EIS – To Sligo (Day 12)

EIS – To Sligo (Day 12)

(8/29/2010) We are only in Belfast one night and today head out on route M2 for the north coastal route and eventually the Giant’s Causeway before continuing our way west to our next hotel in Sligo. Our route takes us on route A26 around Ballymena, then back on A26. The countryside again has shrub fencing instead of the stone fencing we saw in Scotland.

We then turn on route A44 to Balleycastle. At Balleycastle, which is on the ocean, has a very nice beach. No one was sun bathing today.

We moved on to the Giants Causeway. In order to get to the Giant’s Causeway you must take a visitor center bus or walk, a 1.2km trip. We will take the bus down then walk back up.

First, let me say, that the Giants Causeway consists of 4, 5, 6 and 8 sided cylinders of basalt. Further, the actual area which they comprise is relatively small if you look at it with the surrounding area. We did not go to the overlook high above the site, but I’ve seen a picture from high atop the hill over the ocean.

However, the causeway is absolutely fascinating; here I am after I climbed a little ways up the back side.

A path travels around the next point, passing the Giant’s Boot and then by the Organ. We did not go along the path, as we did not have sufficient time to go hiking. We did get a photo of the Organ, but from our distance and facing the sun as we were, the picture is not the best.

We took more pictures from the Causeway.

Here is Carmen sitting on one of the stones on the “hill” part.

Along the road leading back to the visitor center and parking lot, we took more pictures. Looking back to the Causeway, you can clearly see the Chimneys near the upper plateau. The Causeway runs from the center right to the just below center on the left. You can clearly see people walking along the hexagon stones.

This time we took pictures of the cliff and the surf pounding on the rock formations in the water.

Carmen and I would have stayed there for hours, hiking around, but the coach is on the move and our next stop is Derry or Londonderry depending on which side you ask. The City still has the old fortified city walls around the old section. We walked all around the wall walk taking several pictures as we went.

Leaving Derry, we move from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland. Our next stop was in Belleek at Belleek Pottery. In order to reach Belleek, from the direction we came, we had to drive from the Republic of Ireland, to Northern Ireland. Then when we left, we traveled back to the Republic of Ireland. It’s a good thing we didn’t have to show our passports each time.

After a short stop at the grave site of W. B. Yeats, we finished our day at the hotel in Sligo, ending another interesting day.



Until later, Bob and Carmen – EIS.