Two out of Three
Yesterday I made the most of a little sunshine. My aim was to have a short walk, bring home the evidence by way of a photo or three. Part two was to find a coffee shop with Wifi and put Tobias through his paces. This was in fact a lesson for me. I have used my laptop here at home and in Elly & Georges house (Everything in their house is connected to Wifi… even me!).
Well, I did manage to go for a walk.
I had decided I wanted a photo of a bridge and had a particular bridge over the Six Mile river at Lough Neagh, Antrim in mind. As I neared my destination I noticed a few PSNI (Police Service for Northern Ireland) in Visi vests, then I saw the crowd of marchers. I quickly changed direction and drove on to Randalstown, passing Masserene Barracks, where the two young soldiers were shot a couple of weeks ago on the evening they were due to leave for a tour of duty in Afganistan. I am very anti war in any part of the world. Those young men were some mothers sons and the ripples of heartbreak will radiate through many lives young and old for many a year.
I did find my bridge a rather unusual one:
The river Braid at Randalstown
The lower bridge is the road into the town and the upper one was originally a railway line. The last train to travel this way was back in the late 1950s or early 1960s. Randalstown was another Linen town in days of yore. At one stage about 1000 people worked in the mill weaving and finishing the linen. If you inherited Irish table or bed linen from you mothers or grandmothers, perhaps it came from Randalstown.
Another section of the railway bridge taken from the road bridge
The old railway now paved as a walkway.
I did manage to have a circular walk along the train track and back through the town. You see the photos but alas I have yet to discover a coffee shop with Wifi. I suppose two out three are not bad. Next time I aim to post my pics on the blog while enjoying a coffee away from home!
Magpie11 said,
March 29, 2009 at 10:38 am
Two out of three? Not you as well?
I love that bridge…. bring back the Beeching lines I say!
Geri Atric said,
March 29, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Interesting topic GM. and indeed, a very unusual bridge!
(Just popping in after another couple of weeks away, helping my exhausted daughter look after her sick 1 year old son. I’ve only got two grandchildren (both boys) but the youngest suffers a LOT (since birth) from deafness and ‘gluey ear’ infections and awakes many times a night crying. He has to have grommits(?) i.e., tubes, put in his little ears tomorrow and hopefully this will cure the problem once and for all - and we can all have normal lives - whatever that is?)!
Perhaps its time I got a laptop too.. Then I wouldn’t have to wait till I’m home again to catch up on my favourite blogs!)
Vicki said,
March 29, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Oh, how I wish I either lived near you or could get away to visit.
I’d love to accompany you on one of your lovely walks.
I can walk a long way, but the distance from Michigan, USA, to you is just a tad too far &-)
xoxo
kenju said,
March 29, 2009 at 2:12 pm
The arched bridge looks ancient! Like the ones I saw in Italy, in a few places.
Magpie11 said,
March 29, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Vicki
And there’s a great big pond in the way!
steph said,
March 29, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Grannymar
Excuse my ignorance, but…
is a coffee shop with WiFi the same thing as an internet café?
I haven’t a clue about such things having never ventured out of the house with a laptop.
(Stop laughing, Elly)
Grannymar said,
March 29, 2009 at 3:03 pm
@Magpie - I always loved this bridge but until yesterday I never had the opportunity to go walkabout with a camera.
@Geri - Hello and good to know you are well & busy. Your grandson has my sympathy. I was a fellow sufferer with ear problems and there is no other pain like it!! I know several people who had the grommet implants and they were very successful.
@Vicki - I am very fortunate, a mile and a half in any direction and I have green fields. Plenty of walks and old ruins to investigate and the coast line holds another type of beauty.
@Judy the arched bridge borders the land of Shane’s Castle the home of the O’Neill Clan. They have been around since before sliced bread!
@Magpie - That bridge is beside the largest lake in the UK. (Top right hand corner).
@Steph - An internet Cafe sells time on the net and you can have coffee (I have never used one). A coffee shop with free WiFi is just that, Most Starbucks outlets provide free Wifi. Andy did a list for Belfast at one point. I must get a hold of that list soon.
maureen said,
March 29, 2009 at 3:35 pm
I’m with Vicki, what a delight it would be to accompany you on one of your adventures around the city.
Looks like it was a lovely, sunny day that day.
