Unlike the hoards of Brits heading to Spain or the south of France for the summer, with Peter and Jill in tow we started our summer break by taking a short flight to Belfast, Ireland where we planned to embark on a week long road trip.

Obviously, for there to be a road trip, there needed to be a car. No big deal, you say? It was only after wandering the grounds of Belfast's airport for 45 minutes that we stumbled upon the company we had hired our car through.

Not to worry. We were soon on our way, heading out of Belfast and north along the coast of Northern Ireland. This part of the coast was breathtakingly beautiful. Emerald green hills, rugged cliffs and winding roads as far as the eye could see.

After driving for a while across the Torr Head cliffs and along the coast, we stopped to stretch our legs at the site of Kinbane Castle. Deciding it was worth exploring the castle ruins up close, we braved the wind, rain and very steep steps and made our way down. The castle ruins were fascinating and the views were stunning. After being thoroughly soaked with rain, grossed out by some very fat slugs living on the stairs down to the castle and weary after the steep climb, we jumped back into the car and headed further north.

Our final stop for the day was Larrybane. Larrybane is famous for its rickety old rope bridge that hangs between two cliffs with quite a big drop into the ocean below. Donning our raincoats again, we decided to wander down for a closer look, not wanting to commit to walking the bridge before inspecting the integrity of the ropes up close! We eventually decided we would tackle this unstable tourist attraction after seeing children running back and forth across it without a care in the world! Each taking a deep breath, we formed a queue and took turns taking photos of each of us as we crossed.

Feeling satisfied with our first day, we began what would be the first of many searches for the B&B that would be 'just right' for the evening. During our road trip, we quickly developed an evening routine of healthy debate regarding where we should rest our weary heads for the night. Should it be full of character (i.e cold showers and cobwebs)? Should it be modern (i.e. boring)? Should we stay near the best attractios (and face all the other tourists)? Should we stay within walking distance of a town (keeping in mind that Peter's idea of walking distance and everyone else's idea of walking distance were two different things)?

After settling on a lovely B&B in the country side, we soon found a local pub serving hearty Irish stew and of course, refreshing pints of Guinness.

The week that we spent driving around Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland with Peter and Jill was truly unforgettable.

Some of our many highlights included:

· The Giant's Causeway- an amazing collection of rock formations in Northern Ireland. See our photos for the story behind the name!

· The Cliffs of Moher

· Down Patrick's Head

· Peter being chased by a giant dog after wandering too far into a garden for that perfect photo opportunity. Peter can definitely run, and the dog deserves credit for amazing comedic timing!

· Trad music sessions at small village pubs and incredible live music in Belfast and Dublin- particularly the Temple Bar.

· The Ring of Kerry- despite the clouds!

· The Guinness Factory

· Traditional Irish breakfasts every morning, complete with black and white pudding.

· The Neolithic Site- at Jill's suggestion (just kidding. It's definitely no Stonehenge)

· Peter's excitement every time we drove past paddocks full of peat!

· Jess finding a toilet after hours of driving, just when she thought she couldn't hold on any longer…

· Sneaking/running away from the concierge at a fancy hunting lodge after realising it was way out of our budget- Jill can really run when she wants to, and Peter did a great job of driving the getaway car!

· Spotting wild deer.

· Meeting locals with accents so thick that we couldn't understand them.

We had an amazing time on our road trip and meet some wonderful people along the way. Definitely the week of a life time.

Top of the mornin' to ye!