Too many times in the UK

Well, that’s what the Border Agent said after she had confiscated my passport.  I’m used to a delay and questions at the Border as a result of the rejected Visa application a couple years back but her concern was that I’ve been either here or in rEU frequently over the past couple years. She decided that I was trying to stay illegally and that since I had been out of America nearly as much as I had been in, I no longer lived there.  I said my passport, license and voting registration said differently and she responded that I was wrong and shouldn’t argue with her. If I didn’t have this website with a detailed account of where and when I’d been I don’t think I would have been allowed entry as I had to list where and when I and been from December 2016. She then was concerned how much I made on this site.  I explained I had not figured out how to monetize it and basically I wrote to myself so that I could remember late in life each trip especially if I get Alzheimer’s like my old man.  She then claimed that to do so it must every expensive and wondered hw I could afford it.  I said I tend to keep it as cheap as possible. Then it  was how much money I had to be able to travel like this as it must be very expensive.  I said I try to keep the cost down and that the time I stayed with my Dad had allowed me to save some money. I also was scolded because Americans think they have a right to go to other countries.  I responded that I had no right to entry without the permission of each and every country. She then challenged my knowledge of EU, Irish & UK passport stay rules.  My understanding of the rules seemed to satisfy her in a disappointing way.  After a long discussion amongst the agents it was decided I was allowed to enter.  Next time I come to the UK I must have a return ticket, something I never get as it becomes restricting as you have to rush to get things seen and three time in the past few years either ill health of a parent or injury required me to be flexible on my dates. I have to have a printed copy of my savings and retirement accounts next time I want entry.

But I was allowed in so I’ll worry about next visit after this one is over, but this new scrutiny will effect further visits. But this is disconcerting as I really enjoy experiencing the UK.  And if you stay 2-4 days in one place and then pick up and do the same in another, it is not recalling living in a place.

By the time I was allowed to leave the airport there were no buses or taxis as they probably are tied to the arrival/departure times and Belfast isn’t a very big airport so there are time when neither happens.  So 3.7 miles with full kit to the Balyharvey House where I was to stay.  Stanley & Yvonne have a real nice guest house.

I headed out after check in to get a tent, something I haven’t used in probably 40 years.  Next week I’ll be in Islay, Scotland where I could not find any available accommodations as there is a folk festival going on that weekend.  So now I’ve added the tent, a pad & bag to my kit making it about 60 lbs/27 kg!  Far too much but no choice.  The good news is that the tent was half off and the gear adds up to about the cost of a guest house for a night. I’ll probably give the lot to a homeless person when done with Scotland.  In Scotland they have wild camping laws that allows you to camp on private land as long as crops, livestock and homes are respected.  The downside is that I ended up not finding any bus so 13.2 miles or 28000 steps.  An unplanned personal best.  I did get more CBD oil which helped that evening.

The next day I wanted to see Lough Neagh, the largest body of water in the British isles by surface. Although nowhere as deep as Loch Ness ( which could hold double the total of all the lakes & lochs in England & Wales). The surface area of 151 sq miles is greater than the next 8 bodies of water in the British Isles combined.

It was a nice but windy day and I knew that any tour boats would be held to the dock but I like to see and wash my hands in important waters like the Thames, Lochs Ness & Lomond, Dee etc. and so I did.  Rather than take the road I took yesterday I found a sign for the 6 Mile River walk beginning with The Shaky Bridge.  The bridge is no longer shaky and the walk was delightful.

A couple of nice wee houses

New (un) Shaky Bridge

This channel was dug to feed a water wheel but what I saw was it was nearly dry.  Turns out NI had the driest summer in over 30 years.

 

To get over a fence

A clump of willow.  What caught my eye was that these were tall and slim unlike the weeping willow

Salmon & brown trout need ladders

Barbican Gate is the entrance to what had been Antrim Castle

The lough is huge.  Like looking at the ocean as it is over 20 miles across

Walking along the river heading back to town there are many of these exercise places. I didn’t see any other equipment in use though.

Romans built defensive strongholds all over Britain & Ireland.  A motte is an artificial mound that was topped with a wood wall structure, a bailey.

No bailey left of course but this area is the motte.

Viscount Massereene, John Skeffington apparently loved his wife very much and in 1840 created this garden around the grounds of a former castle and the motte.  It is very nice as seen from the top of the motte.

I’m not a cat lover or hater, in fact my attitude toward them is about the same as their attitude towards people, but this Bengal looking one was pretty.

Now I’m parched.  Not hungry after Yvonne’s large breakfast but I’m in Ireland and I need a Guinness so as I passed Madden’s I could hear the good craic inside. I spent the afternoon but very little money.  With an area for families and a beer garden it was just the ticket.  It didn’t take long before the BeeGee’s song “Massachusetts” was poorly sung by a couple of the lads and then the questions about the POTUS.  This bobble-head of Barak Obama showed where this lot stood. The president before led his lapdog Blair into wars they still are involved with and they have no use for the current one.

The conversation drifted to BREXIT and there was universal dislike for this removal from the EU. They voted heavily for Remain and the idea of a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and N. Ireland is anathema to one and all.  The fear is that of a no-win situation.  There will most likely be a referendum for unification of the two countries with NI leaving the UK. either way The Troubles might return with unionists and nationalist picking up arms once more.  A devastating thought.

All in all I had a really sparkily good time and the walk back along the 6 Miles was much easier than the arrival.

And when I asked the owner about the meaning of the falcon and dove in the crest he couldn’t answer but he did give me a shirt.  I joked on FB that it sometimes takes a long time, in this case one whole day, to be welcomed.