http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , United Kingdom , Northern Ireland , Londonderry en-us Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:46:30 UTC Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:46:30 UTC The sun was elusive today as it has been for most of our time here. It appears when your not expecting and stays briefly all the while shifting and changing from behind the clouds and then slowly fades. Today we left Robins house and traveled from Porstewart to Derry along the coast taking scenic routes when possible. We started by walking along the promenade watching the sea and wind slam again http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-343371.html When I saw that there was a four day break in this current European tour with my band I immediately began researching somewhere to visit that's just how my brain works. Never mind that we haven't had more than two consecutive days off since March and that I've been globetrotting without rest pretty much the entire year... I was hungry for more adventure. I settled on a short trip to visit m http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-302368.html July 15 2008 TuesdayDerry into Londonderry or Derry on to Bushmills Northern IrelandBallyness Caravan Caravan Park We shared a taxi the first one this trip with our fellow campers into DerryLondonderry. A walking tour of this historic walled city was our first introduction. Martin our guide although fast talking was very knowledgeable about the city and its history. The ups http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-300582.html Today I was spontaneous. I decided that Belfast wasn't my favorite city and I wanted to go see Giant's CAuseway. There was a flyer for a Paddy wagon tour to Giant's Causeway the Carrickaride Rope Bridge and Derry. It was only 18 which is awesome because the bus to Derry would have been 15. I paid at the reception desk a the hostel. I got the very last empty seat on the tour.I went to the http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-282885.html Leaving Derry we headed north up to the coast. Our first stop was the Giantrsquos Causeway where Susie Brooke Sam and I took the scenic route along the cliff for some amazing views. The Causeway is actually a set of rocks all shaped hexagonally that originally stretched all the way to Scotland until the seas rose leaving Ireland as an island apart from Britain. This has given rise to several http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-260304.html I went to my first St. Patrick's Day parade today so it seems fitting that my first one would be in Northern Ireland don't hate me. It was really interesting and a lot of people were packed in to see the parade. I went with Minda Sarah Kelly and Ronald and we were all in our green. I have some pictures and hopefully some video. Well I am off to Scotland tomorrow. I hope you enjoy the pi http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-257059.html I haven't done a whole lot of traveling yet that is changing very soon but one of the places I did get to go was the city of Belfast. The city was different than I expected given it reminded me so much of an American city. The city still had plenty of sites and history which is almost more important to me but it still came off as extremely modern and American. This trip was also the first time http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-252379.html Welcome to another exciting blog entry Last night I went and auditioned for a play at the Waterside Theatre in Derry. It just happens that the play is Hamlet. Well I tried. I guess I will see what happens with that. Afterwards I bought a ticket for Hayseed Dixie. They are a BluegrassRock band that is a 'Hillbilly Tribute to ACDC' because they do covers in their own style of ACDC. I first h http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-251383.html Another part of the city I've been able to explore is the Bogside. This may sound familiar because this was a focal point of The Troubles in Derry over the last 35 years being it is an entirely Catholic area and at one time an IRA stronghold still is depending on who you ask. This is also where Bloody Sunday happened in January of 1972 when 14 unarmed protestors were shot and killed by British t http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-250687.html I know I'm a little late starting this but I figured better late than never. I've been in Londonderry or Derry as most of the locals call it for a little over a month now. I absolutely love it so far. One of the coolest things about this city is it has so much history and culture. Historically the inner part of the city known as the walls is completely surrounded by enormous stone walls. It was http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-250361.html I cannot believe it. Well it has been a little more than a month since I left Nashville and arrived in Derry Northern Ireland. Now I have started this blog to share my experiences and photos. Hopefully I will update this blog regularly. Enjoy my photos from the past month. Photos include my time in Belfast my second trip to Belfast Derry Portrush the Causeway coast and one night in Col http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-249040.html I'm back in Derry It has been a crazy busy week so far. I arrived in Dublin Monday morning and Aimee my friend from Derry that I backpacked through Eastern Europe with met me at the airport. We went to her place in Dublin and showered and ate and then caught the bus to Derry. I was completely exhausted so I slept the whole way which was good because I was expected to go to the Union for Manic http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-223573.html I had not planned an posting another entry to this blog until Thursday or Friday of this week. However due to some recent events here in Northern Ireland I felt it necessary to share with you what has happened over the past couple of days. Monday morning I awoke to my usual cup of coffee and reading of the BBC news on its website. I was taken aback when I found a report of unrest in Derry. Th http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-207592.html I was not nervous at all going to Northern Ireland just anxious. Back home people said we should be extra careful stay on the bus with all the troubles going on with the political conflict but I figured what happens happens and is beyond our control. Our director said we could possibly be stopped at the border but we were not. There wasn't any at least where we went through. Bill said it was http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-200503.html Here I send you some pictures of my last days with you. I am very happy to have met you and I want to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all you For me it was like a mini Erasmus. I enjoyed a lot and I learnt a little of english and a lot of irish cultureHelena Ed Deck Alan and Gary my house in Barceona is yout house I hope to see you soon