Donegal Dec 2013
Mon 9th
Up very early for taxi at 0610 , coach on time and set of at 0645, the driver was the same one as last year, Rob. As there was quite a bit of traffic we did not have the scheduled stop but just called at a McDonalds for a short break. We arrived in Holyhead in time for the 12 o’clock catamaran sailing, it was quite rough and Jan felt ill but the crossing was just under two hours. On the way to Donegal we stopped at an hotel for a drink, it was a very nice hotel and comfortable for a short rest. We arrived in Donegal at around 6pm, it is a nice hotel, The Abbey, very warm and cosy and nicely decorated for Christmas, our rooms were very nice, clean and well appointed with plenty of room, Jan’s was half as big again as ours! We went down for our meal and it was very busy, the meal was nice and the service good, we then had a reasonably early night.
Tue 10th
Up quite early for a trip out, we went through the Blue Stack Mountains and called at Ardrara, a small town with Tweed mills, the weather was not very good, overcast and threatening rain. We carried on to Letterkenny, a larger town, we had a walk round and then called in a pub for a Guinness, Jan and I left Rich there and had a look round the shops, of which there were not many, there was a very small mall where we sheltered from the rain, back on the coach and back to the hotel. The hotel was not as busy as last night and the meal was not as nice, disappointing.
Wed 11th
Today was a free day in Donegal so we did not get up quite so early, after breakfast we took a walk along the river Eske which led to Donegal Bay, it was blustery but dry and not too cold, quite pleasant when the sun came out. We got back in town and went to the Olde Castle Bar where we had a bowl of soup which was very nice, Jan and I then had a good mooch round the shops leaving Rich in the bar, we both bought a scarf, the shops are lovely, boutiquey type with some beautiful things for sale, everyone was so friendly as well.
This evening we had out “Christmas” dinner, we had a glass of punch as we went in and a tablecloth and crackers on the table. The meal was dreadful, almost inedible, what a let down. Jan went to the bingo 8 till 9 so we waited for her and then stayed for the entertainment, one chap playing and singing but he was quite good, Jan and I had a couple of dances and it was about 11.30 when we got to bed.
Thurs 12th
Up early again for a trip to the Giant’s Causeway, it was a long drive, almost 3 hours but it was well worth it, beautiful scenery as we drove along, very green. The Causeway itself was amazing, the weather was kind to us again and it was dry and calm, we would have liked more time there to look round the visitor centre but there was just time to get a hot drink in the hotel and then we set off for Derry/Londonderry. We decided to walk around the city walls which are complete, we were joined by another couple off the coach, we dropped down and had a look round a Christmas market, enjoying hot dogs and mulled wine, then finished the walk round the walls. We had a very desultory look around the shopping centre while waiting for time to be back on coach, for the long drive back along very bumpy, twisty roads.
The meal was not very good again and we were expecting “Festive” entertainment, this was a concert, starting after the bingo at about 9 o’clock and they wanted us to pay for it so we had a quick drink and a reasonably early night.
Fri 13th
The coach left at 10.30 and stopped at the same hotel again for a break, the catamaran was cancelled so we got the 3 o’clock ferry which was a 3½ hour crossing so quite late getting into Holyhead, we drove straight back with no stops and got a taxi home, arriving about 10pm.
It had been a good break, we all enjoyed it, the scenery was fantastic, the weather very good for December and a nice group of people on the coach, the only disappointment was the food in an otherwise lovely hotel, the breakfasts were good but the evening meal were terrible on the whole.
