Blog # 10: Belfast, Italy

 

                               Blog # 10: Belfast, Italy 

Looking Forward To A Fun Day - It's Actually Sunny!!!

Fun To Watch Open Kitchens. This Is The Ship's Italian Restaurant

And God Created...

Two Entertainers Pretending To be "Beetles" Put On A Great Show - Mostly Music, Some Beetle History And Funny Jokes

Belfast Seemed Like A Quiet Town - Layback, Picturesque, Etc.

We Had A Fun Bus Driver That Took Us On a Tour. Jerry Quickly Wrote a Limerick: 

"There Once was a Guide Called Shamos

Who Over Time Became famous

 He Almost Made It To Broadway 

But He's Still Singing his own way

Through Jerry's "Creation," He Met A Japanese Couple (Ken & Mimi) On The Bus Who Want To Explore The Possibility Of Translating Jerry's Children's Christmas Story Into Japanese

Irish Speaking English: Bear = Bar

Are-Land = Ireland

Irish Vocabulary = 18 Letters

We Learned that Georgian Homes were In The 1700's And 

Victoria Homes Were Popular In The 1850's

Most Of These Homes Are Owned By Corporations And Consulates

"Go To Bar" - Drinking Village With A Drinking Problem

Plenty Of Churches; And Large Ones

Oscar Wilde (Author) And A Local Butler

Museum And Government Building

Getting Rare Sun Rays While On The Phone

There Has To Be An O'Reilly's In Ireland

We Visited A Real, Live-in Castle - 

This Was One Of The Trip's Hi-lites

 A Castle Has Been In Glenarm Since 1242. Currently, The 15th Earl And His Family Live Here During Summers and Holidays

They Are The Viscount And Viscountess Dunluce, Randal And Aurora And Their Children

Some Of The Trees Are As Old As The Castle

Unexpectedly, The Butler Happened To Be In The Castle. "George" Lives There and Is The Caretaker). He Was Willing To Give Us A Tour

This Is A Working Castle. Sheep Are Raised, Slaughtered 

And some of the Meat Is Sold At The Small Castle Store

Family Crest motto: Always Ready

14 Bedrooms, Five Kitchens, 7 Bathrooms (Plans To Build More) and 32 Principle Rooms

King Charles And Queen Camilla Recently Visited The Family

Entrance Hall: Many Family Items (Boots, Umbrella, Liquor, Books, Etc.) Left Around The Home

Many Paintings Of Family Members That Lived In The Castle

One Of The Relatives, Angela Sykes, Painted The Plaster Relief As Well As Other Items Throughout The house

1680-1720 - Randal, 4th Earl Of Antrim Composed Poems

6th Earl of Antrim

Anne Catherine (Early 1800's) Was Anointed "Countess Of Antrim" Because There Was No Male Heir. She Became Very Influential During Here "Reign." Also, She Was The Great-Grandmother Of Queen Victoria 

The Butler Mentioned There Are Different Place Settings For Each Meal. When Open, The Dinner Table Sits Twenty Guests 

This Room  (Blue Room) And The One Below Are Used For Family And Get Togethers With Friends

There Was A Large Round Table With Drawers. The Drawers Fit Around The Table's Shape. There Was Also A Writing Box - Gifted From Queen Victoria

Two Grand Pianos In The Castle. We Were Allowed To Sit On The Seats In The Drawing Room

Finishing Up a Fun Day: Dinner With Steve, Roberta And George - The Maitre'd