A Wee Spontaneous Mini-Break is good for the soul

Something great happened last weekend. First of all the sun shone which in the current climate would have been big news in itself. But then, on a whim, we packed up the car, pointed it north and went off on a Spontaneous Mini-Break.

I am a committed fan of the Spontaneous Mini-Break aka the Wee Spontaneous Mini-Break if you are heading North. Spur of the moment jaunts remove any chances of pre-holiday panic which is something I am unfortunately prone to. Before you could say “Road Trip!”, we had buckets and spades in the boot, a bag load of sandwiches in a cool bag and an online booking at a B&B in Bushmills, Co Antrim.

After a quick sandwich pitstop in Belfast to wonder how much yellow paint it takes to cover the Harland & Wolff cranes, we were back on the road and away to the bumper cars at Barry’s Amusements in Portrush. Barry’s Amusements is like Funderland except it’s in situ all summer long and has windows and whopper views of the strand. It smells of candyfloss and chips and doughnuts and for my partner it was a trip back to childhood summers of yore. For us it was just a welcome change of scenery.

“Look Mum, no posters,” my daughter said pointing at all the unadorned lampposts.

‘Priced out of Killiney? That’s what you get for choosing an orts degree!’

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Entrepreneurial Donegal priest who achieved national celebrity in Korea

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How Denis O’Brien has been helping my new dog sleep at night

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“Everyone is so friendly,” said my other daughter. “Like Dublin is friendly but it’s like the friendliness has been turned up really high here.” The B&B owner was friendly, the waiter in the Bushmills Inn was friendly. The Game of Thrones locale was a veritable kingdom of kindness.

Medieval ruins

On Bank Holiday Monday we took a trip to magnificent Dunluce Castle, pretending we were kings and queens in the medieval ruins that teeter on this basalt outcropping. Afterwards, we had traybakes in the cottage café across the road and listened as a man in lycra, recently alighted from his racing bike, sang Neil Diamond songs in the sunshine.

We did the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. Well they did the rope bridge. I had only ever crossed it once, for an article, and I was so terrified I had to do it backwards, on my hands and knees, as a poor young guide coaxed me across in front of a crowd of grinning onlookers.

It’s a nice bridge but once was definitely enough. The girls rambled across it like kid goats, with a long line of tourists in their wake; a little boy in a yarmulke and three generations of women in saris. You forget. It’s only up the road and it’s only Northern Ireland, but the whole world wants to visit this fantasy land, rain or shine.

Spotlessly clean

Later we went up the Causeway Coast to Portstewart where the beach is a National Trust property, all spotlessly clean, pale sands, and clear – icy cold in fairness – sea. Everyone else was in wetsuits but we braved the waters in our swimmers. And it was the highlight of our Spontaneous Mini-Break. We’d only been gone for over a day but it felt like we’d been away for a week splashing each other and screeching at the sky before running back to the comfort of sun-warmed towels.

We ate in Harry’s Shack on the beach – fish and chips, and squid, and deep fried goat’s cheese, and lemon posset and sticky toffee pudding. We’d read rave reviews online and the gourmet shack lived up to every single one.

Then it was back in the car and down the road again to the Republic of Posterland, basking in the certain knowledge that a Wee Spontaneous Mini-Break is good for the soul.

Some wee things to do with children this weekend ...

W5

We’ve made several trips to this award-winning Science and Discovery Centre in Belfast and it never disappoints. There is buckets of fun and education (almost by osmosis) for all ages, with more than 250 interactive exhibits. Live science demonstrations, a replica construction site and fantastic watery exhibits were a few of our favourites. Well worth the trip.

When: Mon-Fri: 10am-5pm; Sat: 10am- 6pm; Sun: noon -6pm

Where: Queen’s Quay, Belfast

Cost: About €35 for two adults, two children

Contact: 0044-2890467700

The Secret Life of Birds

Drop into the Discovery Zone of the National History Museum aka The Dead Zoo and meet the team from Birdwatch Ireland. Learn more about the dawn chorus and other birds. There’s no booking required but there may be short waiting time. (Wheelchair accessible).

When: 11am, Sat May 12th

Where: National History Museum, Dublin

Cost: Free

Contact: 01-677444

Twinkle Twinkle

This is a beautiful adventure in music and light, featuring brilliant puppetry, magical interaction and a gorgeous original score. A lovely event for children aged between 1 and 3 years.

When: Sun May 13th

Where: Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin

Contact: 01 231 2929; email boxoffice@paviliontheatre.ie

Cost: Tickets €10