Newtownards, Co. Down

After the last big chill of St. Patrick's weekend, Spring has decided to grace us with her presence here in Ireland - finally! The days are suddenly a wee bit longer, a wee bit warmer and a wee bit sweeter. Maybe we can all stop talking about how freezing that winter was now?! We had the Monday off after Paddy's Day and after waking up to snow in Dublin the day before, our expectations were fairly low for weather at home in Belfast. You can imagine my giddy surprise then when I saw actual sun-rays beaming through the curtains the next morning; I could even hear birds singing outside! Andrew wasn't quite as enthusiastic as I was about the glorious day that stretched ahead of us as he tends to be fairly melodramatic in the mornings. He even purchased a black-out eye mask recently for his delicate peepers and wears ear plugs so the kids next door don't wake him up - not exactly a morning kind of guy (and a guy who will get a major shock when he becomes a Dad one day). After he managed to peel himself from the scratcher I immediately told him we were headed for an adventure in the spring sunshine (he is so lucky to have me, I know). I knew he wouldn't have wanted to head too far but lucky for us there are tonnes of pretty spots within quick driving distance of Belfast. I chose to heads towards Newtownards which is about 15 minutes from Belfast and sits at the very northern tip of Strangford Lough. It's a town I've enjoyed getting to know a little more and the area around it is full of places to explore, some of which are fairly unknown to those living in the city up the road. I've listed a few of my favourite locations in the area for food, photography and views to help entice you towards the Lough. It's definitely a place worth venturing to now the brighter days are among us, even just to catch a glimpse of an Irish golden sunset melting in to the Mourne mountains on the other side of the water. Scrabo Tower The tower is an imposing presence above Newtownards and can be seen from pretty much everywhere in the North Down area. This means that there are killer views the lough and on a good day you can even spy Scotland in the distance if you squint hard enough! The hill is a bit of a steep climb so your thighs won't thank you but you can rest them at one of the picnic stops on the way. You can actually wander inside the tower during the summer months to learn a bit more about it's history too but mostly I like to admire it from outside where the wind isn't blowing and the sun is shining. Mahee Island About a 5 minute drive outside of Newtownards lies Mahee Island, an island connected to the mainland by a tiny wee road that seems to lead to hundreds of wee islands. There is something very secretive about these islands, most of them are privately owned so you can't be too nosy but Mahee Island itself is welcome to tourists and is perfect for getting to know a completely different side of Co. Down. There are castle ruins to explore, empty beaches to stroll on and clear blue waters to canoe your way through to get a better view of all the islands. There's even a wetland centre too which showcases the huge variety of wildlife in the area too. It's definitely a hidden gem on the banks of the Lough and a perfect place to take the bikes out to if we're ever blessed with a good day. Haptik Do you know those cafés you visit for the first time that make you think to yourself: I would love to run a place like this? Well Haptik is one of those places. We ate there for the first time recently and as soon as we walked in I knew I would be back many times. The industrial décor was right up my street (anyone who follows me on Instagram will see this in my stories!) but the food was what impressed us most. The menu had an Australian brunch feel to it with Andrew practically licking the smashed avocado off his plate. Johnny (who runs the place along with his wife) was super friendly and told us they do monthly supper clubs too so I'm now following them on Facebook to make sure I can book on to the next one! The best surprise of all though was upstairs where they have an ongoing art exhibition and amazing children's shop call Wu Concept. It's the perfect place to pick up a gift for a wee one or just to go and feel extremely broody (which was what I did). Mount Stewart Mount Stewart is a National Trust favourite and a popular summer destination epecially among families. The gardens come to life in the warmer months with a lake to stroll around away from the crowds. The house is now open for tours too if you're feeling particularly aristocratic with events running throughout the year too. I tend to visit the house in the late afternoon because it has the perfect sunset view over the water which is always the perfect way to end a day of adventure.