireland and in a small way ferment this process. Ray and I found a free weekend in the diary. On the last day of 2012, we booked flights for a Thursday to Monday visit.
Our journey over was a pleasant challenge. I was in Daventry, so caught a train from Long Buckby to Birmingham International. Meanwhile, Mary travelled down by train from Sheffield. The flight was on time, and we jumped on the 300 bus for Belfast centre. Hmmm; they don't accept English bus passes in the Province. Ray and Ruth picked us up. Our Safe Haven community house lies off the Lisburn Road, near the university. Alan and Andrea were staying over, too. We arrived just as visitors to the Thursday friendship evening meal were evaporating.
Next morning, Ray chased us round to leave "for a day out" by 10am. The forecast had predicted milder weather on Friday, getting colder by Sunday. I'd stuffed my case with extra clothes. But, it turned out, but not quite enough to counter the biting weekend wind. We headed for Portrush, on the edge of the Antrim coastline. First stop was White Rock Bay, where we stomped along the beach for an hour or so. Ray, Alan and I explored a damp cave formed by a crack in the limestone cliff.
"You'll like Dunluce Castle," Ray smiled. "It's claimed to be the inspiration for C S Lewis's Cair Paravel". It certainly fits the bill, though on a more modest scale than the fabled Narnian palace. Nowadays you access the headland by a convenient bridge. Then on to Portballintrae, where we piled out of the minibus for a welcome picnic lunch. We huddled behind the dark stone wall erected for such convenience. The bay's grey water was flecked by squalls from the persistent easterly wind.
We branched off the coastal road to head for the famous Causeway. Ray explained, "We'll drop you off at the car park. Ruth and I have been enough times." The new National Trust visitor centre is subtly inconspicuous. However, there's a team of red-jacketed staff who mingle with sightseers around the extensive rocky outcrops. Mary ended up with a free golfing umbrella for answering a questionnaire! I was grateful to have a brisk walk before scrambling over the extraordinary basalt pavements and columns. Mary was taken up with the small birds picking food from the piles of kelp blown up the the shore. Despite the chill, I'm really glad we went. Touristy photos don't do justice to the overall scale. It's a World Heritage site that I can add to the others I've stumbled upon - Meteora Monastries, Boudhanath Stupa, Victoria Falls, Liverpool (Maritime and Mercantile City). I notice that Singapore Botanical Gardens are tipped for inclusion, too. Not that I'm a snooty jet-setter, you'll understand.
The final call was at Ballintoy, a small bay with a chocolate-box harbour. The geology is fascinating, with red limestone breaking through the white, and contrasting with the grey-black basalt. Alan drove the return leg along the A2 coast road. Back home, we enjoyed a leisurely dinner, and a couple of local members called in for an hour's fellowship.
We also made an unwelcome discovery. On Thursday, Ruth had spotted a water leak at the fount of the house. During the day the Water Board had fixed it and patched up the footpath. Unfortunately, the water pressure drop had upset the Atmos boiler. The heating and hot water thereafter hovered between temperamental and useless.
By Saturday morning, my In-box was overflowing, and I had some notes to compile for the Jesus Centres' Development Group due to meet on Tuesday. After lunch, four of us agreed to take a walk into town, while Alan and Andrew went off visiting. We started in the Botanical Gardens, where the Spring bulb display was in full bloom. Then we went up to the viewing gallery perched on top of the Victoria Square Shopping Centre. However, the weather was murky and we could see little more than a few local landmarks.
Back home we settled down for the evening meeting, in the glow of the gas fire, our only reliable heating. Ray set up a projector, and we watched Father of Lights. This led to some stimulating conversations. Patrick, who seemed to have visited every corner of the world, was impressed by the Todd White's down-to-earth approach. Meanwhile, I realised I had no idea what the folks back in Sheffield were doing. As we'd effectively skipped tea, we really enjoyed supper. "I wonder if we'll see snow on the Divis mountains again tomorrow morning?", Mary mused, as we huddled around the radiator we'd found to take the chill from our bedroom.
Our journey over was a pleasant challenge. I was in Daventry, so caught a train from Long Buckby to Birmingham International. Meanwhile, Mary travelled down by train from Sheffield. The flight was on time, and we jumped on the 300 bus for Belfast centre. Hmmm; they don't accept English bus passes in the Province. Ray and Ruth picked us up. Our Safe Haven community house lies off the Lisburn Road, near the university. Alan and Andrea were staying over, too. We arrived just as visitors to the Thursday friendship evening meal were evaporating.
Next morning, Ray chased us round to leave "for a day out" by 10am. The forecast had predicted milder weather on Friday, getting colder by Sunday. I'd stuffed my case with extra clothes. But, it turned out, but not quite enough to counter the biting weekend wind. We headed for Portrush, on the edge of the Antrim coastline. First stop was White Rock Bay, where we stomped along the beach for an hour or so. Ray, Alan and I explored a damp cave formed by a crack in the limestone cliff. "You'll like Dunluce Castle," Ray smiled. "It's claimed to be the inspiration for C S Lewis's Cair Paravel". It certainly fits the bill, though on a more modest scale than the fabled Narnian palace. Nowadays you access the headland by a convenient bridge. Then on to Portballintrae, where we piled out of the minibus for a welcome picnic lunch. We huddled behind the dark stone wall erected for such convenience. The bay's grey water was flecked by squalls from the persistent easterly wind.
We branched off the coastal road to head for the famous Causeway. Ray explained, "We'll drop you off at the car park. Ruth and I have been enough times." The new National Trust visitor centre is subtly inconspicuous. However, there's a team of red-jacketed staff who mingle with sightseers around the extensive rocky outcrops. Mary ended up with a free golfing umbrella for answering a questionnaire! I was grateful to have a brisk walk before scrambling over the extraordinary basalt pavements and columns. Mary was taken up with the small birds picking food from the piles of kelp blown up the the shore. Despite the chill, I'm really glad we went. Touristy photos don't do justice to the overall scale. It's a World Heritage site that I can add to the others I've stumbled upon - Meteora Monastries, Boudhanath Stupa, Victoria Falls, Liverpool (Maritime and Mercantile City). I notice that Singapore Botanical Gardens are tipped for inclusion, too. Not that I'm a snooty jet-setter, you'll understand.
We also made an unwelcome discovery. On Thursday, Ruth had spotted a water leak at the fount of the house. During the day the Water Board had fixed it and patched up the footpath. Unfortunately, the water pressure drop had upset the Atmos boiler. The heating and hot water thereafter hovered between temperamental and useless.
By Saturday morning, my In-box was overflowing, and I had some notes to compile for the Jesus Centres' Development Group due to meet on Tuesday. After lunch, four of us agreed to take a walk into town, while Alan and Andrew went off visiting. We started in the Botanical Gardens, where the Spring bulb display was in full bloom. Then we went up to the viewing gallery perched on top of the Victoria Square Shopping Centre. However, the weather was murky and we could see little more than a few local landmarks.
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