Go to Belfast

[costelj1]

If you are planning a trip to Ireland, set aside a few days for Belfast and Northern Ireland. My friend and I flew into Dublin in the middle of October. We had no itinerary...except to fly in and out of Dublin in a 10 day period. We visited Dublin, Cork, and Limerick. Several people we met along the way - from native Irish people to fellow tourists - said we shouldn't leave Ireland without visiting Belfast and Northern Ireland. And so we did...and those few days ended up being one of the highlights of our trip.

Surrounded by mountains, Belfast is pristine, clean, elegant. Gorgeous architecture, great shopping, friendly people. It offers opera, theater, restaurants, plus a great nightlife.

From Belfast we headed up the Northern Coastline to see the Giant's Causeway, which is considered the 8th natural wonder of the world. Spectacular scenery.

We skipped Galway to see Belfast. I hear Galway is worth seeing. However, I'm glad we ventured up to Belfast. And not seeing Galway on this trip is all the more reason to plan another trip to the Emerald Isle.

[This message was edited by Host Bonjour on 11-25-01 at 04:08 PM.]

[Host Bonjour]

What a treat to read about your recent trip to Ireland, Julia. You also were confident enough to go ahead and fly away to Europe in October. A once "routine" hop across the pond didn't raise traveler's concerns about flying since 9/11.....it sounds like everything went very well and hopefully others will be enticed to return to the skies after reading your about your dreamy Irish sojourn.

I love that you went into Dublin without any set plans and took "the road less traveled" by venturing up to Northern Ireland. For a long time, a trip there would not have been nearly as pleasant due to the years of strife and turmoil attributable to the seemingly endless violence and suffering between England and Ireland. Too many bombs, too many riots, too many deaths. Thankfully, a new & hopefully enduring Peace is taking hold.......quite ironic now, since all over the world, everyone is afraid to blink and does not feel as free or safe anymore.

Thus, your trip is very symbolic on so many levels and it speaks volumes to all travelers and people all around the world. Your trip shines a light on a once dark corner of the world and more signifigantly, represents hope.

Best of all, you had what sounds like a fabulous journey into a beautiful, interesting and *safe* part of Ireland. There have always been many fans of Ireland, folks who've visited Kerry, Dingle, Galway etc. It sounds like yet another Irish delight sure to enrapture many future visitors to the Emerald Isle. For now, Northern Island is a not-too-crowded treasure trove for holiday-makers who may want to skip the lovely west (for now) for the ethereal North.

As you mentioned, there'll be plenty of reasons to return to Ireland and see more of an island commonly referred to (and as beautiful as) a precious gem, the gorgeous green Emerald. My ancestors are from the west and I always imagined my first visit will be to that region, not even considering Northern Ireland. It's unlikely now that I'll miss Northern Ireland on my first trip, then see if I can't still get to County Clare for a few days. Skipping everything in between, if one flew into Dublin and visited the north, catch a train or bus southwest, then home from Shannon, it might just work [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Glad your trip turned out to be so wonderful and thanks for sharing it with us - it's a *great* report likely to kindle a few sparks into the minds of intrepid travelers thinking about maybe taking a trip now, with all these super fares out there! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Cheers!

Colleen Costello, HOST Bonjour
Community Host & Team Leader: England, France & Europe
www.independenttraveler.com
AOL Keyword: Traveler

I hope you got to visit the most beautiful garden in Ireland...Mount Stewart?

[sparky1]

What about the tropical Gardens at Garnish Island in West Cork. Nice ride over in the boat and some lovely gardens.

Julia, your right about making another trip. This time you must see the Galway area.

While there, visit the Cliffs of Mohar. Just a georgious sight. Also spend sometime in the villages of Doolin, and Ballyvaughn, both have fine resturants and great pubs.

And plan a day going through the Burren. All of these sights are within an hours drive of the city of Galway, which, by the way is a great place to stay for a few days.

Hope you do go again.