Town
Sat 24/05/08 (day 1)
Belfast Visit
25-05-08 (Sunday)
It was a pleasant morning and I was ready for a guided tour to the Causeways. You can get enrolled for a day long tour starting at 9am till 6:45pm on which they take you to all the interesting places of Belfast and the countryside. Quickly after breakfast got into the bus and met some people sitting next to me with whom the exploration became even more interesting. First stop was at the ‘castle burry’ where King Henry III’s statue looking like a pirate is erected. It seems quite unique for a king to be dressed like a pirate! After taking a few pictures about, we all got back in the bus for next stop ‘the rope bridge’. It is said that in earlier days fisherman had to cross the chain of hills to reach furthermost landmass to catch the migrating salmon. And seeking a potential opportunity for this, a rope bridge was built to ease the operation. However, while crossing the bridge you can feel the bridge swinging which adds a sense of adventure to the trip. A bridge connecting two hills and you just hanging there with ocean beneath you at a height of approx 50 feet was an experience for me. On the other side it was a place covered with green grass surrounded by mountains all around and the ocean as far as eyes could see. What a beautiful scene it was. I still have an image of this place in my head and a few more to cherish in my hard disk! I sat here for sometime looking at the blue water and enjoying the beautiful day until it was time to start heading back. On the tea shop at the car park, grabbed a strawberry & banana drink for refreshment. Next stop was the Causeways. It is believed that this is the Eighth wonder of the world (unofficially) as the rocks have been created due to volcanic eruptions many years ago. They did look pretty amazing because of their hexagonal shape and being long and vertically arranged in layers. As it is the northern most tip of the country, it touches the Atlantic Ocean. It was a pride for me to be actually able to touch the Atlantic waters. I didn’t miss the opportunity to take some pictures to envy my friends for later.
On the way the bus stops at the Bushmills distillery. It is here they had the original distillery for making whisky at first and is still in operation. You can also buy some bottles from here at reduced prices and also some of them are 21 years old (well matured). The bus brought us all back by 7pm and I then reseted for sometime, had a hot shower and got ready to explore a bit of the city centre.
26-05-08 (Monday- Bank Holiday)
The morning was as beautiful as can be and with the bright glowing sun on the forehead and a big breakfast, it seemed like a perfect day to indulge into some arts and culture. First thing in the morning, I went to the Queen’s university of Belfast which is one of the red-brick universities and after reaching here I found it actually does stand on red bricks! From the inside it is gorgeous and feels like being in a completely a different world. Surrounded by greenery everywhere and contrasting red architecture made it more beautiful and so impressive that I couldn’t resist taking a few snaps of this area.
As soon as I finished exploring the university, I headed straight for the adjacent botanical garden which is within a stone throw distance. Although it’s like any other park but can be visited at least once. There are certain areas on this park which are very beautiful and have been maintained well. It might be worth spending more time if needed to relax. On my travels back to the city centre I came across a guitar shop. The music fell into my ears and it was something magical that dragged me straight into the shop to explore. I was amazed by the variety of guitars both, acoustic and electric, that they had. It was here that I found one of the master pieces with solid wood touch and spruce wood, which I have got my eyes set on now.
Rolling back on the streets I resumed my travels to the city hall. Now, that is an amazing Victorian built by the looks and feels very rigid too. It somehow struck me to take a few black and white snaps with my digital camera just to have some fun with pictures. As is known Belfast is an old city therefore the concept of monochromatic pictures actually made some sense. I was glad to actually see the pictures exploded on my laptop later, feels like I can be a professional now!
Finally reaching the city centre, I found large shopping malls especially the Castle court mall, which is quite huge and has almost all the branded/designer companies inside. It is a great place to go shopping over the weekend. But as I am a music enthusiast, I went to the Zavvi store to check out some blues by B.B. King. Although, my hunger for music was satisfied but now I felt the real hunger. Fortunately for me, there was a European market right at the city hall campus. It seemed like a good opportunity to try out some of the unique cuisines from across the globe. One of the fascinating and interesting delicacies I have ever had in my life can be traced down to this place. For a start I got my teeth into a Kangaroo burger which was pretty cool and to couple it with some desert I got some chocolate waffles from Holland store. I must tell at this point that the meal might have taken a few years off my life but it was absolutely worth it!
Full of energy again, I went to the port where Titanic was made. However, on my way I came across St. Anne’s Church, which is again an amazing built. For some reason, most of the pictures I took in b/w format actually came out better for Belfast. I think its more to do with the place itself, the Victorian architecture. I reached the port after crossing the Lagan River. Next to it was the odyssey complex where I watched the new Indiana Jones’ movie the secret of the crystal skull. I had been waiting for so long and this seemed like one of the best opportunities to actually watch it. It was well worth it! Now getting a bit tired with all day walking about, needed some dinner, so went to the Irene and Nans for a pub meal. The food was so great and coupled with Irish beer it tastes even better. Headed back for a hot shower and got ready for some drink for later in the town.
jmcguire1954 (View jmcguire1954's trips)
ihave been going to turkey for the last 15teen years and every time i go there is changes all the time and its a great holiday i go twice a year to marmiris
Posted 3 months ago
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