Northern Ireland: I’d been staying in Belfast and was about to start my two week journey around Northern Ireland. My taxi was on time and deposited me at the airport in a timely fashion where I was to pick up my hire car. I generously gave the driver my last £20 – money was slipping away fast!

I didn’t have long to wait at the Avis counter but I think the guy was confused, more confused than I was at any rate and that was saying something. He wanted a £1200 deposit! or maybe that was £500, or maybe it was £1700! then again he mentioned £200 and £303! By that time my eyes had started to glaze over and I left without asking for a receipt, something I was to regret later. All this for a car that was the size of a shoebox.

The drive out of Belfast was uninspiring. So much so I felt like taking the next ferry back to England. But it soon improved, not as dramatic as Scotland or the Lake District where I’d just spent the last 3 weeks but it definitely improved.

Trivia: Carrickfergus means “Rock of Fergus”. The story goes that King Fergus sailed there looking for a cure for leprosy. It seems the waters of the well in the rock had healing powers. Unfortunately, his ship was wrecked before he got there so no one will ever know if he would have been cured.

Another story is that the ship of Fergus the Great ran aground on the rocky shore thus the name Carrickfergus came into being.

By this time, I’d fully regained my equilibrium after the chaotic experience at the Avis counter, and I was pleased to discover that the road north mostly hugged the coastline, while some of the hills to my left were dotted with vibrant yellow gorse.

I have no idea what I had for lunch but seem to remember that I paid a visit to an icecream van conveniently situated in a carpark in Larne. Food was the last thing on my mind as I travelled north; I was too busy indulging my passion for wildflower photography with the wildflowers that were carpeting the roadside!

That day was a lesson for me not to prejudge any destination, or the road leading to it. Although there were no high mountains or dark forests, the road ran through green hills, cute villages and ocean cliffs. It was an easy drive and I was thrilled to stop and see the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge from a viewpoint on the cliffs edge. It was to be one of the highlights of the following day as well as searching out The Dark Hedges. I’ve never seen Game of Thrones but several filming locations had caught my eye and this was one of them.

But first – Ballintoy. I arrived at The Fullerton Arms in good time considering all the stops I’d made along the way and was welcomed by a collection of Game of Thrones memorabilia. A door, no less, and a throne! Who needs a red carpet?

For reasons unknown, despite having prebooked and paid for two nights, I was only assigned one. After urgent discussions, this issue was rectified. Although the room was small, it was clean and sufficient. I didn’t intend to spend much time in it anyway, there was too much to see.

After a great meal I needed to stretch my legs so I headed out to Ballintoy Harbour, not a long distance to walk but downhill most of the way, and of course uphill on the way back. In fact I didn’t go right down to the harbour, I weaseled out and decided to drive down the following day. Whether my shoebox car would make it back up the hill would be open to speculation!

Ballintoy Harbour was also featured in Game of Thrones and it was becoming clear that the series was going to follow me around for some part of the two weeks of my journey around Northern Ireland.

By the time I arrived back at the hotel night was approaching, so I documented the day’s events in my diary and prepared for bed, content in the anticipation that the following day would offer more great opportunities for exploration.