Day 7 - A lazy exploration across to Newcastle - mostly this is a day of eating!

Saturday 21 September 2019
I think it's fair to say that self indulgence was the order of the day today.  I've sketched out what I think will be an interesting scenic route across to our next stop at Cherryhill Lodge BnB in Newcastle, but nothing is booked. Today we will again do what we feel like but I'm keen to regain my usual tourist mojo. I did deliberately try to slow this trip down and its proven just as well with the photo issues and mismanaged sleeping, but really, we didn't fly to the other side of the earth to go shopping.  With a new SD card for the Lumix and a successful test run downloading of photos from both cameras, I'm feeling like we've turned a corner. Thankyou Armagh.
I's a fairly late check out requirement at Castle Leslie Lodge and we decide that we'll take advantage of it and just go when we're good and ready, despite a potentially crowded agenda today. I can't leave without having a bath in that gorgeous tub. I turn on the taps and a torrent of water explodes into the deep white enamel. My excitement at this may seem a bit odd perhaps to people from countries with ample water, but the bath fills to a suitably luxuriant depth in the twinkling of an eye. WOW!  At home these days, the taps we're allowed to buy limit the water flow, so you really have to work hard or wait ages if you want to fill a container of any size, let alone a bath. In our baths at home I have to turn the taps on, mostly hot water because by law the temperature we're allowed to heat our water to is also limited (eliminates risk of scalding). Then set a timer to remind yourself to check on the bath in 10 mins because you'll be waiting so long you're going to forget you even had a plan to wash yourself. About 15 minutes later you may be slipping your naked body into the tub. I can't tell you how luxurious bathing in Europe seems to us drought ridden antipodeans. Showers that provide a deluge, tubs that fill almost instantly. It's amazing. The tapware is also just insanely lovely on this tub too. Nothing fiddly or confusing. A cradle holds a hand held nozzle to minimise the effort required for rinsing. It's the epitome of bathing luxury. Hubby is subjected to my enthusiastic review of the facilities as bathing progresses!

Clean and relaxed, breakfast is a re-run of yesterday. I am conscious we're really eating more than we should but gees, you'll go a VERY long way to get better French toast than this. Not an opportunity I plan to pass up!
We set out about mid morning. I'm happy with that. Spending the morning relaxing here was always an option. We pause long enough in Glaslough village to take a few photos. I've decided I might start a collection of colourful benches positioned by beautiful tubs of summer flowers. I'm paranoid now though and make sure to take each image with my phone as well.

In Glaslough village

On our way, I program the TomTom for Hilltown and Rostrevor. I love exploring and my research suggests this is a good way to go to Kilkeel our first major stop.
We pass through small villages or clusters of houses with Union Jacks flying. Allegiances on display. In some places, the flags have clearly been up and flying for rather too long. Frayed edges and faded colours. Rather than proud they just look like a combination of tatty and aggressive. If you're going to fly the flag, it's really an economic commitment as well because you really need to maintain a certain standard for your standard. My suggestion would be to just put the flags away.
We're getting a bit over the sunny weather we've been getting. We packed warm things, but we're in short sleeves, still. Driving out from Glaslough, the light is harsh and bright and the sky quite strongly blue. In these conditions the countryside looks a bit too much like home. I mean come on, we didn't fly all this way to be deprived of clouds here as well. How long is this dry spell planning to last. We're looking forward to a bit of rain to be honest.
As we drive across to Hilltown, Rathfriland is prominent in the distance with it's distinctive water tower. Hilltown is an attractive little place, but we don't hang around, making the turn down towards Rostrevor when it comes up. Rostrevor was a bit of an afterthought in the trip planning, so I never really expected to get a proper look, but was curious to at least get a bit of a squiz at it. Along the road, quotes from C S Lewis are included on signs in large text for us to read. I photograph those I can to remind me later. My little orange waterproof and shock proof Lumix is brilliant for quick snaps from a moving vehicle, so I'm really glad to have it back in action. Although time is short we take a little drive up through the forest at Kilbroney Park. Very pretty. Popular with walkers we see. If only we had infinite time to explore such places.
The light is all wrong as we pass Carlingford Lough. I'm on the wrong side of the car for moving pictures too, but we're absolutely focussed now on getting to Kilkeel. I am super keen to do a tour at the Seascope Lobster Hatchery and get a look at the fishing fleet. A bit of meandering, Kilkeel is on lumpy terrain. At one point we are stopped in traffic immediately outside a little IT store. We park and I jump out, maybe we can get a cable for the lumix here? They're closed for a short while to make a home delivery (wow) we don't want to hang about so we move on to find Seascope. Eventually we pull up outside  only to find they are closed for holidays. I recheck the website. Nope. Nothing about being closed now on the website so far as I can see. How annoying. Oh well, I guess it gives us more time. Back in the car we discuss whether to stop for lunch at Cunningham's Kitchen. Meanwhile I call for a stop at the harbour. Just look at those fishing boats. What a scene.