Next week I won't be in Barcelona. My company thinks that http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-198031.html I had always wanted to go to Ireland because we believed our ancestors lived there. My grandmother was as excited as I was in the upcoming months leading up to this trip. We Suzi aka aditu Leanne and I had decided to do an escorted tour with Globus called Scenic Ireland that started and ended in Limerick. The other towns we were staying in were Clifden Bundoran Ballygally in the north Dub http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-196345.html Monday 11th JuneTonight Em was functioning at none other than Kensington Palace former home of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. She got her makeup done for her and then finished her off with a big red lobster stuck on her hat. Hey it's the latest fashion here in London soon everyone will be walking down the road with some type of sea creature sitting upon their scone.Friday 15th JuneToday aft http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-192017.html Our final exams are Friday so we aren039t doing too much sightseeing this week. Last night was our last Tuesday night dinner. We had Mexican guacamole and chips salsa rice and tacos. Irish Steve it turns out had never had Mexican food and he liked it although we didn039t have the heart to tell him that Americanized tacos made with Irish groceries really are pretty far removed http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-185577.html Since the weather was amazingly sunny today after class we visited the Hunt Museum downtown. I'm glad we went even if it was just a tiny bit disappointing. Apparently the Hunts were antique dealers who turned their collection into an art museum and while there were plenty of old and occasionally interesting artifacts my personal favorite was a female urinal that was supposedly used by Med http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-184745.html The majority of Saturday I sat back and relaxed and met those staying at the hostel. Glen is one of those piss in your pants from laughter kinds of people and he was a blast to be with. I also met Annie from West Virginia Caroline and Nick from Wisconsin or as Glen calls himCheese. I walked with Annie down towards the market and we stopped at Joe Watty's on the way where a few folks she knew http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-184624.html I tried to take the day off from outings to study and stuff mostly stuff. Stuff included ordering my books for school getting our last batch of groceries here and checking my bank account for illicit activity. The last of these led to the discovery that every withdrawal since I've been abroad has taken progressively more dollars out of my account per euro. Research revealed that the dollar http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-184256.html Yesterday our professors cancelled regular class in exchange for a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher. We boarded a bus in the morning and a cheery drivertourguide greeted us and explained that the man at the front was her husband he was just along for a short time before we would be dropping him off as they had gone out the night before and left their car in downtown Limerick. It's always good http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-183955.html Our EU teacher arranged to hold a makeup class for one that she had cancelled the week before about 15 miles away in Killaloe on Thursday afternoon. Killaloe is the southernmost town on Lough Lock Derg and is separated from its 'twin' town of Ballina by a bridge over the Shannon. In Killaloe we visited St Flannan's Cathedral which was built sometime around 1200 and wandered over the bridge http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-183950.html About a year ago I acquired a skin infection origin unknown but likely related to a softball injury that I ignored for days thinking the bumps on my legs were bug bites from some strange Southern insect I was living in Little Rock at the time. This weekend my finger really was bitten by a horse and now the wound is infected. I just wanted to warn our readers that the blog might not http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-182674.html Aunt Angie a European by birth herself as well as a plumber's wife was curious about the facilities over here. Thinking this might be valuable information to all here goes They are very ordinary just your usual lowflow standardheight bowl. Some have buttons to push to flush many are typical handles though. The sinks also are the same although we do have to go flip a hotwater switc http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-182320.html Having just not had enough recreation over the weekend we went to a downtown Limerick pub Monday night to hear some authentic Irish music. There was no indication of any musical instruments yet at halfnine that's 930 in the States so we wandered the pub meeting locals. I tried to be wingwoman for one of the guys who had spotted a couple of cute Eastern European girls. I was shot down. G http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-182314.html Steve's Granny made us Sunday dinner a pear dish to start then roast beef baked potatoes boiled potatoes Yorkshire pudding carrots and leeks for the main meal followed by a custardy Pavlova for dessert. Then she got out the tea set and offered us tart too although we were all too near exploding to partake. It was another gorgeous sunny day so we decided to call our professors to s http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-182305.html I'm a lot more amused by the universality of certain things than I am by the differences between us and the Irish. Steve's sister an athletic bundle of energy bounced in and taught us how to play hurling before getting herself ready to go out Saturday night. She and her two friends were prototypical 17yearold girls heading out for the evening barely dressed full of big ideas and despera http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-182009.html If you've noticed the updates lacking it's because last week was pretty dull we did laundry and caught up on reading for our first test which was Saturday morning. This weekend was outstanding though Irish Steve invited us to his parents' house in the country. His parents are in Spain for the week so he had to go home anyway to keep things running. After our bumpy 2hour bus ride he an http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-181901.html In an effort toward economy and entertainment we are alternating weeks making meals. I wanted to make s'more brownies for dessert last night we had a cookout theme but that didn't work out because they have neither brownie mix nor graham crackers in the supermarket. How do you live in a country without brownie mix Nevertheless I concocted s'mores in the oven using chocolatedipped tea cooki http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Londonderry/blog-180056.html