Day two was another action packed day. We started the day with a road trip to the Causeway Coast. The 90 minute car ride from Belfast offered beautiful scenery including a pit stop along the way to see the Dark Hedges.
Made famous from HBO’s Game of Thrones, this Beech tree lined road is one of Northern Ireland’s most photographed natural phenomenon. Started as a romantic gesture, James Stuart planted his wife’s favorite trees as a compelling interest to their Georgian estate, the Gracehill House. The short avenue is a popular spot, so getting there early was definitely worth it. Even before 10am you still had to wait for people to pass in an attempt to get the perfect shot.
Back in the van and off we went, as soon as we hit the coast line the ooh’s and ahh’s multiplied as the landscape went from farmland to the iconic Ireland cliffs. With a few extra stops for more pictures we found our way to the Giant’s Causeway.
We met up with Nigel, from Dalriada Kingdom Tours. Again, a site that you can enjoy on your own or with the purchase of an audio tour but there is just something special about an experienced guide that provides those special insights that you can’t get anywhere else. Nigel didn’t disappoint with his local knowledge of the history and folklore of the Giant’s Causeway. Science says the hexagonal columns made of basalt resulted from volcanic activity 50-60 million years ago. The more fun story is the legend that the columns are the remains of a Causeway built by Irish giant, Finn McCool, connecting Ireland and Scotland. Whichever you believe, you certainly will agree it is amazing to see.
A quick bite to eat at The Bushmills Inn and then back to Belfast. Next up, The Titanic Experience at Titanic Belfast. This multi-level gallery allows you to learn about not only the Titanic but also the community of Belfast and the booming industries at the time of the Titanic’s inception. You follow the building of the ship, the sailing and of course the events surrounding its tragic sinking. The interactive displays keep all levels interested, there’s even a small ride that moves you through the shipyard as the ship is being built. The queue has wait times marked throughout which tells me during busier times you may experience quite a wait. We were fortunate to walk right on. After the main building we also did a quick tour of the SS Nomadic that was used as a tender to get passenger to many of the bigger ships, including the Titanic, and is the last remaining White Star Line ship in the world.
Our trusty driver, Donal, picked us up and took us to the Cathedral Quarter where we enjoyed a tasty pub dinner and a drink, or two. We had to experience the nightlife of this fun area of town. One of the happening places was The Dirty Onion, one of Belfast’s oldest building, dating back to 1780. This was a fun atmosphere with live music and cold beer! We wandered down the historic cobble alleyway where the party was flowing out of the many bars and into the alley. Tomorrow is another full day so we decided we better turn in, now where did we leave Donal…