Kilkeel, Co Down

Strictly speaking we don't NEED to have much for lunch and parking doesn't look easy. In the end, procrastination defeated, we find a parking lot off Bridge St, behind the memorial and that gives us a fairly short walk along to Cunningham's after I spend a few moments examining the memorial and a sculpture of a school of fish nearby. There's a group of young girls taken up residence on the steps from the car park so we walked around along the road. The memorial is for military personnel who died during the Troubles, lists of names with identical dates for their demise.

It's very busy in the food hall, we enter via the Deli, Hubby encouraging me to leave browsing until after we've eaten. Happily seated we make our selections having tried to get a sense of the size of the likely portions.  I'll cut to the chase and say, OMG the sandwich Hubby chose was simply delicious to the extent that I couldn't really be bothered talking about my own choice. Oh if only I wasn't so obsessed with sampling multiple items. I knew the description sounded amazing. We should have both just got that or even shared this between us. It's quite large, and we have a big dinner tonight. Here it is, the Cunningham's Deluxe Roast Beef Sandwich, featuring 24 hr Sous Vide Beef Striploin, Baby Gem, Horseradish Mayo, Gherkin, Tobacco Onions, served on toasted sourdough, with parmesan and black pepper chips. TO DIE FOR. Worth Stopping. Worth going out of your way for.

It tasted even better than it looks. 

So, feeling a tad guilty about our over-indulgence, at least I am, not so sure about Hubby, we do a little exploration of the venue as we avail ourselves of the facilities then head up to the deli section to pay and but a few items. Irish Black Butter looks interesting. It includes apples. Done, that's coming with me. We buy some fresh grapes too and some crisps, emergency rations for when we're on the road.
OK, what next? Now I want to go for a drive in the High Mournes, Spelga Dam, Silent Valley, that sort of thing before we head over to check into the BnB.
First Tommie, take us to Silent Valley. Our route takes us wandering along narrow lanes bordered with stone walls unlike any I've seen before. These are constructed of boulders, some of which are very large. There's sizeable gaps between the rounded boulders. The enclosed fields of grazing stock stretch down the slopes to the sea in the distance, shining silver blue. It's a beautiful scene but difficult to capture due to limited stopping opportunities in places where I can frame the image in a way that is pleasing and the light is just all wrong.
The road swings around past the entrance to the Silent Valley Mountain Park. There's an entrance fee, so for now we opt to keep on going up to Spelga Dam. The High Mournes are very strongly reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands and the higher areas of the Isle of Mull. Heath/ Moorland with Spelga reservoir a large blue puddle held in place by the dam. As we drive on, a gap in the range reveals expansive views down across Hilltown. We drive on and make a turn to take us across to Newcastle, where we plan to get our bearings before checking into Cherryhill Lodge BnB, our base for the next couple of nights.
At Newcastle, we do what would be called in county towns at home a "mainie" in otherwords, we drive down the main roads and along the promenade, eventually pulling into a parking space on the South Prom to take a closer look and get some photographs. It's quite blustery and there's a little rain (yay). Like so many people, I love waves crashing on a rocky shore so I spend a little time trying to capture photos of the spray. Eventually we jump back in the car and head to check in.
To find Cherryhill Lodge, we travel through an area of prosperous acreage properties eventually pulling into the generous front parking area of a modern build, white home. I am momentarily stopped by a plant in the garden I'm not familiar with. Very striking.

