Blogs from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe

Up plenty early due to jet lag or body clocks, all of us were ready in plenty of time for our 8 am breakfast. It could have also been the hot room and uncomfortable beds, but who knows. Kyle had kindly booked for 3 of us the night prior, but surprisingly Alex joined us too so we purchased one more. Our day was filled with a tour all-around the coast of Northern Ireland. We headed one block over to check in with our tour and were promptly lead to the busses. Good thing we were early as it allowed Carl, Alex, and I to pick near to the front seats to limit motion sickness. A good choice because the roads were narrow and winding which caused a passenger in the back to get sick. Alex informed ... read more

We said farewell to Malaga/Estepona on a warm, bright sunny morning and took a 2 1/2 hour flight to Dublin where we were greeted with a windy, coolish day but some sunshine. With our car rental, it was a smooth exit from the airport for the 2 hour drive to Belfast along the M1 highway. A quick Hotel check in and a Steak and Guinness pie dinner capped off a long day. Our hotel didn’t have a restaurant, however around the corner, we found a Tim Hortons and had an Egg McMuffin, hash brown and Coffee. In addition to breakfast, I negotiated with my dietician a donut but discovered the cost was equivalent to $3.50 CDN versus about $1.20 at home, so no treat. The “black cab’ tour of Belfast covered mostly the divided neighbourhoods of ... read more

Causeway Express Tour Today, Renata, Mom and I took an excursion booked through Get Your Guide called the “Causeway Express Tour Shore Excursion.” Belfast Murals Our first stop was Belfast where we saw various political murals and graffiti on our way to the Dark Hedges. The Dark Hedges The Dark Hedges was made famous as the Kingsroad in the HBO television show Game of Thrones whom Renata and I are big fans. Walking around the dark hedges was a real treat. Old Bushmills Distillery After seeing the Dark Hedges, we made our way to Old Bushmills Distillery where we had a taste of different Irish whiskeys. Giant’s Causeway We ended the day at the Giant’s Causeway, the highlight of the tour. The Giant’s Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site along Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal route. ... read more

30th September We docked in Belfast very early in the morning. The harbour glistening with all the lights. The luck of the Irish was definitely not on our side as regards weather today unfortunately. We had thought about visiting Giants Causeway but with the rain teaming down and the howling wind we decided against it. As we left the docks we saw two huge twin shipbuilding gantry cranes. The cranes were named after the Biblical figures Samson and Goliath. Constructed by the German engineering firm Krupp, with Goliath was completed in 1969 and Samson, in 1974. Goliath stands 315 ft tall, Samson is taller at 348 ft. At the time Harland & Wolff was one of the largest shipbuilders in the world. Leaving the city we took part of The Causeway Coastal Scenic Drive to Glenariff ... read more

Ireland the North. Larne Today was a wonderful run from Ballintoy to Larne starting in the mist and climbing into the sun above Ballycastle. The first big climb took us to Tor Head from where you can see Scotland and the Mull of Kintyre nearby. We were above the mist, which gave the scene a mystical air. The route was very tough with several severe climbs and descents all the way to Cushenden where a coffee and cake was required for further progress to be made without the legs making a transition to floppy rubber. Another hill with appropriate views before a descent to Cushendall and the Folly at the crossroads. After this and a small climb out of the town we were on a flattish route all the way to the port of Larne. Many ... read more