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The Day of the Big Bus Tour

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 The sun was shining as Mark, Julie, Wallsy and I set out to forage for breakfast this morning. A nice little cafe in Dublin Heuston Railway Station provided exactly what we needed. Fuelled for the day, we returned to the hotel to meet up with Carolyn and David in the foyer, where we held protracted discussions about the plan for the day.  It was agreed that a Hop on Hop off bus tour would be a good way to start, but which company should we go with? Did we want the 24 or 48 hour ticket? Did we want to add a river cruise? Would we use the included night tour if we bought the 48 hour ticket? This, and many more questions kept us talking and debating the pros and cons for a good half an hour.  We finally decided on the Big Bus Tours option and set out for the bus stop near the hotel. On board, we enjoyed the live commentary of the young Irish driver. Unfortunately, before we had completed the full circuit, it was time for his break and we had to change buses and drivers. The...
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The Day of Rope Bridges, Giants, Old Friends and Farewelling Northern Island

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The wind of yesterday had thankfully  died down this morning, so as we packed we tried to calculate how many layers of clothing we needed to wear. The answer was, not as many as we thought.  We were out the door before the appointed time of 8:15 and on the road to Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, just down the road from Portballintrae. On arrival, the visitors centre was not yet open, so we drove down the road a short way to a good viewing point where we could clearly see the mainland, the Carrickarede island,  and the 100ft crevasse between the two, spanned by a mere rope bridge.  When we arrived back, we had a ten minute chat from one of the National Trust guides who filled us in on the history of the rope bridge and the salmon fishers, as well as the other landmarks, some of which were visible and others that were vague shapes in the morning sea mist.  Then we walked the kilometre out to the bridge, took some deep breaths and one by one, crossed over, trying not t...
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The Day We Saw Puffins

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We had been told The Gobbins was an experience ‘not to be missed’ while in Northern Island, so we had eagerly booked it before watching the YouTube video of someone being drenched by huge waves as they walked the apparently treacherous cliff path.  It was with some trepidation then, that we packed up and set off from our Belfast accommodation at the appointed time of 8:30 this morning, all rugged up against the anticipated wind, waterproof layers on to protect us from the waves, and drove 40 minutes along the stunning coast road. At the visitors centre we were given our safety briefing, had our hiking boots checked for ankle support, and donned helmets,  before 15 brave souls, plus guide, hopped aboard the shuttle bus which would take us to the trail head for the 3 mile cliff walk.  Photos were taken at the Gobbins Gate before we ducked through into the unknown and began our journey up steps, down steps, across a variety of bridges spanning cliffs, and through caves....
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The Day the Sun Shone in Belfast

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After breakfast this morning we hopped in the hire car and navigated our way to the Titanic Belfast experience. We allowed ourselves 3 hours to view the exhibition and have lunch in the cafe, and the timing was perfect.  We enjoyed all the well-presented information on each level, including an amazing ride into the simulated skeleton of the ship to experience the sounds, sights and cramped conditions the team of ship builders worked in for hour after hour, day after day. With no OH&S they worked at extreme heights without scaffolding or ropes, no helmets, no ear protection or safety glasses. It was both incredible and terrifying to imagine the conditions under which they carried out the demanding work.  Then there were the details of the interior; the palatial first class suites compared to the more spartan third class accommodation; the china, the linen, curtains and furniture. It really was a massive floating hotel with all the trimmings.  The most moving part was t...
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The Day it Rained in Belfast

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  It rained in Belfast today but we accepted it with good humour and without surprise. After a short but solid sleep, we were all up by 8 and heading out the door, raincoats on and brolleys in hand, to walk the 800m to the nearest co-op to purchase breakfast supplies.  As soon as we had eaten, we were picked up by Hugh from a black cab tour company, taken to a few significant spots around the city, and given a potted history as we went. I think I caught about every third word on average!  I managed to grasp enough to pad out my sketchy knowledge of the area and its past ‘troubles’, and it was great to hear it from the perspective of a local. We even got to sign the Peace Wall.  By the end of the 2 hour tour my feet were sodden from standing at various sites in the light, but relentless morning rain, but it had definitely been worth it.  Hugh dropped us in the city centre and following his advice, we wandered around the Cathedral precinct, seeing some interesting...
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