It’s been quite a summer for Paddy and Plunkett! They’ve spent a glorious couple of months seeing all there is to see in Sussex and Kent, from white cliffs and lighthouses…
… To fantastic castles!
But it’s hard to get out of the way of travelling once you get started, so after the briefest of stopovers at home, they were back on the road again! This time, their wandering paws took them somewhere a little closer to home…
First stop, Ballintoy Harbour! This picturesque little town, situated a bit east of the famous Giant’s Causeway, may not ring a bell with all of you, but fans of “Game of Thrones” may find this place more than a little familiar. Careful, Paddy and Plunkett… You’ve ended up on the Iron Islands! And look, here come some of the locals!
Well, it turns out that only a couple of them were bona fide Iron-Born… the rest are visitors to the area, taking one of the many “Game of Thrones”-themed tours that have sprung up in the wake of the HBO series’ success. The use of out-of-the-way places in Northern Ireland as locations for Game of Thrones has been a huge lift to tourism in these places… and in the country as a whole. For the first time, people are getting out and exploring the natural beauty of Northern Ireland, rather than focusing on our troubled past… and I reckon that’s something to celebrate!
Here’s Paddy posing with some of that spectacular coastline, to give you a taster…
…And check out this amazing natural stone arch!
Back in Ballintoy, Plunkett’s well-publicised love of unusual architecture led him to seek out a local landmark!
This is Bendhu House, and it was the lifelong project of Newton Penprase, a lecturer from the Belfast College of Art. He started it in 1936, and he continued to add to it over the next few decades, earning the building a reputation locally as “the house that was never finished”. The fact that he taught fine art has really left its mark – each window perfectly frames a view, and apparently Penprase brought his students up here to teach them about composition. He was also responsible for the sculptures you can see on the exterior, which add to its unique look!
Penprase died in 1978, and his house was sold and subsequently fell into disrepair. However, in the early 90s, it was bought by its present owners, who have made it their mission to sympathetically restore this incredible, one-of-a-kind home.
And speaking of home, Paddy and Plunkett are off to put their paws up for a while! I think they’ve earned some down-time, don’t you? Of course, please feel free to share your own weekend plans in the comments – you might just inspire them to start planning their next day away!
What a fun little adventure!
Thank you! I think the boys are done with travelling now… Well, at least for a couple of weeks 😆
Trust Paddy and Plunkett to find somewhere amazing. What a fabulous house…I wonder if they do tours? I bet Plunkett would be a first class guide!
I’m sure! And with all the amazing buildings he’s seen over the last couple of months, I reckon he’ll soon have enough material for his long-awaited first book…
They have been busy
Haven’t they? These two never stay in one place for long!
Another amazing Paddy & Plunkett tour, Is it just me or does Bendhu house look akin to a super upmarket sandcastle ?? I’d take up residence in a heartbeat 🙂
Hahaha! You know what, you’re right! It probably used to look even more like a sandcastle back in the day… When Mr Penprase lived there, the exterior was just plain concrete. Nice to see you back in the land of the blogging, I’ll have to pop over and see what you’ve been up to!
I’ve been thoroughly enchanted by your mighty duo’s adventures this summer, what a pair of expert tour guides …a signing should be in the offering by ye olde ‘Wish You Were Here’ TV program they sure beat Judith Chalmers as presenters LOL
Why thank you! The boys will be super-chuffed to hear that… And wow, remember “Wish You Were Here”? Essential family viewing in my house! Judith Chalmers really did have the best job EVER, and Paddy and Plunkett would love to take over (hint hint, to any telly execs reading this)!
Start sending their resume off ..all the old programs are having a resurgence get in there quick LOL
True! I heard “The Crystal Maze” is making a comeback… I wonder if they’re looking for a host as well? Dust down your CVs, Beasties! We’re going to be on the telly! 😀
Oooo your boys on Crystal Maze ~ now that would be cool LOL
The Bendhu house sure looks interesting but the Iron Islands are my favorite. They do look familiar because I watched GoT but they also remind me somewhat of Iceland. 😀
Yes, there’s some beautiful coastline up there… And if you head north-west, Iceland is your next stop. So I suppose it makes sense that there would be some similarities! Iceland is somewhere I’d love to visit… Maybe next year! Thanks for stopping by! 😀
Definitely make that trip to Iceland … it’s so worth the money! And it’s only a short flight from Europe!
That’s true… I’m on it! Time to raid the piggy bank 😀
Sure is beautiful coastline along there, and the boys are looking so dapper too!
Thanks! I wish I could have gone with them… They got a great day for it!
These little guys have a serious case of the Travel Bug! And while they’re hanging out at GoT locations remind them not to accept any roles in the show because I think George RR Martin would be all too happy to kill off these handsome, fellows.
Good thinking! I hope they made it back ok… It’s been a couple of days since I’ve seen them. Wait, what’s this? An invitation to an event called “The Red Weaving”… Eeeeek! 😱
😂😂😂 “You knit nothing Jon Snow”
Hahaha! Something tells me that the story would have unfolded quite differently if Jon Snow had been a knitter…
Actually, knitting was George RR Martin’s original theme for the series. He went a different route obviously, but he did keep Arya’s weapon as Needle. And that’s your Little Known Entirely Made Up Fact of the Day.
Brilliant! Now to find a suitable GoT message board to post this on…