The next day, Des picked us up and we left Belfast. We drove along the coast and went to the Giant's Causeway. While we couldn't take the wheelchair on the Causeway we could use the bus to bring us next to it and then back to the Visitor Center. It was pretty, but we didn't stay long - just took some pictures and then left.
Next we headed to Londonderry/Derry. I should say that officially the name of the city is Londonderry, but the Catholics call it Derry. Des even had a fit when I called it Londonderry. I told him that in New Hampshire there is a town called Londonderry and it is right next to the town of Derry and the sign on the highway has both names (whereas entering the city from Northern Ireland Londonderry is used and entering from the Republic side Derry is used.)
Des dropped us off at our hotel, the City Hotel Derry (meaning we were in the Catholic side of the city.) It was pretty late so we just had dinner and stayed in the hotel - although it was light outside until 10 pm.) The next day we took another taxi tour of the city - again with a Catholic driver and yes again the Catholics could do no wrong. Of course there were more murals of hate yet no Peace Walls - as the Protestants lived across the river. I really wish we could have gotten both sides of the story since what we heard in Londonderry/Derry was the same things as from Belfast - although just before we visited the city the British Government released a report years in the making that send British soldiers had murdered innocent people during Bloody Sunday in 1972. We didn't know if the report would lead to more violence while we were in the city - it didn't as far as I know. Londonderry/Derry was much cleaner and more modern than Belfast though.
After our tour Des picked us up and we left Northern Ireland for the "safety" of the Republic.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.