This past weekend, we made our way up to Northern Ireland. After leaving Dublin on Saturday morning, we arrived in Belfast around 11 am and went straight to the Titanic Museum. The museum was super cool, it walked you through the building process of the ship, all the way to its rediscovery in 1985. We grabbed a quick lunch at the cafe there before going on a political taxi tour. For the tour, we all split up into different cars and drove around Belfast, getting out at specific stops that showcased Northern Ireland’s history and the catholic-protestant, or Irish-British, conflict. It was super interesting to learn about and it was very cool to see the ‘peace wall’ which divides the city between the two nationalities. We even got to write down a quick note on the wall, which had tons of peaceful messages on it. After a long day of driving, we checked into our hotel and then went out to explore the city. My friends and I got dinner at Fratelli, a very good Italian restaurant. We then walked around the city before returning to the hotel to rest up for our busy weekend.
The next morning, we got on the road around 8 am for a day full of stunning views. We started at Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, which was a beautiful coastal walk. The weather was a bit windy, but it didn’t distract from the stunning scenery. Next, we arrived at the Giant’s Causeway for more scenic views. We had a guide for this walk, so we got to hear incredible stories as we took in the views. For lunch, we stopped at La Ponderosa, which happens to be the highest bar in Ireland. Our final activity of the day was a tour of Glenshane Country Farm, where we had the opportunity to hold baby sheep. It was so adorable! I wish I could have taken one home with me! We arrived in Londonderry late that night. My friends and I decided to skip dinner but we of course stopped to get a 99 ice cream cone while we were out exploring Derry.
On Monday, we began the day with a walking tour around Derry, where we learned more about the history and the catholic-protestant conflict. We also visited the Free Derry Museum. Afterwards, we had lunch together at Silver Street and had some time to walk around the city before we made our way back to Dublin. Overall, I had a fantastic weekend, during which I got to see breathtaking sights and learn all about the history of Northern Ireland.
