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Ireland and The United Kingdom

August - October 2017
A 43-day adventure by Leanne Read more
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  • TravelerIreland and The United Kingdom
    Day 11

    Londonderry (Derry), Northern Ireland

    August 30, 2017 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    An interesting visit to Londonderry today. We walked the Derry City Wall which remains completely intact and has never been breached. A guide walked us along the city walls talking of the history of Londonderry and its volatile past. We also went on a walking tour with a brother of one of the innocent men killed in the Bloody Sunday March.

    Such a tumultuous past both political and religious - The British, the Irish, the Protestant, the Catholic. Lose of lives, damage to property, a voice wanting to be heard and recognised. Things have come a long way since the Bloody Sunday March, recognition of innocent lives lost but still .... what price for peace.    Read more

  • TravelerIreland and The United Kingdom
    Day 12

    Antrim Coastal Drive, Northern Ireland

    August 31, 2017 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Today was a beautiful sunny day with bright blue skies, a great day for sightseeing. Our first stop travelling from Derry was to the Dark Hedges, around 94 enormous Beech trees planted over two centuries ago. The avenue of trees appears in the series Game of Thrones.

    We then followed the Antrim Coastal Road to the Giant's Causeway, a massive expanse of interlocking basalt columns, a result of volcanic activity. The coastline on such a perfect day was breathtaking. The vivid blues and greens in such contrast to the grey of the basalt.

    Next we traversed the Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge. A rope bridge 30 metres above the sea that allows fishermen to access their boats off a headland point to catch migrating salmon. Now the rope bridge is used mainly as a tourist attraction but there was a boat on the adjoining island that the fisherman still use. In Larrybane Bay you could also see the remains of a fort which sat on the headland around AD800.

    We continued along the coastline where we saw pretty coastal villages, a patchwork quilt of fields, and desolate plateaus laced with pink heather. The sides of the hills were hedged by compact shrubs and blackberries to form "ladder farms". These run up the side of the valley and give each farming family an equal share of lowland pasture and steeper land which is used mainly for grazing sheep. After navigating blind summits, hidden dips and yield signs for sheep and cows we finally reached Belfast in the late afternoon.    Read more

  • TravelerIreland and The United Kingdom
    Day 13

    Belfast, Northern Ireland

    September 1, 2017 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today we went on the Hop On Hop off Bus tour of Belfast, it was wonderful to hear the Northern Irish Brogue and their craic about Belfast. Things like their famous 24 hour Tesco store that advertises it's open 24 hours a day but shuts at 9.00pm every night.

    An important part of Belfast is the Queen's Island area that has the twin yellow shipbuilding gantry cranes, Samson and Goliath, which are prominent on the city skyline. This shipyard is where Titanic was built. Although ships are no longer built here the yards are still used for the maintenance of ships and the building of the giant wind turbines that are dotted throughout the country. Also situated on Queen's Island is the studio for Game of Thrones.

    We continued onto Stormont Parliament Building which is the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly. To camouflage the building during World War II, the building's stone was painted with supposedly removable "paint" made of bitumen and cow manure. However, after the war, removing the paint proved an enormous difficulty and still stains the stone. Now they say there is shit both inside and outside the building. Some more Irish craic.

    We toured both the Unionist and the Republican sides of the city. Belfast you have come a long way in working towards peace but still to see the physical divide of a Peace Wall that is closed off at night and on weekends is saddening. The Peace Wall is used to minimise inter-communal violence between Catholics (most of whom are nationalists who self-identify as Irish) and Protestants (most of whom are unionists who self-identify as British). One mural in particular speaks of what, I hope, will be the future. The mural is based on the poem No More and is designed to send a message to those who wish to continue violence that the next generation wants no part of it.    Read more

  • TravelerIreland and The United Kingdom
    Day 14

    Saint Patrick's Trail to Dublin, Ireland

    September 2, 2017 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    The last day of our journey around Ireland and Northern Ireland we travelled from Belfast along Saint Patrick's Trail. Driving through Newtownards, that sits on the Strangford Lough, we travelled along the shoreline of the Lough ending in Portaferry where we caught a ferry across to Strangford. We travelled to the East of the Mourne Mountains to Newry and finally onto Dublin.

