Antrim Coast from Belfast (#10)

We had a wonderful train ride back from Derry to Belfast. This is some of the most beautiful coastline that we would replicate in a bus tour the following days.

Once we arrived we walked around Belfast and were able to get the last guided Belfast City Hall Tour.

Our tourguide was a Unionist, so we got a different perspective than from our Irish guides. He had moved away from Northern Ireland to Scotland during the Troubles (1972-1998). Many of our guides shared the same story that they could have never told their younger selves that one day they would be tour guides for a place no one came prior to 1998 Good Friday agreement.

We noticed that the signs spent much less time on the famine, which our three of our Irish guides had called a Genocide as they learned in their Catholic schools.

We toured the Antirim Coast stopping at many Game of Thrones filming sites before reaching the UNESCO-listed Giant’s Causeway with thousands of basalt columns.

The basalt rocks had come from an underground volcano and taken 500 years to cool down which is why they have the unusual shapes and sizes.

Our bus driver from McComb's Coach Travel, LLC was a former policeman. He also was amazed that he would be a bus tour driver.

We continue to be fascinated by boats that are docked on waters that have such severe tidal swings they are on the ground.

We went to many Game of Thrones filming sites along this trip.

Apparently, these steps are shown often in Games of Thrones. We could see why this little village was picked because there were so many magnificent and interesting angles from different views.

We are always excited when we get through the passageway. Our driver had wonderful internal commentary about other drivers that made the trip even more interesting. He was glad the car stopped on the other side to let us through, although he used different words to explain his feelings.

The Irish flas is green white and gold to express the unity between Irish (green) and Protestants (orange - for William of Orange). Many Irish think of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as one country. There are no border crossings, just a change of currency between the pound and the euro.

The next day we decided to do the Titanic Experience. Belfast build these dry docks to build the Titanic for White Star Lines.

The Nomadic was a tender that transferred passengers in France from shore to the Titanic.

On our walk back we were able to see these big buoys.

As with everything English, this sign explains how the buoy convention is opposite in the British Isles. Red right return will get you in trouble.

Stay: 3 Nights

Hotel: The Merchant Inn (5 Star Hotel)

Pros: fabulous location, hotel service, staff figured out how to mail home packages, Nightly turn down service, custom breakfast options

Cons: Expensive, AC not very powerful to combat the heat from the windows

5 star