I wonder what this is?

We're shown to our room by the son of our hosts. A comfortable space, we're happy to take what brief time we have to relax before heading into a much anticipated evening meal. My goodness, we can't keep up eating on this scale, but we've really been looking forward to eating at Brunel's.  Parking is, as we would say in Australia a "bit of a shit fight". Eventually we do find a spot a little way down to the street. Of course shortly thereafter a space opens up immediately in front of the restaurant. Naturally. Never mind, using our legs won't do us any harm.
Well, Brunel's lived up to expectations. It's a very good start and a sign of attention to the needs of all customers, that they include a menu of mocktails.  Our favourite restaurant in Sydney now does a tasting menu with matched mocktails for those who don't drink.  It is brilliant. Truly, this trend for high end venues to invent their own new flavour sensations in non-alcoholic beverages, which we first noticed in London in 2015, and in our opinion has been perfected at Aria in Sydney, is the new beverage standard. I decide to try the Navigational Error. Delicious.

Beyond photographing the mocktail and cocktail menus, we became so absorbed in the delicious food we forgot to photograph the menu. I don't think we engaged in competition for this meal either. We just relaxed and enjoyed the ambience and the friendly service. Luckily they still have the menu online. Phew.
So to start, of course, Hubby had the local seafood chowder. We are chowder obsessed when in the UK. You just don't get good chowder at home. Hot climate. Soup's not our forte. Brunel's version is beautiful.
Now, I initially am tempted by the mussels, but there's a starter that includes the mention of local Murlough Bay Sea Buckthorn. Lets enjoy it while we can because they have a program to remove the Sea Buckthorn at Murlough Bay and anyway, I'm obsessed with Sea Buckthorn. We don't get that at home either. Jameson Whisky Cured Irish Sea Trout, you are mine. Really looking forward to the peat smoked trout, sea buckthorn, slow roast carrot and malt, oooh baby.

A paler plate might have looked better perhaps,
though the pale dusting on the black is quite striking you almost can't see the heirloom black carrot. 

Mains. Hubby is totally and completely predictable. I know the minute I look at the options what he will choose, but wait with anticipation to see if he runs true to form. Yep.  Wild Irish Game Wood Pigeon, beetroot cooked in seaweed ash, blackberry Miso and cocoa nibs. Totally, utterly predictable.
But what for me? I indulge in an act of charity. Hubby was initially torn by the option of the Wild Irish Game Mallard Breast, fermented fennel, elderberry and roast wheat berry. Duck is usually a pretty safe option, so I go for that so he can try both. A side of seasonal vegetables and we're done.

Wild Irish Game Wood Pigeon

Wild Irish Game Mallard Breast

No way we're skipping dessert here. Hubby: Woodruff Ice Cream, fermented blueberries and verjus.
Mois: Textures of Raspberry, it's the foraged meadowsweet that clinches the deal for me, and they throw in a flapjack biscuit. Everything is simply brilliant kitchen artistry. From our table, booked quite a while ago, we have been watching the maestro, Paul Cunningham, at work.  Writing this with the benefit of hindsight I can confidently say, that this was THE stand out food day of the trip, and this meal in particular, the best we had in the entire 4 weeks. Simply wonderful.

Textures of Raspberry

Woodruff Ice Cream. I love the plate! Great presentation. 

Safety tucked up in our cosy BnB room, we get into nightly routine of charging batteries and downloading photos. Again, that bleeping card reader has destroyed the images on the NEW SD card. Breathe deeply. Stay calm. Chuck that %$#$ing thing in the bin I say extracting the card and handing the offending article to hubby. That's it. The Lumix is out of the picture until further notice. For a driving holiday this is very distressing. We mull over options for nearest camera / IT stores. No. I am OVER this shit. I'm not wasting any more time on running around trying to sort this out. We will have to make do with the M5 and my iPhone. What a sad end to an otherwise brilliant evening.