Ireland – Page 2 – Travels with Jeanne

Bushmills and the Giant’s Causeway

We said goodbye to Belfast today and I packed up my troubles in my new kit bag. I’m excited to report that I just checked on the status of my lost bag and much to my surprise it looks like it is going to be delivered to me tonight. Assuming of course that they got the message that I’m now in Derry not Belfast!

Bushmills_Logo But, I digress. Our first stop this morning was at old Bushmills distillery. Here’s a picture of their logo in stained glass. We were not allowed to photograph inside and the outside pictures were a little murky due to the rain. We had a tour of the facility and I got to taste some 12 year old whiskey. Which may have been a mistake because up until now I was pretty sure I didn’t like whiskey. This could make a convert of me but the good news is 12 year old Bushmills is not sold outside Ireland so I won’t be able to develop any new habits once I get home. I suppose at this point I should probably stick to wine anyway.

We had lunch at the Bushmills Inn which you can’t see here. Not a very rain good day to choose to sit at the front of the bus. The shepherd’s pie was delicious but, and I never thought I would say this, I am getting a little tired of meat and potatoes.

We went on to the Giant’s Causeway just up the road. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its unique Geological formations. It was pouring rain as we were having our guided tour but later eased up. I was just a little disgruntled about the num Dunluce_Castle ber of people swarming the area. Tourists from all over the world just like me.

From the causeway we headed to Derry with one stop for photographs
along the beautiful Irish Coast. In one
direction the ruins of Dunluce castle, in the other some beautiful cliffs.

On to the hotel in D Cliffs erry and wonder of wonders they had fish on the menu and it wasn’t fried! It was, of course, served with mashed potatoes.

Armagh and the Cathedrals of Saint Patrick

We started the day today with a lecture which tried to stuff the history of Ireland into one hour. I gained more insight into the troubles and the Scotch Irish immigration to the U.S. Our lecturer agreed with my driver Seamus that Northern Ireland would probably someday join the Republic “but not in my lifetime” he said. He pointed out that the Catholic population of Northern Ireland is outpacing the Protestant and eventually they will become a majority allowing for a referendum to leave Great Britain and join the Republic of Ireland. Meanwhile, everyone seems shocked and and confused about how Brexit might complicate already strained relations.

Then we traveled about an hour south of Belfast to Armagh which is the home of not one but two cathedrals dedicated to St. Patrick. One is Catholic, the other Anglican (or Church of Ireland as they like to say here).

Exterior_Catholic Well it was raining a little heavily when we got to the first church (the Catholic one) so my outdoor pictures leave something to be desired but I tried.

This cathedral was built between 1840 and 1870 and is very ornate inside with many stained glass windows and mosaic tiles on all of the floors and walls. Stained_Glass wall_StPats

Floor_StPats

The next church was much older, dating from 1268, wit Exterior_Anglican h updates and changes since then of course. This church was less ornate but had stained glass that was more to my taste and seemed a little brighter. There was also a lot more statuary in this one, including this reader that Stained_Glass2 I especially liked. Reader

Upon returning to Belfast we had some free time. So I went shopping, having heard nothing from the airlines about my bag. I scored a new bag, two pair of jeans, a sweater some shirts and underwear, and an electrical adaptor so I can keep taking pictures and posting blogs. What won’t be so easy to replace are the charging cords for my phone, Nook, and Fitbit. There is probably a message in here about what we really can live without.

I also had my first Guiness this evening, well and my second too. And with that it is time to bid you good night.

Belfast and the Troubles

I woke up this morning at 1am and never went back to sleep so I got up at 6 and went for an early morning walk around the area. Lots of people scurrying off to work. I really admired the Victorian architecture I found along the way. Belfast_City_Hall City Hall is one example. They say there are 3 tons of Cararra Marble inside but I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet and probably won’t.

This clock tower also caught my eye. Clock_Tower

We had an excellent lecture this morning from a man who has made it his hobby to photograph and write about the murals that have come out of the “Troubles” which is how the Irish refer to the 30+ year civil war that tore apart Northern Ireland from the late sixties into the early years of the twentieth century.

It is all very complex and I am not going to try to explain it here. The point is hundreds of years of oppression going back to the defeat of King James (a Catholic) by William of Orange (a Protestant) in 1690 have resulted in deep hatreds and resentments which go far beyond religion. One side wants Northern Ireland to stay with Great Britain, the other wants it to become part of the Republic of Ireland. An upshot of all this has been a series of murals which have come and gone over the years and evolved in their content and message.

Those we sa Douglas w today were much less graphic and intimidating than some we saw pictures of from the darkest days of the Troubles. Gone are the soldiers with guns and hooded masks. They have been replaced with artworks celebrating those who ha Doves ve opposed and overcome their oppressors.
An example is this one of Frederick Douglas and other American blacks involved in civil rights. Another hints that those who would end the peace are still out there. Some honor the 10 hunger strikers who

died in an effort to loosen restriction placed on political prisoners.

In addition to the Murals Belfast has a Peace Wall which I found particularly moving. Over a long stretch of graffiti strewn wall people have written messages of peace and hope such as those shown here. My parents visited Belfast in the 1980s or 90s and talked o Peace_Wall f checkpoints and soldiers carrying rifles everywhere. The checkpoints and soldiers are gone and the people of Belfast seem committed to maintaining the peace. I asked my driver from Dublin if he Peace_close
thought Northern Ireland would ever become part of the Republic because geographically it just makes sense. But what he explained to me is that economically it does not. And culturally it does not and while he thought that maybe at some time in the future it could happen the memories of the troubles will have to fade into the past and only future
generations who h Stormont ave no experience of the oppression and the conflicts can bring about the healing that would be necessary.

