Maureen's Travel Blog

Woke up after a good night’s sleep to another beautiful summer’s day. After grapefruit and coffee in the garden, we set off for Port Muck, a secluded Rocky bay with a cliff walk where we thought we might swim but the wind was a bit chilly. Instead we walked up along the National Trust cliff path and took in the wonderful views.

We then headed to The Gobbins to check on availability for the cliff face walk (not for the faint-hearted!).
Unsurprisingly it was fully booked until the following week so we just sat out in the cafe and had a coffee and shortbread in the sunshine.

We drove into Whitehead to see if we could get booked into a restaurant there for dinner the next day but they were only open at weekends. Whitehead is a pretty seaside town known for its colourful houses.

Then we drove over to Carrick Harbour to see if there were any boat trips round the Gobbins. I would have liked to see the puffins but it was really a bit late – May is the best time. We sat by the harbour eating our sandwiches while watching some filming of Dungeons and Dragons at the Castle.

On the way back we called in to see Raymond and Kay who had just moved into their son Ryan’s house, while Ryan and his family had moved into the family farm. Kay showed us round then we sat and had drinks in the garden. Ryan and Jody, his 8-year old son joined us for a bit. It was good to catch up!

We returned home to watch a bit of Wimbledon (well I did, while Christine finished the lawn) then a delicious light salmon salad supper in the garden watching the sun go down. Maud’s ice cream to round off the day!

John arrived home later and we chatted a bit before retiring to bed.

Not such a good sleep. Heyho making up for the night before! After breakfast with Carolyn, set off for Cairnryan at 8.30. Easy route along the A75 took about an hour and arrived in good time. The mini and I were thoroughly searched at the port. A quick trip to the loo and fill up water bottle then just wait in the car in our lanes to drive on board. A beautiful calm day for the 2-hour crossing to Larne.

What an adventure! My mini and I in the middle of the Irish Sea and a beautiful warm day. This reminds me of my last ferry crossing from Picton to Wellington… same weather too!

it’s nearing 12 noon so decided to get some lunch before we dock at 1. An Ulster fry seems appropriate and I’m feeling quite hungry.

My goodness, how unhealthy! This is only allowed on holiday… very tasty though!

Back out on deck I see we are approaching the Irish coast. It is 2 years since I was here and really looking forward to seeing everyone. Before long I was back in my mini driving off the ferry ramp and heading along the coast road – the scenic route, as cousin Irene would say when she used to collect me from the airport.

The weather continues to be stunning as I stop at Ballygally to take in the fresh sea air. It’s good to see the rolling hills of Ireland again and this place conjured up many happy memories of years gone by.
I drove up to where one of my cousins had once lived and I had stayed many times. The cottage overlooking ‘The Maidens’ had been replaced with a large modern house and a couple more next to it. This was a prime site for such development but made me sad.

I motored on up to cousin Christine in Glenford Road. I heard the tennis on in the kitchen and called out through the open door. A familiar voice responded and there she was! It was so good to see her again and comfortingly little had changed here!
we caught up for an hour or so and then I helped her mow her vast expanse of lawn, suggesting that it would be a good idea to let it grow back as a meadow for the pollinators. I reminded her that I used to play around with Bess the skewbald pony in this field (her lawn) when I was just 10.

We sat in the sunshine with a glass of wine before sharing a pizza. Some kittens appeared which she said were about six weeks old and needed homing. I offered to smuggle one hone in the car!

Well I appear to have the whole retreat to myself!

Dot left for her transfer to the airport at 7.45 this morning as she is flying to Manchester. Breakfast was not until 9.30. No meditation or yoga leaving party revellers time to lie in.

Scrambled eggs today, well some sort of tofu equivalent, but it tasted very nice. Also there was the usual muesli, fruit and yoghurt plus lemon and ginger tea. I chatted with friends we had made over the past few days over breakfast, then all too soon, said our goodbyes as most of the guests were taking the lighthouse walk which I had already done. I had to stay and wait for my transfer at 12.

It is a gorgeous New Year’s Day so a last swim in the pool for me to coat my skin in magnesium to take home.

7am group meditation… feeling our senses, followed by Hatha flow yoga. 9am breakfast – porridge, mixed fruit and yoghurt, green juice (not sure what it was)

Chilly morning with cloud. When the sun comes out it will warm up. One of the group who was going off on a walk, offered me her watercolours. Thank goodness… I was pleased to take up her offer and proceeded to paint a still life inside while the air was cool. Will venture out after lunch.

After lunch Dot and I wandered down town to obtain some cash and buy a few snacks for the journey home tomorrow. We then spent an hour or so on the sunbed by the pool as the sun had warmed up and I wanted to finish the book I’d borrowed from the Crisalida library.
I later took the watercolours up on to the terrace where there was a magnificent view of the mountains. I dabbled a bit but could not do the scene before me justice.

