We had a final day of touring through Switzerland and it was a bit wet to follow through with our plans for a big hike. So we had a drive from Kandersteg to Zurich through the rain and the mist. The rain cleared up a bit, so we stopped and had a little hike along the shore of the Walensee to the Seerenbachfälle. We spent the night in Zurich so we could have a quick trip to the airport the next day.
After flying to Dublin, we picked up a car (shout out to Nathan and his driving on the left for the first time!) and drove to our first stop, the Hill of Tara. This is an ancient site just to the north of Dublin in the Boone Valley and has been used for 5000 years. The Irish have used it for burials, gatherings, and coronations over the millennia. We walked around on the different mounds and saw the Rock of Destiny and a passage tomb. Not a flashy site, but still cool! We found a bistro along our route for a late lunch, and after a few wrong turns, we made it to Belfast and checked into our place near the River Lagan.The evening ended at the Lyric Theatre at a performance of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest”. It was a delightful production and, of course, so funny.
We spent the next day walking around the city’s sights. We drove through on a tour six years ago, so we were acquainted with the town, but it was nice to spend more time there. We enjoyed walking along the river to the Titanic quarter to see the shipyards and how they are revitalizing that area with museums, entertainment, and apartments. We wandered all over the downtown area and stopped into a war memorial museum and the city library. Since we visited the sectarian neighborhoods and all the Republican and Unionist murals the last time we were here, we skipped that and just enjoyed being with the Northern Irish people. Our evening was capped with some comedy. We love Irish humor because they are so good at keeping things light and making fun of themselves. Of course, we don’t get half of the references and if they talk too fast, the accent makes it a challenge, but it was great fun.
Although we had plans to visit the cities of Ireland, our plan for this trip was to focus more on the countryside and landscapes of Ireland. We didn’t want to let the northeastern corner of the island to get away from us, so the next day we took a drive south to the coast and to the Mourne mountains for a hike. We climbed to the top of windy Slievemartin and enjoyed seeing the Cloughmore Stone. The Rostrevor forest that we hiked through is said to have been an inspiration for C.S. Lewis’s Narnia, so there is a bench there that is dedicated to him. We stopped in Newcastle for a bite to eat and then it was back to Belfast for some music at a pub. It was a great visit to a vibrant city.
We started the day with a trip to St. George’s market for a few treats, then we drove out of town toward the west. This was another part of the island that we had already seen, but we decided to just enjoy the nice weather and the scenery anyway. The northern coastline is gorgeous and we had the advantage of not feeling like we had to stop and do all the tourist spots (Giant’s Casuseway and various castles) with the crowds, since we have done those before. We just soaked up the sunshine and stopped when we felt like it. We ended up in Derry to spend the night. We enjoyed a lovely walk into town along the River Foyle. We did two walking tours: one along the top of the fortification walls around the old town and one through the Republican neighborhood to see the murals painted there. We also walked the Peace Bridge. Derry/Londonderry was a real hotspot during the Troubles, so there is some serious history to learn about. I’m sure there are still tensions not far beneath the surface, but it seems like most people are more interested in peace and living life than rehashing old disagreements. One highlight for us was the mural of the “Derry Girls”, since we are fans of that show. We had a good dinner, but we ate way too much! We stopped into a pub for a bit of traditional music, but Nathan wasn’t feeling well, so we walked back to our AirBnB.
We said goodbye to Northern Ireland and drove west into the republic. Saturday was spent on a leisurely drive along the northwest coast through the county Donegal. I wish photos could do it justice, but they just can’t capture the subtle beauties and dramatic landscapes. We stopped at a ring fort called Grianan of Aileach. Again, the site has been in use since the Neolithic age. One thing about travel is that you never know what you will encounter. We were driving through one of the bigger towns when we discovered that they were hosting one leg of a road rally, with hot rods all over the place! Crazy! We stopped at a museum set up at the former Dunfanaghy workhouse. They exhibit did a good job of relating the experience of the poor in the 19th century, especially during the potato famine. There were 160 workhouses in Ireland and they were places of last resort for people who were in dire straits. Families had to live divided into separate facilities and once they were in the system, it was hard to get out again. We continued around the coast, stopping at Horn Head (two lookout towers: one Napoleonic, one WW2) and Bloody Foreland (dramatic cliffs and white stone beaches). We ended up at our charming place right in the center of Donegal, where we enjoyed dinner on a terrace.
It’s been a great trip here in Ireland so far and we are looking forward to more!
With the solstice, we have about 18 hours of daylight to pack in all the scenery and outdoor fun. Have a great week!
Back to MO
Just a quick post this week. We hunkered down in Ohio/West Virginia and took refuge from the cold. We did lots of cozy things with the grandkids. We took a trip to the library to play and choose a big pile of books. Huck is a little reader now, so it’s fun to find stories that he can read. We spent A LOT of time reading those books–at the library, on the couch, and in a blanket fort. We also did crafts and built lots of Lego. We went with the kids to the children’s museum for a special STEAM class and then hours of play and building after that. We also took the older two out for a special lunch date. It was a great week! We are now back in St. Louis and excited to spend time with the other grandkids! Have a good week!
Back to the Fun
We slowed down a bit this week, but there was some birthday fun and I have details on our trip through the Mississippi Delta and on to Ohio. This is a long post, covering almost three weeks of a busy road trip, so if you just want the bullet points, read the first bit. For the down and dirty details, read on.
From the Big Easy to Music City
Hi! This is just a quick check in from the road. We spent the week on the move. We started in New Orleans, then we drove up through the Mississippi Delta on the Blues Highway. We stopped at lots of smaller places along the way to visit museums and check out the history of the blues and our country. Then we cut across to Alabama to visit Muscle Shoals to tour the recording studio and to see the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. Then from there it was north to Nashville, Tennessee. We are here to visit a friend (Adam Overacker) and to enjoy some more music. See you next week from an old classic, Marietta, Ohio. Hopefully I’ll have time this next week to fill in the details from a very eventful road trip! Enjoy your week!
First play I was in was “The Importance of Being Earnest.” And I love the Derry Girls (and the wee English boy) mural. A little envious of this leg of your adventure!
Someday we’ll see Ireland together ❤️
Oh wow, I want to see Ireland! Beautiful photos!
You would love it! Thanks!