Northern Ireland

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Hiya! Welcome to Ireland!!

I will just start by saying that I would suggest everyone google a map of Ireland so that you can follow my movements easier.

For those who dont know I am spending the next two weeks driving around Ireland with my scotish friend Fiona.

I started the trip by taking the train from London to Edinburgh. Fiona met me at the train station and we stopped at her house to unload all my summer clothes (really don't think I will need them in Ireland!). From there we had a 3 hour drive to Stranraer which is on the west coast of Scotland. We stayed in a lovely b&b near the water. I was a little ignorant an didn't actually realize that a b&b is actually someones house and you are just hiring a room there! Was very sweet. We had a DVD player and movies. Flowers in the room. Tea and coffee, mints and the biggest towels I have seen!!

The breakfast in the morning was fantastic. After spending a month in Europe where breakfast is just bread, it was fantatic to have a fry up! Except I did leave the black pudding on the plate! After breakfast we drove the whole 5 mins to the ferry and boarded to take it across to Belfast. We had an hour delay sitting on the boat, but when we finally started to move it took 3 hours to get across. Now I'm not the best on boats and this was exceptionally rough. I slept the whole way. It was the only way to stop being sick!

When we got to Belfast we rang and organized a black cab tour around the city. We were driven by a local who gave us the history of the troubles of Belfast and northern ireland. It was interesting to hear how there is 11 peace walls in place even today to keep the two communities apart. Each wall has a gate which is locked at 9pm and not reopen until 6am. Unlike the Berlin wall these peace walls are welcome by the people for thier own safety. From 1991 until 2000 every prisoner who was in jail for crimes committed during the unrest was released from jail. This means mass murderers are now wondering the street free people. These people are actually celebrated through murals where people truly believed by killing 9 men makes you a hero.

Now for a tourist Belfast is apparently te safest city in the entire europe. However in saying that we didn't stay in Belfast we drove and hour and half north and are staying in Coleraine.

Ok so this is where you will need a map! Today we drove from Coleraine north to the Antrim coast. We went to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, which is a 20 metro swaying rope bridge over the ocean below to a small fishing Island. Very pretty views from there except for the clouds and rain! From there we drove down the coast to Cushendall for lunch. Very small village with not much there! Had a hot soup for lunch. Then we drove further south to the Glens of Antrim to Glenariff forest park. To did a 4 km walk to two different waterfalls. In all we walked 6km today. 2km to the rope bridge and then 4 to the waterfalls.

By the time we finished the waterfalls we were a little wet and muddy. Oh forgot to say that Ireland has not let me down with the weather. Gray skies the occassional rain! Plus side not too cold think it got to 13 today!! So we came back to Coleraine had a shower and got changed. Then we drove to Portrush for tea. Nothing is very far away in Ireland. Think our longest drive for this whole trip is 3 hours if we didn't stop. For tea we went to the lovely restaurant situated on the waterfront. Had some amazing views looking along the coast. Really good prices, we had 3 courses for 13 pounds.

That brings us back to Coleraine to the pub downstairs that was free wifi! Tomorrow we are going to the giants causeway in the morning. Have no idea what that is so I can't explain!! Then we are drive west to Donegall via Derry which is our next stop!

We are living it up on this trip and staying in b&b and hotels so I'm techincally not backpacking, but it is a lovely change not staying in bunkbeds!

Well that's your update for today. Will blog again when I have wifi! Probably won't be able to get photos up till I'm back in Scotland as I'm only using my iPod.

Talk soon. B

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Comments

[Petah Day]

Hi Bec So glad you are in Ireland. My fav place. Enjoy and have a pint for me. The people are just so so friendly and the B&B's are very cute. Eat up with the big brekkie's. We found we did not need lunch just some fruit. Good cost saving. Enjoy Look forward to hearing more from Ireland Take care Petah