Lakelands

Ah, the Bank Holiday Weekend - we needed this break.

Started on Friday with a quick jaunt to Drum Manor, Cookstown. Think this was the first time I had visited Drum Manor with a bike so spent the next day exploring the lake and other paths.

The park has quite a varied landscape around the lakes or ponds. Formal paths infront of the old house ruins, running down to the lakeside. Regular shale forest paths through different parts of the forest. Then almost tracks through plantation areas.

We wanted to get to the Lakes in Fermangh so we headed off before much longer and just managed to Clonelly as darkness was descending.

The next day we spent mostly at Castle Archdale. First we cycled from the marina car park round the coastal path exploring some of the outlying remants from the war. On one section of shore - perhaps by the "Burma Road" found a sloe bush reasonably lush with fruit; one to remember for the future.

We continued round through parkland arriving at the Butterfly Garden. The day had heated up nicely so this was very pleasant; first walking through the wildflowers in bloom: red, yellow and blue flowers. Caught a poppy head with almost translucent petals. In a section of several Buddleia, several different types of butterfly flitted about the bushes. Was quite difficult to get a decent picture with wings open and lit properly.

We finished up at the remains of the Castle itself and took in the Wartime Airbase exhibition. I remembered this from when we visited from Fintona. The exhibits had improved I suspected cos they kept me well interested. When we started to get hungry, headed into Enniskillen to sample the Greek restaurant