Silent Valley was probably never so peaceful. With just one car in the car-park, there was an embarrassment of spaces for this tourist to choose from.
The reservoir is as beautiful as ever, nestling among the Mournes in Co Down.
While tourists are cordially bidden to walk round the lawns, dally with the ducks on the ornamental pond, and enjoy gazing into the depths of the reservoir, the mountains are off limits due to foot-and-mouth precautions.
The man in the entrance booth was pleased to take the £3 sterling admission fee and announce that Silent Valley was open for business. Beaming, he said the mountains would also be open again this week. The next day Northern Ireland's second foot-and-mouth outbreak was confirmed, and one feels his optimistic smile and warm welcome must be wavering.
It was a strange holiday, with the feeling that the land was under siege. Before we reached our destination, the car had been disinfected four times: the wheels sprayed at some checkpoints, the undercarriage and sides at others. Delays were minimal, but it was hardly cheery.
Access to the gate-lodge where we stayed was via a white wooden gate sporting a large sign stating that Tollymore Forest Park was closed due to foot-and-mouth.
The sound of sheep and newborn lambs on the nearby farms and the occasional appearance of deer among the trees sent shivers up the spine. Clovenhooved no longer translates into cute. As we drove through the Mournes, stray lambs and sheep elicited comments on disease spread.
Nearby, in Newcastle, the myriad amusement arcades and fast-food restaurants were open while the sea rolled in under a relentlessly rainy sky. Further north, Seaforde gardens with their tropical butterfly house and intriguing maze had attracted a few families in search of diversion during the school holidays.
In Belfast the new W5 (Who, What, Where, When, Why) centre was buzzing. Located in the Odyssey complex, it presents a series of intellectual and physical challenges to children and teenagers. These range from designing your own miniature racing car to making an animated film.
In Portaferry the Exploris aquarium and seal sanctuary was also drawing the crowds.
But back in the Mournes the spectre of foot-and-mouth cast its long shadow again. And on the way home the route was punctuated by the now familiar disinfection rites.
Northern Ireland may be open for business, but the closure of its countryside, and the confirmation of its third case of foot-and-mouth, hardly bode well for its ability to attract any but the most determined of tourists.