With a scheduled arrival time of 11 a.m. we anxiously waited to see if we might begin our excursion any earlier. The Log of the cruise indicates that we arrived shortly before 11. Once our group of 49 had gathered onboard our bus, we proceeded on our tour. As we departed the dock we traveled toward the North Antrim Coast.
I noticed the beautiful flowers inside of the “round-about” in Northern Ireland and the beautiful views of the North Sea.
Our first stop was at the ruins of Dunluce Castle, first built in the 13th century.
We continued along the coast where the views were so beautiful!
Our next stop was the Giant’s Causeway.
After about 2 hours at the Causeway, we boarded the bus and traveled to Bushmills Distillery for lunch and a tour of the facility. Participating in “tasting” was available. We declined, but others enjoyed it.
Giant copper kettle used for distilling…
Leaving the distillery (some were veery happy!) as we continued on the coast toward a rope bridge.
Behind the larger hill a short coastal footpath leads to the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. On the way, there are wonderful vantage points to stop and take in the natural beauty. The geology, flora and fauna have won Carrick-a-Rede recognition as an area of special scientific interest. Fulmars, kittywakes, guillemots and razorbills breed on the islands close to the rope bridge.
Carrick-a-Rede Island consists of the two connected “humps” of land on the upper left portion of this picture. The rope bridge to this island spans the 75ft deep X 65ft wide chasm to the right of the island. Crossing the bridge is an exhilarating experience. Traditionally fishermen erected the bridge to Carrick-a-Rede island over the chasm to check their salmon nets. Today, visitors are drawn here simply to take the rope bridge challenge! My friend, Tom and I crossed the bridge; Sylvia took pictures!
Too soon the time on the North Antrim coast came to an end and we started back toward Belfast. The ride was uneventful except for the wonderful scenery.
As we approached the city of Belfast, site of so much violence between the Catholics and Protestants, our guide told us how much he wanted for us to see the city—both sides of the city. Our first view included this steeple of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Look closely at the fence that divides the city.
There are political (freedom) signs on both sides of the fence.
And buildings with political (freedom) signs on them…
“Community center” with political (freedom) signs on it…
more and more…
Every corner has messages…
A portion of the fence that divides the city, Catholic on one side, Protestant on the other.
Fence and graffiti…
More graffiti (seen through the window of the bus)
And more…
The messages continue…
Again
Not all are in English…
Beautiful government buildings.
Parliament Buildings, known as Stormont because of its location in the Stormont area of Belfast, served as the seat of the Parliament of Northern Ireland and successive Northern Ireland assemblies and conventions. The building is now know as the Belfast City Hall where the seat of government resides.
Beautiful architecture of the downtown buildings.
The final picture of the city…and another church! From here we traveled as quickly as possible back to the ship at the dock and arrived there with less than 15 minutes to spare. Whew!
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