Today we also visited Stormont, the Northern Ireland Parliament building, the equivalent of a State Capitol building in the U.S. Stormont_Ceiling Its construction was completed in 1932. Its setting is on a former Estate allowing for expansive landscaping and views.

We had lunch at a restaurant called Molly’s Yard. What I am learning about Irish Cuisine is that they love their meat and potatoes. Potatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So far I have had pork, beef, and chicken. No sign of fish or shrimp. And mention fish and someone tells you where you can go for fish and chips. Even with a morning walk around the area and an afternoon pedestrian shopping excursion to buy new clothes to wear tomorrow I feel overfed and bloated. Hoping to do better tomorrow.

Murphy’s Law

I suppose if you travel to Ireland you should expect Murphy to take a hand but really I think he has overstepped his bounds on this one. I arrived at the Medford, Oregon airport at 5:30 AM in plenty of time for my 7AM flight. I had TSA Pre check so I sailed through security and didn’t even have to take my laptop out of my bag. I was happily settled in at the gate by 5:45, gotta love Rogue Valley “International” Airport. Came time to be boarding and the announcement came that due to fog in San Francisco our departure would be delayed by 2 ½ hours. That meant I would miss my connection to Chicago and hence the flight to Dublin.

I patiently awaited my turn with the gate agent who finally called me up about 8 and rebooked me on a flight to Dublin through Newark. At least I would only be 2 hours late. I emailed Road Scholar and they said no worries I would still be able to travel with the group to Belfast.

So, I get to San Francisco and go to the board to find the gate for my flight to Newark only to see that that flight has been delayed two hours due to an equipment delay. Now I will miss my connection to Dublin in Newark. I found the United customer service desk and they said all the flights to Dublin were full and the only way they could get me to Dublin the next day was through London-Heathrow. Not my favorite airport but OK, whatever works. They took the description of my bag but did not issue me a new claim check. I should have known then there would be trouble. But, hey, I’m an optimist.

So, I grab some lunch and find the gate for the London flight which boards smoothly and on time. Sitting on the plane the time ticks by and it is now 20 minutes past our departure time when the pilot comes over the loud speaker saying, “You may have noticed the mechanics out the right side of the plane” (I was on the left). So, we sat and waited for the mechanics to do their thing all the while getting hotter and hotter because the air conditioning is also not working. So, two hours later, the air conditioning and the right engine are fixed and we are on our way. I’m pretty sure I am going to miss my connection to Dublin but figured they should have more frequent flights from there than the U.S. I was lucky my seat mates decided to stretch out in empty seats in the middle and I at least had the row to myself though finding a comfortable position to sleep on the 10 hour flight still eluded me.

Of course, I was right, I missed my connection to Dublin by 20 minutes. United says don’t worry, we will have already booked you on the next flight just go to Aer Lingus and talk to them. Right. Bald faced lie. After negotiating the maze that is Heathrow, another trip through security (no TSA Pre here but at least you don’t have to take your shoes off in Europe) and a stop in customs I find my way to the gate of the flight I think I am booked on and there is no gate agent as there would be in the U.S., only people taking tickets and they are already starting to board. I rush back to the main lobby which looks more like a shopping mall Orange_taxi complete with and orange wire taxi installation and I can’t find the service desk anywhere. So, I go back to the gate and get in line and tell the ticket agent my sad tale of woe and she just says, no, you are not booked on this flight go back to the service desk and talk to them. Well, I am afraid earned some bad Karma with that woman but eventually set out to find the service desk which it turned out was tucked away in a little corner of the shopping mall. By this time the 9:50 flight is gone, the 10:55 flight is full and I am booked on the 12:00 flight.

So, I suck it up and email Road Scholar my new itinerary and they say don’t worry, someone will be there to meet you. To my chagrin the same agent was taking tickets for the 12:00 flight. She worked out some of the bad karma then and there. I’d had time to mellow and just let it roll off.

I got to Dublin and negotiated customs again and went to the bag claim thinking this is where I will be met but no one comes looking for me and my bag never comes down the chute. So, I go to Aer Lingus and report my bag missing and they say, yeah, it’s probably in Newark and I say, yeah, that’s what I think too. But apparently there is only one flight a day from Newark to Dublin. And of course when and if it arrives it will be at United not Aer Lingus.

So, I go on out and keep looking for someone holding a Road Scholar sign. Finally, I see a man holding a sign with my name on it. He says he was about to send out a search party but he was not allowed to go inside. So, I follow him out to the parking garage and try to get the in the passenger side of the front seat but there is a steering wheel there. Seamus (really, that was his name, he was very nice) politely reminded me that they drive on the wrong side of the road here. So, he drives me to Belfast and we have a lovely talk about Donald Trump and Brexit and the future of Northern Ireland. I have now connected with my group and shopped for a toothbrush and comb. Note to self: always have a change of underwear in your carry on bag.

Hoping and praying my bag will catch up with me tomorrow. I went to bed at 8:30 pm and slept like the dead for four hours. It is now 3:30am and I am writing this when I should be sleeping but according to my laptop which is still on Pacific Daylight Time, it is only 7:37pm so I expect I will fall asleep again about the time I should be getting up and putting on my dirty clothes to go down to breakfast.

Well my electrical adaptor is also in my checked bag and my laptop battery is now down to half charge so I’ll sign off for now. Hoping to have pictures and better news tomorrow.