Belfast via the Northeast Coast – Last Day in Ireland – 6/28/2013
On our last full day, we headed out from Ballycastle and took the scenic route along the coast into Belfast. It was, of course, a beautiful ride and we were able to see numerous quaint seaside towns in addition to another castle. It was a relatively short distance and we arrived in Belfast in time to take a walk around the city center and get a bit of a feel for it. Although not one of the prettier cities in Ireland, it has a busting feel and we much preferred it to Derry,
which felt a bit as if its time had come and gone. We especially enjoyed the gigantic screen on the lawn of city hall playing the Wimbledon matches. We did a bit of shopping on the high street, stopped in the pub for a pint, and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for our flight the next day.
We had a fabulous dinner in a little airport hotel (apparently locals frequent the restaurant since it is so good) and struck up a conversation with another hotel guest. He brought us a drink and spent about an hour telling us about his tour business and the interesting things that happen when you are escorting a group of strangers across the country. He said he prefers American tourists because they are the best tippers….so there you go….
Alas, so ends our trip to Ireland. Although the whole country is naturally beautiful, we preferred the quaint towns of the republic and especially the out-of-the-way places. This was truly a fantastic tour and we recommend a trip to Ireland for anyone interested in stunning natural beauty, the friendliest English-speaking folks in the world, a lot of old castles and forts, great pub food and sea food, and just basically a wonderful time!
On to Scotland…..
Coastal view of pretty Irish town.
Beautiful in the East as well as the West.
Old city walls and pretty river at Glenarm.
Nice little homestead in Glenarm, Ireland. Although the family still inhabits this little gem, they had rented out (or donated) their grounds for a Christian youth camp when we were here. There were probably about 200 people camping on their grounds.
This is probably the most recognizable (and interesting) building in Belfast. What we particularly enjoyed was the gigantic screen at one end of the green in front, with full coverage of Wimbledon, which was in process while we were there. You may be able to see it if you maximize the photo.
With City Hall in the backround, a bustling, very alive, city center.
OK, I know it is strange, but this crane and its twin across the way in Belfast’s harbor area (fondly named Samson and Goliath) had the distinction of being able to lift more tonnage than any other yard in the world……they were made for shipbuilding and although the company who built them is now defunct, they have been designated as historic monuments and are expected to be a part of Belfast’s skyline for many years to come….
The north and the south, the Protestants and the Catholic, are all trying (with a large amount of success up until the last week or so) to get along and live peacefully. This is one of many symbols of peace popping up in belfast.
This is a very old pub in Belfast that had a lovely outside seating area. It was Friday afternoon and beautiful when we were there, so it was full of the happy-hour crowd.
This is an extremely nice Irish tour guide we met on our last night, outside of Belfast. Unfortunately, I have forgotten his name and misplaced his information, but he bought us a drink and we had some very nice conversation. The worst thing that ever happened to him on a tour is someone fell off the rocks at Giant’s Causway and died….yikes, how horrible, can’t imagine dealing with that.
Kathleen