    Over the 14 days we have travelled 2,385 kilometres, we've seen beautiful rolling hills of emerald, gold and pink made into a patchwork of colours by the stone and shrub hedges. Viewed a rugged coastline greeting a clear blue green sea. We have had wonderful weather with crisp, fresh days of blue sky and only a few grey or wet days. I've loved the wild flowers that are sprinkled over the roadside and the pink and mauve heather that coats the bogs and hilltops; the black legs and black faces of the sheep that dot the countryside wherever you look. The quaint smaller towns, steeped in a history of churches, castles, ruins and pubs and the large cities that have come a long way towards peace and can optimistically see a brighter future. I love the brogue of the Irish, their humour and love of life, they are such a grand lot and know how to craic. We have only touched the surface of a beautiful country and hope to return to explore her some more.    Read more

  • TravelerIreland and The United Kingdom
    Day 15

    London, England

    September 3, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Yesterday we had a big day. Flew from Dublin to London found our way to our accommodation in Earl's Court then went out exploring on foot. Walked around Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace. Saw the icons of London - red post box, red telephone booth, red Queen's guards, red double decker buses, and the black London cabs.Read more

  • TravelerIreland and The United Kingdom
    Day 16

    London, England

    September 4, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Day 2 in London Town. We started the day going on the Hop on Hop Off bus but it was very slow going around Buckingham Palace and Fleet Street, not necessarily the quickest way to see London. After lunch we took a short boat cruise from Westminster Pier to Tower Bridge, then spent the rest of the afternoon at the Tower of London. It was not crowded so had an enjoyable afternoon. After the Tower of London it was a walk from Tower Bridge along the Thames to Millennium Bridge then across to Southbank. By this time it was 6pm so headed back to our hotel.Read more

  • TravelerIreland and The United Kingdom
    Day 17

    London, England

    September 5, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Another big day of sightseeing in London. After finishing our bus trip we went to the Queens Mews, this is where the Royal carriages are housed and the Queen's horses kept. Then we went on the Beatles walking tour which included a walk through the Royal Village, so many exclusive shops. From there over to Kensington Palace for a tour through the State rooms and the exhibition of Diana's dresses. Then another long walk to Harrods where we indulged in an enormous Harrods ice cream for dinner. I had a delicious Banoffi basket - vanilla and caramel ice cream, banana and caramel sauce in a lace waffle basket, very decadent. Thank heavens I walked all those kms today.Read more

  • TravelerIreland and The United Kingdom
    Day 18

    London, England

    September 6, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today we started our day with a tour of Tower Bridge getting the lift to the top then walking across the walkway, a magnificent view up and down the Thames. We then walked along the River Thames past City Hall, which looks like an armadillo, to London Bridge. London Bridge has been rebuilt five times. The previous London Bridge was sinking in the mud so it was dismantled brick by brick and bought by the Americans, and is now in Havasu City, Arizona. We did the London Bridge Experience with London Tombs a must do in London great fun, creepy and scary. After this we went over to Westminster then had a leisurely afternoon boat ride to Greenwich Village. We wandered through the Greenwich Markets before returning on the boat to the city. We stayed in town walking around until it was time to see the musical, Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre. Thoroughly enjoyed the show, very entertaining.Read more

  • TravelerIreland and The United Kingdom
    Day 19

    London, England

    September 7, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    St Paul's Cathedral has stood for over 1400 years, the present Cathedral was designed by Christopher Wren. The inside of the Cathedral is magnificent, although we were unable to take photos. We managed to climb the 528 steps, a height of 85 metres, from the Cathedral floor to the Golden Gallery. The Golden Gallery allows you to walk around the outside of the top of the Cathedral, from there you have a great view of London in all directions, as long as the weather holds. Then it was off to Westminster Abbey, again no photos allowed. We did the audio tour here as well. To me it was a little morbid as the whole church is one big mausoleum for the kings and queens who died up until 1760. It is also where all the coronations of the monarch have taken place and a number of weddings.

    We then walked past St James Park on our way to the Horse Guards Parade before seeing 10 Downing Street. You can't get close to No. 10 as it is barricaded and heavily guarded. We again visited Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus for a little shopping and lastly Leicester Square to see M & M World and Lego World before having an earlier day.    Read more

  • TravelerIreland and The United Kingdom
    Day 20

    Windsor Castle, England

    September 8, 2017 in England ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    Off to visit the Queen, or at least her country residence at Windsor Castle. The Castle grounds and the village of Windsor are beautiful. The green in the photos hasn't been enhanced, it was a very grey day today with occasional rain. We are just starting to see the trees change their colour as autumn is on its way. We also had a great view of the changing of the guards, much better than Buckingham Palace as you are up close. We viewed the State rooms and St George's Chapel.Read more

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