The new year partying began at 6.45 with mocktails! They were actually very nice juices in cocktail glasses with elegantly decorated with fruit on a stick and a straw. Many of us had got out of our Lycra or joggers and into glad rags for the evening. We brushed up pretty well! Dinner was set for around 30 guests with pate starters. The main dish was traditional Spanish paella (without the seafood), mixed salads, roasted sweet potatoes and various sauces. It was delicious. The dessert, which the kitchen staff had gone to such lengths to prepare for us was not such a success. A kind of lemon cake with mock custard. It was rather dry.

After dinner We were entertained by a local guitarist, who I have to say was very good. He played in a traditional Spanish style although he was originally from Argentina.

After this the team had organised a quiz for us. This of course was on the theme of food and activities on the retreat. Our team ‘sofa surfers’ didn’t do too well but it was good fun.

The quiz was followed by the fire ritual which involved writing down on pieces of paper what we are grateful for, what we no longer need and what we hope for ourselves in the future. We all gathered round a pit fire and with meditation and chant, we cast our pieces of paper into the fire along with a grain of rice, a piece of fruit and a flower.

The next Spanish ritual was to eat a grape on each of the 12 chimes of midnight. Quite a lot to stuff into your mouth along with seeds by the allotted hour! At midnight we all hugged one another then ran up to the roof terrace to watch the panorama of fireworks displayed all around the town and along the coast. Pretty amazing!

The day starts with meditation at 7.15. A more traditional approach sitting cross-legged, straight-backed arms outwards, hands facing upwards on knees, incense burning and very peaceful and focused for half an hour. This was followed soon afterwards by some very physical Hatha Yoga. This involved a lot of twisting and stretching. I’m sure this was helping my lower back quite a bit but didn’t want to push it too far so took small breaks.

This overran a little making us late for breakfast, which I had to rush a bit ready for my deep tissue appointment with Juan Carlos. I had heard great things about Juan, not only from the staff but also from people who had stayed at Crisalida in previous years and had returned. He certainly did not disappoint! I told him about the pain I was getting through my arm and into my neck and he said he would concentrate on that. After much deep massage into all parts of my back shoulders and arms, he focused on key areas and somehow was able to pinpoint the pain in my arm being connected to a misalignment of my hip. Sometimes it felt like he was just holding my shoulder gently while touching my hip or pressing into the painful area (without causing pain) while massaging the shoulder blade. Other times he pulled his fingers across my collar bones and up the back of my neck into my head which was just such a wonderful feeling. I won’t go into any more detail suffice to say he was thorough and masterful in his chiropractic technique and I said ‘I’d like to take you home with me!’ Let’s hope it has had the required effect….. the treatment I mean!

The afternoon was spent just relaxing in the sun, a bit of reading and a swim in the pool. I joined a Juicing demonstration which was quite interesting before getting ready for our ‘escape’.

We managed to get a bus into the old town of Altea, just along the coast from Albir.

It was just about dusk (6pm) and the light in the sky was a watercolour in the making. I picked out the skyline of high rises which was now Benidorm in the distance. We climbed up to  the Church of Our Lady of Consolation of Altea in the pretty Spanish old town with it’s steep winding narrow cobbled streets.

In one of these streets we found a delightful little bistro run by a gay couple (one from Leeds, the other Romanian). Here we settled for our tapas and wine!

Hardly slept during the night with aching legs, probably as a result of the beach walk yesterday which was in fact much further than I expected, but still under 5k. I am just so unfit.

Quick snack for early breakfast as a group of us were setting off in a walk to the lighthouse at 7.30. It was a chilly start but a most enjoyable walk through the national park, spiralling round the mountain, as the sun rose. We reached the top to be welcomed by a magnificent view of the coastline of Albir, and a juice! The bird life and plant life was in abundance on the rocks below and on the mountain path. This walk somehow seemed easier than the one yesterday and the aches in my legs seemed to subside.

Some kind of partridge was pottering about on the rocks below while little black and white birds flitted two and fro. There was plenty of wild vegetation including lavender, Winter Jasmin and something we didn’t know pictured below.

We returned briefly to La Casalida before heading down to the weekly market in town. It was a lovely sunny morning and after I bought a scarf and Dot a couple of warm tops, we sat in the sun and had a coffee (decaf of course)

A swim in the magnesium pool this afternoon after a light celery-based lunch on the terrace at the front in the warm sunshine.

After siesta (blog catch up), back up to the roof terrace for intermediate Vinyasa yoga. I thought I’d give it a try but it certainly was a bit advanced for me and I had a job keeping up. It felt good to know, looking through contorted arms and legs, that I wasn’t the only one unable to keep my balance!

Immediately after this I had booked a body scrub treatment session and wow was this good. This involved a complete body exfoliation, followed by a shower and then hydration using hydration cream mixed with oil in the form of a full body massage. I felt like a new woman!

Dinner tonight – Jacket potatoes, ratatouille, lentil sausages, coleslaw and the usual sauces and dressings.

Although there was an offer of going to a concert featuring ‘TheThree Tenors’ (support) in town this evening, we decided to give it a miss! We also decided to give Yoga Nidra a miss, gentle and sleep-inducing though it may be…. a quiet evening in reading our books as we plan to be ‘out on the town’ tomorrow night!