Places to visit along the Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland

In my opinion, the Causeway Coastal Route is the gem of Northern Ireland. I really couldn't recommend it enough. Located between Belfast and Derry, the road route takes in the northern rugged coastline. At 120 miles, you can easily complete it over a few days and still have a leisurely drive. Here are my favourite places to stop off at - but trust me, there's plenty more on my list I'm hoping to tick off next time as there's so much more to visit than is listed below...

Ballintoy
This tiny harbour fast became one of my favourite places in the world when we stopped the car. After initially popping it on our list because of the Game of Thrones reference, I fell head over heels as we clambered over the rocks with the warm sunshine on our faces, laughing at the crazy men who stripped off to their pants in January to go swimming in the freezing Atlantic Ocean. It is so peaceful and beautiful. Make sure you wear sensible shoes as it's just begging to explored. There's a little cafe for a pitstop of tea and cake.

Portstewart
Portstewart is a cute little seaside town filled with sweet little cafes, interesting independent shops and a gorgeous sandy beach. We visited on a grey and gloomy day but I imagine it would be absolutely beautiful when the sun is shining. Put aside a few hours to explore  - I spied a homeware shop I want to visit when I'm back. Make sure you stop for an ice cream in Morellis. I'm told by the locals it's a Irish institution and it's well worth the trip to Portstewart alone. Just look at that sundae!

Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge

Located not too far from Balintoy Habour, this rope bridge was first erected by salmon fisherman in 1755. It's hard to believe they used to cast their nets over this rickety old bridge for a living. It's quite a big tourist attraction so be prepared to queue but it's worth it. Try to visit early morning to minimise the queuing.

Mussenden Temple
As you can tell from the picture, the gorgeous blue skies disappeared after our first day. Can never rely on the weather in Ireland! But Mussenden Temple was breathtaking - even against the grey skies. Located on the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the temple was in 1785 by Lord Bristol - the owner of Downhill Demense where it is situated. Again it's a Game of Thrones location so you'll recognise it if you're a fan. It's on my list to return too when we visited again during sunnier times. The white sandy beach below is worth a wander too - sometimes I can't believe the beauty of the beaches in Ireland.

The Dark Hedges
Another Game of Thrones locations - can you tell we had a theme going on during the trip? I'd recommend to go early in the morning as it does get congested with cars. The trees keep falling down during storms so it's one to go to sooner rather than later!

Binevenagh Mountain
The view from the top of Binevenagh Mountain is breath-taking - just be careful not to be blown off the side as it gets windy up there! It's such a beautiful drive up there. On a clear day you can see from Magilligan to Donegal in the south. Keep an eye out for the Mannaan Mac Lir sculpture- a celtic sea god from Irish mythology.

Derry
Last but not least, Derry. I've got a bit of a soft spot for this city as I've been a few times to visit my boyfriend's family. It's a city that's on the rise. I can't believe how much more vibrant and welcoming it feels now. We has only last visited three ago and now it feels transformed. With so much more money being invested, it's only going to get better. It's full of fascinating history, warm locals, incredible restaurants and fun pubs and bars. It's a place I can't wait to discover more of on my next trip which hopefully won't take as long as three years to organise!

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The perfect Easter spread for a gathering

Since I've bought my own house my interiors obsession has gotten out of control. Luckily Amara has helped me to fund this interiors obsession with this selection of gorgeous ceramics. I can't wait to have the house in shape to invite people round for dinner parties, drinks and afternoon tea. Any excuse to put on a spread. What better excuse to put on a spread than Easter weekend?

So in keeping with tradition, I attempted my very first roast leg of lamb but with a Greek twist. After scouring Good Food for a suitable recipe - all my cookbooks are in storage ready for the move! - I came across the perfect recipe and decided to serve it with a simple Greek salad and rosemary mini roasties. To help keep with the spring theme I treated myself to bunch of tulips in this pretty white and blue patterned jug*. I much prefer the rustic, country look of putting flowers in a jug to a glass vase - I just think it feels more homely and this jug couldn't be more perfect.

