On Friday, we booked
another Paddywagon bus tour up to Northern Ireland. I had never been to Northern Ireland before, so now I can officially say I've been to every country in the British Isles! Our bus driver Paul was a pleasant Irish gentleman who, as we learned, has been to Charlotte and has friends who live in the Ballantyne area. Such a small world!
Anywho, we journeyed up from Dublin into Northern Ireland. Stop #1 was the Dark Hedges - aka the famous Kingsroad in Game of Thrones. Traveling up to the northern-most tip of the country, we then stopped at the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge and paid the £10 to walk across it. Heights don't usually phase me too much, but it was nerve wracking to walk across a rope bridge that bounced up and down, swung side to side, and could supposedly only support the weight of 8 people at a time 🙃
The highlight of the tour was the Giant's Causeway, which is this collection of geometric, hexagonal, naturally-formed rocks that are stacked together like puzzle pieces. It was surreal. Scientists say it was formed by flows of lava from ancient volcanos cooling as they contacted the sea. I prefer to believe
the legend of the giant Finn McCool. We walked along the lower beach coastline, up the mountain, and looped back along the higher cliff pathway. Our last stop was in Belfast city center for an hour. We wandered the streets and visited their awesomely-designed mall, Victoria Square, before heading back to Dublin.
The next morning, we took the shuttle bus to the airport, made it through about 2 hours of security check points, and flew back home from Dublin - New York - Charlotte.
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So that just about covers the great McLendon expedition! This was the best adventure ever. I'm so grateful Steven and I could experience it together. We had surprisingly great weather, explored castles, witnessed breathtaking scenery, and experienced things that will only happen once in a lifetime (for us, at least). 10/10 would recommend you visit if you ever get a chance. Thanks for following along, friends. And until next time... have a wee pint for me :)
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Travel tips:
- Ireland ≠ Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland is part of the UK and uses the pound sterling; Ireland is NOT part of the UK and uses the euro. For now, you don't need a passport to travel between the two countries, and there is no physical wall between the two (at least, not anymore). However, the border between Northern Ireland & Ireland is a major point of contention in the Brexit plans. In a few months, after the UK leaves the EU, traveling between the two countries may require a visa or a passport checkpoint. If you plan to travel there soon, keep an eye on the news and make sure you have what you need.
- Just Google it: Planning, researching, and booking a trip like this takes time. We didn't use a travel agent. I felt comfortable doing everything on our own because I had lived overseas before, and had a decent idea of how things worked in the UK. Check prices on hotels and flights every day because they change so frequently. If you don't know something, just Google it or email customer service. You can do this!
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