The Merchant's House

The Merchant's House B&B is stunning.

After ringing around to almost every B&B in Portrush there was only one place available in a town nearby....we stayed in a super old school B n B called Chez Nous which was over priced and all items in the house were circa 1960s including threadbare sheets, beds with the springs popping out of them, old towels, several types of patterned wall paper and various pieces of patterned carpet mixed together, the oldest tea cups and cutlery and a mish mash of knicknacks and stuff everywhere - which was a bit of a pattern/grandmother's house type nightmare, it was clean and the owner was friendly which was its redeeming point but I think the house desperately needs a bit of updating.

So for the next night we decided to book accommodation early to ensure we got one of our top 3 choices and luckily there was one room left at the Merchant's House -top 3 rated in the Lonely Planet guide. Entering the Merchant's house was like stepping into a home out of a movie, it has an aura to it and is decorated so well and maintained that you felt instantly at home. The Merchant's House is award winning restored Georgian town house located just outside the old city walls of Derry. There are large rooms, high ceilings, fab plaster work and beautiful antique furniture, paintings and lovely accents all around.

The family that owns it was so lovely and caring - you could just feel the love in the house, there were family photos, Easter cards from previous guests/friends, letters of thanks for American govt officials who stayed there and books, games and large comfortable couches for you to lounge back in if you didn't want to stay in your gorgeous room. The two staff there were such nice ladies with such gentle, kind mannerisms and the owner was absolutely lovely and genuinely interested in her guests. I could've stayed there forever...the breakfast was also v.nice - home made jams and marmalade on traditional Irish soda bread.

The dining room was set immaculately and all items in the house were just perfect. When I asked if the owner decorated the house herself, she answered, 'I did but the house has its own style and dictates what it needs..' She could probably be the Irish Martha Stewart without the jailbird history.

There was even a document in the entrance that dated back to the 1600s (I think) and it stated that the rent for the home back them was ₤14.00 for the whole year. My camera's battery died so only have a few dark pics...will post more when I get some and their website doesn't do it any justice. My only recommendation is get there to see it for yourself.

"This elegant Georgian house has been revived with such care that it won a Civic Trusts Ireland conservation award". Frommer's 2004.

Mary had a little...


Lamb, lamb everywhere...the lush, green countryside of Northern Ireland was filled with lots of baby lamb. It is lambing season. They are adorable and so fluffy and white you just want to squeeze them! As a big city girl, I had to ask the lovely driver to pull over a few times for pics; the driver was a farm child so was laughing at my oohiing and ahhing at all the animals.

Easter in Northern Ireland was a treat, lots of green space, lots of gorgeous countryside framed by moutains, beautiful beaches and coastline (we followed the Coastal Route from Belfast to Londonderry)and lots of interesting people. Basically I could not understand half of what people were saying and they also could not understand me too?! So quite entertaining.

Good Friday in Ballycastle saw us waiting an hour at a local fish and chip shop by the sea for the fresh cod. Saturday we had dinner in Portrush at Kelly's nightclub - which was, for the Canadian readers, more like Ponderosa in the 70s with a dance floor (we didn't go to the Lush side where Pete Tong was playing today so can't comment on that side). When we stepped into the restaurant it felt like we stepped into a scene out of Eastenders. The bar was strangely decorated with stuffed moose, deer, tigers and other safari animals staring down at patrons - all very eclectic for Portrush, it was going for a glamouros, Harrods-y, colonial, safari, wilderness feel with a bit of nautical, which all doesn't really mix too well, non?

Also we were quite exotic there as we didn't have fake tans or look like a WAG wearing too much jewelery and have many tatoos. I wish I had the camera that night as some of the people in there could be made into new characters for Little Britain.

Sunday we ate the traditional Sunday roast at the only pub that was open in Derry which unfortunately wasn't a traditional Irish pub but a Wetherspoons (eek!) Needless to say, am glad to be back in London, eating my tuna and chickpea salad and muesli breakfast!

As they say in Ireland, good craic!