Easter is often a time where it's a whirlwind of people coming and going and the urgently of being in certain places at the right time. So because of this you need something delicious yet something that is really simple to cook. This roast lamb is perfect because you marinate it then stick it in the oven in an oven proof dish - like this yellow patterned one* - surrounded by some herby potatoes before sitting back and letting it cook. The tasty oregano, garlic and olive oil sauce scored into the lamb really helped to keep the meat juicy and flavoursome.

As the weather is usually starting to pick up by Easter, it means meals start to get a little bit lighter and salads start to take centre stage. Served in this green pattern terracotta bowl*, a Greek Salad was the perfect accompaniment to the lamb. Vine cherry tomatoes, cucumber cubes, slices of red onion, a handful of black olives, a handful of sun-dried tomatoes were tossed in a glug of olive oil and dried oregano. A generous sprinkling of salty feta cheese was the finishing touch. There's just something about lamb and Greek flavours that goes so well don't you think?

For those who prefer their roast meat with a bit of a sauce, this simple concoction of a tin of chopped tomatoes and black olives warmed in a saucepan is great. It feels fresh and keeps in with theme thanks to the typically Greek ingredients. I served it on these cute colourful tapas dishes* to match the gorgeous summery plates*. Isn't there just something about this collection that screams warm weather?

What are your favourite recipes for Easter?

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Five things I've learnt since buying a house

We've only had the keys to our house less than two weeks but it feels like we've always owned it. We've not moved in yet and probably won't for a few months as it needs a fair bit of work to spruce it up. But here are some things I've learnt since we excitedly picked up the keys to our house. And sat on the floor surrounded by the smell of cat wee eating fish and chips...

1. It's never quite how you remember
We went to see our house twice before we got the keys yet by the time we walked through those doors I had completely forgotten what it looked it. It seemed smaller than what I remembered. But after that first shock of walking through the door of a home you now own, it's hard to imagine never not owning it. The feeling is probably one of the greatest ones in the world.

2. It's a marathon not a sprint
I'm very impatient by nature so it's very hard that my house is currently looking like a Pinterest wet dream. We knew it needed a far bit of work when we bought it but when I realised that it wasn't going to be looking pristine in a week, it was hard. It's pretty frustrating that it's not looking exactly how I want it to be. But I want to do it right. I don't want to just buy things to 'make do', I'd rather go without for a few months to save up for the things I really want. So I'm just going to suck it up and deal with bare floorboards and paintless walls for a little while longer.

3. Compromising is hard
I have all these bright ideas in my head and thanks to my only child syndrome, I'm pretty prone to wanting my own way. Compromising isn't one of my strongest traits. But I'm learning. We just don't have the budget to have all these things I've envisioned. I'm beginning to hate the 'B' word...  Instead of having Farrow & Ball paint all over the house, we've comprised on using it on the feature walls we have planned and Dulux white paint everywhere else. It's the little things like that help to keep the costs down yet still allow you to have what you really want.

4. Reality is very different
You never really know what you buy because it's so hard to really inspect a house when its filled with furniture. You can't really go to someone else's house and start moving things in order to get a good look. Unless of course, you fancy a bop on the nose. We brought this house thinking we had a year to try and get it to what we wanted while living there. It turned out that it was just a bit of a bodge job. The skirting boards were different sizes, the kitchen had seen better days, the bathroom is grotty and the floorboards are uneven. In a way it's a blessing because it means we HAVE to get it sorted now rather than make do.

5. Money gets swallowed up
£3,000 sounds like a lot of money until you take into consideration how much paint costs, plasterers cost, flooring costs and furniture costs. Spoiler. It isn't a lot of money. AT ALL. We're going to concentrate on getting the house in a decent shape rather than think about furniture. So it looks like we will be sitting on camping chairs in the living room until the summer. But all part of the fun eh?

Despite everything, it really is the best thing I have done. I still can't quite get over the fact I now own a house. A HOUSE. I've never adulted so hard...

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