For the Easter long weekend (yes I know we're waaaaay behind in our blogging!) we made the very short trip across the Irish sea to the land of the leprechauns. A new country for both of us, there was heaps we wanted to see so we really covered a lot of ground - quite literally - over the four days.
Arriving at Dublin airport, we picked up our Fiat Punto (or as Johnny called it, our Feeble Italian Attempt at Transportation) and headed
north. Our ultimate destination was The Giant's Causeway, a popular spot on the northern coastline with mysterious, unique rock formations, but our first stop along the way was Belfast. It was quite interesting to note the differences as we moved from Southern to Northern Ireland; the road signs became entirely English, losing any trace of the Gaelic translations, and the speed limits switched from kilometers to miles which was rather confusing - especially since our little Fiat showed only miles on its speedo.
Belfast is an interesting place, showing clear signs of the "Troubles" it has endured over the years. In particular the west part of Belfast, with its series of impressive murals depicting the conflicts, was quite an eye-opener. You really did get a sense though that they've turned the corner, and are now focussed on rebuilding the city into a place people will want to visit for positive reasons.
The Giant's Causeway was, as expected, a highlight of our trip. Not only is it one of the most fascinating natural phenomena we've seen, we also had a perfect, sunny day in which to enjoy it.
The Giant's Boot (apparently left behind by the Giant who built the Causeway):
Seagull's-eye view of the Causeway:
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