The Adventure to Fermanagh is Taking Shape

Airfare and trip insurance fees were charged to our credit card today and a huge fee for passport renewals was sent in for expedited service. I don't know if this is prejudice against Protestants of Irish descent or not.

I found that having a good travel agent is a great advantage in getting the best fares and seats for the money and most especially for giving great advice. We will be in Fermanagh for parts of 10 days with more than half of those days spent in Belleek. Belleek isn't easy to find even in a small county such as Fermangh and even with a good size fold out map from Michelin. It is relatively close to Donegal Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It is just southeast of Ballyshannon and a little west of Lower Lough Erne.

Judging by said map, it looks as though we will travel from Belfast and up the west side of Lough Erne going from the lower end of upper Lough Erne to the top of Lower Lough Erne. I think I am lost already, but, thank goodness, the tour guide or one of his associates will pick us up at the Belfast Harbor Airport and deliver us to our bed and breakfast accomodation in Belleek. I will not have to learn to drive on the wrong side of the street or get lost in transit. Barry McCain says that getting lost in Ireland is fun, but he is much more into adventure than I.

So, between Belfast and Belleek, we will pass all along the west coast of the lough including things we will come back to see later in the tour. If you haven't looked at Lough Erne on a map, you may be surprised to learn that upper Lough Erne is south of lower Lough Erne. In this case, it is because the River Erne rises in the mountains at the south end of the county and runs to the north so the terms upper and lower refer to elevation rather than compass directions. More later.