Photos
We were up before 7am anyway. We went ahead and went down to breakfast early. They didn’t care what time we ate anyway. So, we had a nice quiet relaxed breakfast. I had the world’s runniest porridge with a banana and a strawberry Yoplait and a chocolate croissant and coffee. Clay had a bowl of Rice Krispies with a banana and raisins followed by 2 fried eggs, meat, potatoes and toast with hot tea. He has a very runny nose.
We were up before 7am anyway. We went ahead and went down to breakfast early. They didn’t care what time we ate anyway. So, we had a nice quiet relaxed breakfast. I had the world’s runniest porridge with a banana and a strawberry Yoplait and a chocolate croissant and coffee. Clay had a bowl of Rice Krispies with a banana and raisins followed by 2 fried eggs, meat, potatoes and toast with hot tea. He has a very runny nose.
It is cold, raining, and windy again this morning. It is
very cloudy and overcast. Maybe it will burn off like it mostly did yesterday
and just be gusty and cold. We’re still hoping for nicer weather at some point.
Tomorrow we leave in the morning for Derry where we have one
night. Tomorrow we also visit the Giant’s Causeway where I am really hoping for
nice weather!
We set out on the bus today in the seats in front of the
bathroom in the center of the bus. We are the maiden trip on this bus and Tommy
hasn’t quite figured out the configuration yet. Each morning he has up a seat
map that only makes sense for the first 5 rows or so. Evidently this is their
first bus with the middle side door and toilet and it is throwing him for a
loop. Each day he comes and berates us for being in the wrong spot and each day
we point out his error and he fails to admit he’s made a mistake. It is part of
the Irish experience for us.
It was again rainy, windy, and cold. The sun came out later
in the day but it continued to sweep in all different kinds of rain whether the
sun shone or not. We drove around the inner city and out to the Peace Walls
which the Australians were going crazy about not missing for 2 days now. Mind
you they were never included in the itinerary, but nagging and whining
prevailed and they are hopefully satisfied. It was the kind of thing you would
imagine being erected to keep people in close proximity from indiscriminately
killing each other. It was obviously a little disconcerting and disturbing but
I guess people travel for different reasons.
I mean while things have been fairly peaceful since the Good Friday agreement in 1998, it isn’t over yet as there are still recent bombings. If it had been up to me we wouldn’t have gone to the heart of TheTroubles and you could tell the guide was a little leery too.
This was followed directly by the Titanic Belfast Experience
in case your morning dose of tragedy hadn’t been big enough. The architecture
of the building was the biggest draw for me. It was stunning and impressive
sitting out there at the actual slipway and building site. The entire site was
built to scale of 2 of the ships that were built there for the White Star Line
by Harland and Wolff. We can see their 2 big yellow cranes called Samson andGoliath from our room. We spent from 10:30am to 1pm there. It was plenty of
time especially since it was mostly too raw to walk the outside portions. We
did wait and then hurry down the slipways between torrential showers. It was
well done. I feel entirely too familiar with all the tragic Titanic details at
this point from visiting exhibitions in Raleigh over the years and now the
construction site.
We were dropped back at the hotel at 1:10pm. Our only plan
was to visit the St. George’s Public Market that is caddy-cornered across the
street and closes at 3pm. It was fun and it was enclosed and covered so that
got us dry and out of the wind. They had fish, meat, vegetables, crafts, candy,
street food booths etc. We shared a sausage roll and a honey crepe.
I was done after that and walked back to the Hilton. Clay
wanted to go out and take more photos. He wasn’t gone even an hour as he said
it started to really rain, but had stopped again by the time he got back. He
returned with another Diet Coke.
We both took long naps. These coughs and runny noses are
wearing us down. The raw weather and constantly being either too hot or too
cold can’t be helping us heal. I kept the curtains open and dozed and watched
for rainbows. After hours, I finally saw a big one as we started down for
dinner. It was spectacular. Very Irish!
Dinner is downstairs at the hotel again at 6:30pm. Clay had
Caesar salad and salmon with a chocolate brownie and ice cream. I ordered sweet
potato and celeriac soup, pasta carbonara and profiteroles. We skipped
coffee/tea and came back upstairs to pack.
Bags out and breakfast are at 7:20am and 7:30am. The bus
leaves 8:30am. We should be driving on north to the Giant’s Causeway and then
to Derry to take a walking tour around the old walled city and spend one night.
The next day we are back in Rep. of Ireland and the Euro zone. Tomorrow is
Mother’s Day and I’ll hope for a convenient free time to try to call Mom and
wish her a happy day.
Well, Clay decided he had good data service here and
tomorrow we’d be back on the first sim card and he didn’t know if he could get
Skype then or not, so he had me call Mom after dinner and packing to wish her
Happy Mother’s Day. It was a really bad connection, but mission accomplished
and well it’s the thought that counts, right.
Photos
Photos
