We bade farewell to Derry and set out for the northern coast once again. Today's first stop was at the Giants' Causeway. This unique geologic wonder is the result of ancient volcanic activity and resembles a gigantic road right into the north Atlantic. It's also said to be the windiest point in Ireland, which is a bold claim, indeed. We have been pretty much windblown throughout our trip!
After a couple of hours exploring the coastline and the visitors' center, we had a little snack (hot chocolate and scones), then headed for the bus and began our drive through the Glens of Antrim.
This might be the most beautiful drive in all of the country. Rolling hills, deep valleys, small houses, many sheep, horses, and cattle all combine to drive home the fact that most of Ireland is rural and quite sparsely populated. In many areas the soil simply doesn't support much of a crop, except for hay and silage for livestock. Many families maintain small flocks and kitchen gardens, but must supplement their income in the service industry. Tourism is important. It's a hard-scrabble life for many, with rocky soil, much rain, and chilly (though temperate year-round) days. We have been amused by the complaining of locals, grumbling about the heat and humidity. We haven't had a single day when the temperature has been much above 65 degrees, and humidity - no. We are not complaining at all - we know that our Tallahassee weather with still be terribly hot and humid when we return.
We arrived in Belfast around 2:30 p.m., checked into the beautiful Europa hotel, then ventured out for a bit of free time in the city.
Our first stop was the Belfast City Hall. An ornate Victorian building, it boasts a high dome surrounded by towers topped by smaller domes. On the front lawn stands a huge statue of Queen Victoria, looking imperial and perhaps just the slightest bit annoyed. Inside the building, the floors and ceilings are ornate and quite beautiful. The entire first floor of the building is given over to a well-curated exhibit of the city's history.
After City Hall, we headed down a couple of blocks to Victoria Square, a modern, very posh shopping venue. Filled with international stores (and a Five Guys and a TGI Fridays), Victoria Square is a multi-story hybrid of open air and closed shopping mall, with an enormous glass dome at the top that offers a spectacular view of the entire city.
As we made our way back to our hotel, we decided to try the historic Crown Pub across the street from the Europa for a drink and dinner. Such fun! It's ornately decorated and packed with people. It features little room-like booths with doors that can be closed (but no one does - the fun is having people poke their heads in to say hello). With beer and wine and fish and chips all around, we spent a couple of relaxing hours with friends before venturing back to our room for an early bedtime.
Tomorrow, the Titanic Experience, the city tour, and on to Cabra Castle!
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