"Northern-Ireland" a Northern Ireland Travel Page by dassi

I first came to N-Ireland ca. 23
years ago. I had been sailing on a cargo ship and I had this walkie talkie on board. I got in touch with a girl from N-Ireland when sailing up the Irish sea and we started later to write together. I then got of the boat to live in Denmark and after working there some time I went on a holiday to N-Ireland for 8 or 9 days. This girl lives in a lovely place named Ballycastle . She picked me up at the airport and we drove to Ballycastle where I did put up my tent and that night we met in one of the pubs in town. To come in to a pub in N-Ireland as a total stranger is just great thing. Exspecially when you come in with someone local. When they heard where I was from I was not aloud to buy me or anyone else a drink and that was it. I was for my whole stay a regular in that pub and made some good friends with the owner and his family. I was the first coustumer every day for the rest of my stay there. When I came
in at noon there was 1 bottle of carlsberg beer being put in the freezer for about half an hour specially for me and a shot of the great Bushmill whiskey was wating on the desk.While staying there the girl drove me to see some new sites every day .The Giants Causeway was great , we went to Belfast ,London Derry and all over the place . I think N-Ireland is a great place .
And when I was in Ireland in 2oo1 I wanted to go there again so I took the train from Dublin and headed to the north. I had to take a bus on the last part and when I came to Ballycastle the bus stoped right outside the hostel
It was a realy nice hostel and I felt at home right away. I then headed to town to find my friend from earlier. My trouble was that (typical me) I had forgotten her name !! I started to try to find the good pub where I had been a regular when I first came to Ballycastle . I did not have much luck there ,new owners and all. The seccond pub was the same had a pint and a little chat but no luck finding out about my friend.
But when I came to the third pub I got lucky at last..I started as in the other pubs to ask around and then one of the guys asked me where I was from and what my name was .I told him that and he said I know all about this. We started talking and he told me we had worked together one day at a farm near by owned by my friends friend helping with the hay. I rememberd doing that but still could not remember him that is just me again with bad memory. He than called my friend and I got to talk to her and what a surprice it was for her. We than spoke about meeting the next day since it was late and I said bye but my man in the pub had a little chat with here and then came back to the bar and I bought him a pint and we had a nice chat .Then in a little while a couple came in to the pub and my man said to me that I should go and talk to this girl. I said no but he then called that girl over to say hi . We started talking but then he said don't you know her ? I said no but started thinking tho and they could not keep it from me any more . There she was my old friend. She had changed a lot since back then so it was not strange that I did not know here again. They sure got me by surprice and the man that came in with here was her husband. I was now a very happy man to meet her again and this made a big laugh at the pub.We had a great evening talking about old and new times. Next evening they invited me to dinner in ther house and it was realy great . I must say that when leaving I was sad. I had found my friend again after so many years,at least 20 and made some new ones and I will for sure be back one day.
Don't miss out on Ballycastle when traveling in N-Ireland.