Grannymar said,
March 29, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Maureen,
Yourself and Vicki will just have to organise A Bloggers Tour to Ireland. There are photowalks on in several counties on a regular basis. Someone sets a date, time & place and others join in. They meet, walk, take photos and then go find a friendly pub for craic, drink and food. Bring stout shoes, rain gear and laughter…. a camera might be handy too!
It was a bright but cool day yesterday. Our clocks moved to summertime during the night so we are moving in the right direction for photowalking.
Annb said,
March 29, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I love those bridges Grannymar, I wonder will our current architecture stand the test of time as well as these beauties?
Grannymar said,
March 29, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Annb,
I often wonder about that myself. Somehow vandalism and pollution aside, I doubt it.
chrisb said,
March 29, 2009 at 5:04 pm
I love your bridges, especially the one over the river Braid, as you say it’s very unusual.
elfinamsterdam said,
March 29, 2009 at 6:17 pm
That is a beautiful bridge at the top.
We have some beauties here too, but none like that (to my knowledge)
I am compiling my list of top spots in Amsterdam that has wifi.
I dont bring my laptop, too much hassle and my old beaut is not really up for travelling not like your young whippersnapper Tobias.
I take the iTouch for blog reading and tweeting when out.
Yesterday I went to Café de Nieuwe Lelie and had a drink while chatting on twitter. Lovely when its not great weather out.
Elf
Grannymar said,
March 29, 2009 at 7:46 pm
@Chrisb - You surely have some interesting bridges around Bristol.
@Elf - Alas I didn’t know the fun of a digital camera when I was in Amsterdam. The wifi list is a great idea to add to info for visitors.
If I knew of coffee shops with wifi I would venture out more in the bad weather. Sitting somewhere with others chatting around me might provide me more interesting topics for blogging.
Baino said,
March 29, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Love your little bridges, especially the first one with the double arches we have nothing like that here of course. I’ve resolved that if I have nothing else on each Sunday, a photo walk it will be, even if I go alone. Out here, Starbucks and Macdonalds have wifi. As for these young thugs trying to stir up more trouble in the north, they need to be nipped in the bud right now! Sadly they don’t remember the troubles and the pain it caused. Testosterone filled rebels without a cause and they need to be stopped.
Grannymar said,
March 29, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Baino,
I had to rescue you from the spam bath. No idea how that happened.
I was on my own on Saturday, having the camera is like having a dog on a walk - good reason to pause and look at the scenery. I also find I can talk to people I meet on the way and ask for info about the locality or the background to a building.
wisewebwoman said,
March 30, 2009 at 12:39 am
Hi GM:
I’ve just bought a notepad, an addendum to my laptop, a smaller version of the laptop and so light with 6 hours of battery power. I justified it with the trip coming up so hope to find WIFIs all over Dublin, I’ll be one of these demanding, whinging, returning emigrants :^)
Lovely photos, I’d love to see the double bridge late in the afternoon taken in black and white with more shadows. That mightn’t work…..
I heard a radio programme today about rail returning to everywhere.
One never knows….
XO
WWW
Grannymar said,
March 30, 2009 at 8:19 am
WWW,
I am sure you will put the notebook through its paces both in Ireland during the month of June and at home.
The photo of the bridge was early afternoon with the sun behind it. As I was taking the shots I wondered how my photowalking pals would approach it.
As for the rail returning… alas many of the old lines and bridges were removed years ago. An example being the line from Harcourt St in Dublin to Dundrum (heading out towards Enniskerry). It has now been rebuilt as part of the LUAS all electric tram system. It is well used & liked with trams about every 10 minutes.
Phil said,
March 30, 2009 at 12:00 pm
The first pic of the bridges is great. The bridges are great. Definitely want to take a vist some day. Lovely photos.
Grannymar said,
March 30, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Phil,
That’s a date!
Paddyanglican said,
March 30, 2009 at 1:17 pm
That bridge looks a bit like a viaduct - interesting! Also the linen connection which is what brought my mum’s family to Northern Ireland - Ballymoney/Ballymena/Cullybacky. Great pics
Grannymar said,
March 30, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Paddy A,
It is a viaduct. Nelly at Nelly’s Garden had a guest post some time ago written by her mother who worked in that mill. I can’t locate the link at the moment, perhaps Nelly will point us in the right direction