Jaws
LIFE MEMBER
- Sep 26, 2008
- 23,836
- 72,479
- Funster No
- 4,189
- MH
- C class, Chieftain
- Exp
- since 2006 ( I think ! )
I will start at the beginning .. Often a good place to begin !
In the last several years we have taken the van to over 20 countries, but never Ireland, mainly due to the ferry costs.
This year we decided to bite the bullet and go.. Apart from anything else it would give us the chance to stay with one of the Coven ( one of Maureens sisters ) for a couple of day so they could catch up a bit.
So doing all the maths we ended up going all the way up to Cairnryan to get the P & O ferry from there.
Taking in to account the distance and the diesel costs there was not a whole lot in it to be honest but £40 saved is better than nowt !
We landed at Larne docks and the moment we got off the boat it started to rain..
From Larne we went straight to Dungannon where said sister lives, skipping the pleasures of Belfast for the time being.
Found here house and plotted up on the drive.. Spent two days there,,,just long enough for me to smash my bloody fone when it came out of my jacket pocket !!
A quick trip in to the town and a replacement was sourced at a fairly good price ( Note 4, 64 gig £220 )
So from Dungannon we went south west a little and in to southern Ireland proper.
A quick check and we came up with what was supposed to be a cheapo site so we could top up water, empty loo and get on hook up for a few hours to top up the batteries.. We had been in Ireland for 3 days and still had not seen any sun, or indeed any period longer than an hour without rain.
The camp site was at Gyles Quay.. Risking another soaking I parked up the van and walked to the reception..
After about 10 minutes a chap stopped talking to a friend and asked what I wanted..
Have you a place for one night ?
Yes, 14 € if you do not mind parking on the road in the site..
Not a problem !
Went back to the van and got some Euros.. Back to reception again and the chap had been joined by a lady..
I proffered the lolly and she looked at it, looked at the bloke and said something to him..
She turned back to me and said it was 35 € a night !!!!!!!!
In the words of the old style Sunday papers reporters.. It was at this time we left.
BUT ! It was not all bad news.
We followed the road past the site and along the sea front ( rather desolate to be honest ) for less than 1/2 a mile and found a massive car park there.. Complete with toilets, water and a great view out to sea.
The car also had a height barrier in place .. DOH !
But.... as I looked down the side of the loo block there was a second entrance in to a bit bit of land.. It had obviously been used by lorries for yonks ( BIG tyre tracks ), so we pulled on to that area and plotted up for the night ..
The rain no longer kept us awake. The wind did that instead
The following morning it had stopped raining !
It was now blowing a hooly and the sky was darker than a witches cauldron ...
We moved on from there and made our way to Dublin..
Next installment to follow
In the last several years we have taken the van to over 20 countries, but never Ireland, mainly due to the ferry costs.
This year we decided to bite the bullet and go.. Apart from anything else it would give us the chance to stay with one of the Coven ( one of Maureens sisters ) for a couple of day so they could catch up a bit.
So doing all the maths we ended up going all the way up to Cairnryan to get the P & O ferry from there.
Taking in to account the distance and the diesel costs there was not a whole lot in it to be honest but £40 saved is better than nowt !
We landed at Larne docks and the moment we got off the boat it started to rain..
From Larne we went straight to Dungannon where said sister lives, skipping the pleasures of Belfast for the time being.
Found here house and plotted up on the drive.. Spent two days there,,,just long enough for me to smash my bloody fone when it came out of my jacket pocket !!
A quick trip in to the town and a replacement was sourced at a fairly good price ( Note 4, 64 gig £220 )
So from Dungannon we went south west a little and in to southern Ireland proper.
A quick check and we came up with what was supposed to be a cheapo site so we could top up water, empty loo and get on hook up for a few hours to top up the batteries.. We had been in Ireland for 3 days and still had not seen any sun, or indeed any period longer than an hour without rain.
The camp site was at Gyles Quay.. Risking another soaking I parked up the van and walked to the reception..
After about 10 minutes a chap stopped talking to a friend and asked what I wanted..
Have you a place for one night ?
Yes, 14 € if you do not mind parking on the road in the site..
Not a problem !
Went back to the van and got some Euros.. Back to reception again and the chap had been joined by a lady..
I proffered the lolly and she looked at it, looked at the bloke and said something to him..
She turned back to me and said it was 35 € a night !!!!!!!!
In the words of the old style Sunday papers reporters.. It was at this time we left.
BUT ! It was not all bad news.
We followed the road past the site and along the sea front ( rather desolate to be honest ) for less than 1/2 a mile and found a massive car park there.. Complete with toilets, water and a great view out to sea.
The car also had a height barrier in place .. DOH !
But.... as I looked down the side of the loo block there was a second entrance in to a bit bit of land.. It had obviously been used by lorries for yonks ( BIG tyre tracks ), so we pulled on to that area and plotted up for the night ..
The rain no longer kept us awake. The wind did that instead
The following morning it had stopped raining !
It was now blowing a hooly and the sky was darker than a witches cauldron ...
We moved on from there and made our way to Dublin..
Next installment to follow