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Tuesday, May 16, 2023 – Belfast, Northern Ireland
Back across the Irish Sea and into Belfast. We have a private tour today and are off the ship as soon as we are cleared for disembarking. As it turns out, there are a total of five couples participating in this tour today. Our guide and transportation were not there when we come out of the terminal building, but within a few minutes they showed up. Our guide indicated he had been sent to the wrong port.
We immediately head out of Belfast and go north along the coast. Our driver is also our guide and has a fun sense of humor. After about an hour, we stopped in a cozy little coastal town for a comfort stop. We bought a coffee at a mini market that was not bad and snapped a quick photo of a very small harbor.
The countryside north of Belfast
We stopped again at a vista point to get a view of the north coast. Then on to a very quick stop to look down at a “famous” rope bridge between the mainland and a tiny island. Fisherman installed the bridge as they got better catches from the island than the mainland. That stopped a very long time ago. Then the bridge became a tourist attraction, which meant for purposes of public health and well-being, the bridge was rebuilt in a safer manner. So, what is there today, is nothing like what the fisherman had installed.
Next stop is the Giant’s Causeway. There is a nice myth/legend that goes with these basalt columns formed by a volcanic eruption eons ago. There is a visitor center that charges something like 14 £. But you can bypass that and head straight down towards the stones. It is a bit of a hike, (1.5 miles) but well worth it when you get to the stones. We spent time checking out one area, then got in line to wait for the bus that takes you back up the hill. The charge is 1 £ each and was well worth it. We located the restrooms, then rejoined our guide at the specified time.
We headed to the town of Bushmills (think Irish Whiskey) for lunch. On the way we detoured to stop at a viewpoint to take in Dunluce Castle. It was built in the 12th century but there is no record of anyone living here since the 14th century. In the 14th century just before a large party was to start, a part of the house collapsed into the sea killing several servants. (There were caves at the level of the sea and through natural erosion, that is what created the collapse.) It is quite striking and must have been amazing in its day.
After that quick photo stop, we backtracked into Bushmills to find some lunch. The driver/guide suggested a couple of fish and chip places, directly across the street from each other. He thought the one on the right was a bit better. That is where we head. It is a take-away place, but they suggest that we can take our food and go to the bar across the street. They should be happy to give us a place to sit if we order a beverage.
That turns out
to be exactly the case. The bar doesn’t serve food, but suggests to clients, to
go get some from a takeaway and bring it back. The 10 of us congregate in the
back room of the bar and enjoy our fish and chips and a beer. When we are done,
it is very close to time to meet the bus again. So, perfect timing.
We are headed back to Belfast using a slightly different route, so still new country to look at. 2 of the couples on the bus want to go to the Titanic Experience. The other 3 couples are expecting a quick tour of the City of Belfast.
This actually became the most interesting part of the excursion. Our guide shared with us his view of the division in Northern Ireland. He has lived here his whole life. Media refers to it as a religious clash. His belief is that it has nothing to do with religion. It boils down to the British (who happen to be protestant for the most part) and the Irish (who happen to be catholic for the most part). The Irish want their independence from British rule. They want to be part of a united Ireland. The British are unwilling to let Northern Ireland have their independence. This would be considered a major failure. Hence, stalemate.
Although a
peace treaty has been signed by the various factions, (brokered by the
Americans during Bill Clinton’s presidency) there still exists a deep division.
So, there are Peace Fences. Along those fences, the walls have become a spot to
post opinions on anything and everything. On a few of the intersections, gates
are closed at night to keep the two sectors apart. Our guide was saying he
thinks his generation will have to die out before it can be resolved. The young
people today are mixing without problems, but those that lived through the
struggles still remember too vividly and are afraid the hostilities will return.
Another factor is that there are now more Catholics than Protestants. Simply due to the fact that the Catholics are more prolific. We all left Belfast with a whole lot to think about.
Following our
drive through Belfast, we returned to the ship. What a most interesting day!
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