I arrive home from work exhausted. My feet throb, my hips ache and my head is pounding (how old am I?!).
My body longs for a lazy evening on the sofa – snacks, some rubbish tv and snuggles. My spirit on the other hand craves adventure.

Over dinner we discuss things we could do.

“Run?” suggests one of the boys. 

“Hips too sore,” I reply.

“Cycle?” suggests another.

I ponder it for a moment, willing my lethargic body to catch up with my mind.

“Okay…let’s go see the dragons in town.”

And with that we geared up for a Saturday night bike ride on the Connswater Greenway, through the Titanic Quarter all the way into town in search of these mysterious dragons Mum had heard about.

Spirits are high and the chat is good enroute and the promise of ice cream at the finish line an excellent motivating factor. 

Evening drew in and as we pedalled our way into Belfast harbour area we were able to enjoy the familiar sights of our home city all lit up. Usually we cycle this route by day so it was an added adventure for the boys getting to stay out late and see the city as darkness began to fall. 

We secured our bikes and ventured into Victoria Square on foot because I had heard that the Ulster Museum had set up a temporary exhibition in the centre with the centre piece being the stunning dragons flying in the dome. 

The boys were in awe of the magnificent beasts and with the backdrop of the Victoria Square dome I have to say it is a very impressive sight. We continued on and visited the other museum installations before making our way to Spoon Street for some well earned frozen yoghurt. The boys were having a great laugh and were in a deep discussion about future adventures. 

We dandered back to our bicycles, tiredness and contentment sweeping over us. It really had turned out to be a fun and spontaneous evening out in our great city. We love this place. We love the cycle paths we have access to right on our doorstep and we love the vibe in the city. The cycle home was leisurely as we continued to marvel at the city by night. It was by far much more entertaining than Saturday night tv! 

School starts back next week and it feels as though we are squeezing the last precious moments out of summer. The boys have gone to bed tired and joyful and as I write this blog I note that despite my own tiredness, my weariness has lifted. Here’s to the dragons!