We toured a bit of downtown Belfast before leaving on Monday morning. Eric was excited to find that a shirt he had wanted in London was on sale for 12L. That boy can shop 'til he drops!
Following the advice of the northern natives, we took the coast route to Bushmills even though it was by no means the direct route. We were not disappointed! We had breathtaking views of the coast but also views of the Glens of Antrim and area farms. The rain was intermittent throughout the day but stopped long enough for us to enjoy a picnic lunch by the seaside.
We arrived mid-afternoo
n at the Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge. This bridge is 30m above the ocean and joins the mainland to an island. Appare
ntly the best salmon fishing is on the island and fisherman still use the bridge today to get over there to fish. I managed to brave the bridge - it wasn't as bad as the suspension bridges in Quebec, so I was ok. After, we enjoyed walking on the beach and checking out the old lime quarry.
n at the Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge. This bridge is 30m above the ocean and joins the mainland to an island. Appare
ntly the best salmon fishing is on the island and fisherman still use the bridge today to get over there to fish. I managed to brave the bridge - it wasn't as bad as the suspension bridges in Quebec, so I was ok. After, we enjoyed walking on the beach and checking out the old lime quarry.We reluctantly left so we could find our first bed and breakfast of the trip. Just outside of Bushmills, down a country road, we located the Valley View B&B. Our host checked us in and then sent us on our way again so we could find our supper. Eric was excited to eat at the Smuggler's Inn where we enjoyed fresh seafood and local lamb.
We decided to take a constitutional walk on the Giant's Causeway after supper. We hadn't
realized that even when the visitor's centre is closed, that the causeway is still open so we were able to stay out until the sun was setting. There were less than a dozen other people on the whole causeway (about 5 km long) so we enjoyed a hike all the way along as we checked out these very interesting geological formations. You really have to see it to believe it. (I think my favourite part was that we weren't competing with other tourists for a view of it.) Given that this is Ireland and they seem much more lax on their safety standards than North America, we were actually able to walk out on the Causeway as it stairstepped into the sea. Neither of us went the whole way because the waves were awfully big and strong!
realized that even when the visitor's centre is closed, that the causeway is still open so we were able to stay out until the sun was setting. There were less than a dozen other people on the whole causeway (about 5 km long) so we enjoyed a hike all the way along as we checked out these very interesting geological formations. You really have to see it to believe it. (I think my favourite part was that we weren't competing with other tourists for a view of it.) Given that this is Ireland and they seem much more lax on their safety standards than North America, we were actually able to walk out on the Causeway as it stairstepped into the sea. Neither of us went the whole way because the waves were awfully big and strong!We had a good night's sleep at the B&B and a big Irish breakfast the next morning. We were on our way by 9 a.m. so 
we decided to stop at Bushmills Distillery before leaving town. Apparently 9:30 a.m. is a good time to drink whiskey because we got a tour of the whole Distillery with a shot of whiskey at the end. (Eric got pop.) I tried...I really did, but the whiskey is not my thing either. I had to get Eric to drink some of it for me - just like the beer. And then I had to figure out what I could do before I could get behind the wheel again. Driving without whiskey is nerve-wracking enough!
we decided to stop at Bushmills Distillery before leaving town. Apparently 9:30 a.m. is a good time to drink whiskey because we got a tour of the whole Distillery with a shot of whiskey at the end. (Eric got pop.) I tried...I really did, but the whiskey is not my thing either. I had to get Eric to drink some of it for me - just like the beer. And then I had to figure out what I could do before I could get behind the wheel again. Driving without whiskey is nerve-wracking enough!From Bushmills Distillery, we proceeded to Dunluce Castle. Eric wasn't too keen 
on stopping until we got out of the vehicle. There is something to be said for ancient ruins and the impact they can have on you. This castle was built right on the cliff and part of the kitchen actually fell off the cliff one night while the servants were making supper. The widow abandonned the castle there and then and it fell into disrepair.
on stopping until we got out of the vehicle. There is something to be said for ancient ruins and the impact they can have on you. This castle was built right on the cliff and part of the kitchen actually fell off the cliff one night while the servants were making supper. The widow abandonned the castle there and then and it fell into disrepair.We thought we were doing well for time because by noon we had completed the tour of the distillery and the castle. On our way to Sligo, we stopped in Londonderry (or just Derry) because it is still a walled city and I wanted to see the murals they have there to recognize the struggles of the North. (Londonderry was a hotbed of activity during the struggle for independence from Britain.)
Our luck had run out because even though we stopped and got a map at the tourist information centre, we had difficulty finding our way around. Many streets don't have signs and there are a lot of one way streets that were not clearly indicated on the map. After an hour of fighting traffic and seeing the same roundabouts (making memories like Chevy Chase in European Vacation), we decided to continue on. My patience was wearing thin.
Since we had missed out on the sights of Derry, there is an ancient Ring Fort built by the Vikings outside of
Derry that I wanted to check out. Since it is a national monument, you would think it would be clearly labeled. We did not have explicit directions on how to get there but figured we would see the signs. The first time we stopped to ask for directions was at the tourist information place in Letterkenney, about 1/2 hour PAST where we were supposed to be. She told us that we must not have been paying attention to the signs OR that the sign was maybe covered by a tree so we would need to look more closely. The second time we stopped to ask for directions, the man gave us very specific landmarks to look for; if not for that, we would have missed it again! The sign is a small hand lettered Gaelic sign that was covered by a tree! That's it! No warning, nothing. However, most tourists probably can't find it and give up because when we finally got there, there was a family of 5 just leaving and one other couple checking the place out. Once again, it was a great experience to have the place all to ourselves and look around at our leisure. Well...at our leisure until the rain came but rain is not unusual and only lasts for a bit. It was worth the turn arounds and hassle just to see it and to know that it was built over 2000 years ago.
Derry that I wanted to check out. Since it is a national monument, you would think it would be clearly labeled. We did not have explicit directions on how to get there but figured we would see the signs. The first time we stopped to ask for directions was at the tourist information place in Letterkenney, about 1/2 hour PAST where we were supposed to be. She told us that we must not have been paying attention to the signs OR that the sign was maybe covered by a tree so we would need to look more closely. The second time we stopped to ask for directions, the man gave us very specific landmarks to look for; if not for that, we would have missed it again! The sign is a small hand lettered Gaelic sign that was covered by a tree! That's it! No warning, nothing. However, most tourists probably can't find it and give up because when we finally got there, there was a family of 5 just leaving and one other couple checking the place out. Once again, it was a great experience to have the place all to ourselves and look around at our leisure. Well...at our leisure until the rain came but rain is not unusual and only lasts for a bit. It was worth the turn arounds and hassle just to see it and to know that it was built over 2000 years ago.It seemed to take forever to get to Sligo and when we finally arrived, we had terrible directions to the B&B. We kept ending up in the downtown core which is all one way streets and everything was closed so there wasn't even a place for us to stop and ask for directions. When we finally happened upon a gas station, the attendant was Polish and had no idea where anything was in town (this is not uncommon here). Finally, one of the customers directed us toward the street we wanted and we were able to find the place. This was the first time where I actually questioned the sensibility of driving in Ireland. Up until then, I had been able to chalk up any driving issues as "part of the adventure".
However, after another good night's sleep and a full Irish breakfast prepared by our leprechaun of a host, I had replenished my patience stores enough to venture back onto the road.
Today is a blog in and of itself which I will do later.
Are you trying to lead Eric astray by ordering these drinks and then having him finish them? I hope he is not acquiring a taste for Irish whiskey. You know it's in his genes to love drinking it straight!!
ReplyDelete