2010:365:236 Holidays were ...

…. amazing!

 One last tour today – the longest of the holidays!  

So many beautiful things to see, such wonderful sites to visit. 

The day started with a picnic coffee stop at the Quoile Centre and a quick run for Eliot.

Crossing Strangford Lough by ferry is always a personal favourite even though the journey is very short.  The town of Portaferry hugs the shoreline with attractive buildings.  

Part of the drive northwards is along the side of the Lough where we watched a seal

and enjoyed the rich variety of bird life that is attracted to this tidal inlet of the Irish Sea. 

A field of geese provided an opportunity for Eliot to show how useless he is at herding!  They took off and made a beautiful circle above our heads, protesting loudly that their lunch had been disturbed by an enthusiastic dog.

Mount Stewart was the next stop. 

So much beauty in a small area.  

The photographs hardly even begin to show just how amazing it looks on a summer’s afternoon.

Home was via Killinchy and the little marina there

– three men (and a dog) in a boat heading out to their yacht completed the picture of perfection (that's the first photograph on this blog - used for the 365Project).  Eliot enjoyed a bit of a run with Nellie before she followed her master into the little rowing boat.

And so to home; stopping to allow some cattle to cross the road, 

and then collect a fish supper to round off a perfect day. 

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

praise him, all creatures here below;

praise him above, ye heavenly host;

praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Church Hymnal number 63 (verse 6)

Thomas Ken (1637-1711)