Northern Ireland

We crossed into Northern Ireland and met Elizabeth and Randolf at Dunluce Castle. The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring The Giant's Causeway. It was great to watch the tour bus hoards depart and have the place nearly to ourselves as the sun was setting. We spent 2 nights in Ballycastle. It's a gorgeous coast to explore. A highlight was watching a large pod of dolphins swim past Kinbane Point. Ballintoy Beach is a great place to walk and we found the cutest cottages for rent right on the shore. Of course,any trip to this part of the world has to include Bushmill's Whiskey Distillery. On Saturday we headed to Belfast; a surprise in terms of a modern downtown with loads of good restaurants and fun pubs. We did a "blackcab" tour of West Belfast. During The Troubles when buses were banned from entering West Belfast, black cab drivers drove in and out, picking up customers along the bus routes. It still happens today. We learned a lot from our Catholic driver. The wall is still there and the curfew and no mans' land is still enforced at night. It still feels hostile there; which is weird when you think that a few miles away in the neutral city centre most people mix happily together.