March 20, 2017. A day on the Irish coast

LOCATION:  Belfast, Northern Ireland

WEATHER:  Blustery.  Partly sunny. Highs about 50

 

We spent the day on a bus tour to the Irish Coast.  it was very well done.  We had a great time.  We grabbed a breakfast bap to munch on for breakfast.  We have learned that this is a type of sausage in a bun that is popular.   The tour departed at 9:00, and we drove about an hour to the Atlantic Coast.  It is very rugged there.  Our first stop was to look at Dunluce Castle and the site of an upcoming British Open Golf Tournament.  Gale-force winds about knocked us off our feet when we got off the bus. Wonder how the golfers do it?

Next stop was Bushmills Distillery in the tiny village of Bushmills.  It is the oldest licensed distillery in the world.

                        Here is a happy guy tasting three different kinds of Bushmills.....

From there, we stopped at the famous Giant's Causeway.  it is a UNESCO designated site. Made from volcanic rock, it has lots of folklore stories behind it including a story that a giant built it as a walkway between the Irish coast and Scotland.  We had to walk about a mile from the bus stop to the rocks.  Thank goodness there was a bus to take us back up the hill.

We warmed up in a pub, then went on to our next destination.  

This was a rope bridge out to a tiny island where fishermen used to catch salmon.  The wind really picked up and hail pelted our faces.  it was quite a scary crossing in the fierce wind.

Here is George leading a group back across.  Follow the leader!

Back on the bus, we drove through small coastal villages, many of which still hang flags showing their loyalty as Loyalists and Unionists.  

All along our route today is where the TV show "Game of Thrones" was filmed.  There are even special tours you can take that showcase filming locations.  This village shows one of the actresses.

We returned to Belfast about 6:00, a full day of touring.  We stopped in a pub that the bus driver recommended.  Very cozy. George struck up a conversation about politics with a guy at the bar.

DINNER:  On our way home, we found a wine bar.  We shared 3 small tapas - calamari, liver pate, and smoked salmon, followed by a plate of Irish cheeses.  A nice change of pace!