We arrived in Greencastle quite early in the morning and we are planning to leave the ship around 0900 and walk a short distance to connect with the Greencastle to Magilligan car and passenger ferry where we are due to meet our ex Weybridge neighbours and spend the day with them.
So off the ship we went and within five minutes we were at the ferry terminal. actually a concrete ramp in to the sea and a small hut with seats and a loo. After waiting about twenty minutes the ferry turned up and we were about to board and they crew advised us that there was security alert on the other side and the ferry was suspended. Then I realised that I only the home and mobile numbers from our neighbours at their last house in Ireland, so I sent an email. Shortly afterwards they called and we discussed that as the ferry was likely to be superseded until after 1200 that they would drive round the inlet and meet us in about 90 minutes and so we then went of to find a coffee.
We were just about to enter the café when they phoned again to say that the alarm was over and so we rushed back to the terminal by which time all the cars that had been waiting had cleared off and changed their plans we suspect and so we were the only passenger on the ferry. Its a ten minute ride with the ferry held together with rust and paint , no Loo’s and wooden ribbed seating and a lovely strong smell of diesel. We arrived safely the other side and met with our friends who live about 20 minutes away in a place called Castlerock where they had designed and built a brand new fully eco house on the plot of a house which was falling down.Following a brief tour of the town which has a lovely long beach we headed to their home.
Upon arrival we had a tour of the new house and its really great with lots of space and light and very eco what with solar panels, heat pumps etc. After a cup of tea and a long chat and also talked about the chance meeting with on a Silver Sea cruise from Alaska to Japan some years ago and then we left by car to return to the ferry as we had planned lunch at a fish restaurant called Keeley's in Greencastle and so over on the ferry we went again and this time it was quite full with cars and lots of motorcycles as there was a event for bikes taking place called the Northwest 200 and there are hundreds of bikers all over the route we were on.
After lunch our friends returned to the ferry and we re-joined the ship and went back to the cabin for a rest and then a shower before dinner. Neither of us were really hungry and so with a light bite in the main restaurant and then returned to the cabin for another proper early night. No disco tonight folks.
