We've seen 2 or 3 road signs showing an "older" couple walking and the words on the sign are ELDERLY CROSSING.
Then there was DANGER, LORRIES TURNING and ROAD LIABLE TO SUBSIDE, DIVERSION means detour, FREE RECOVERY means free towing, then there is CAR PARK which means parking lot and CONCEALED ENTRANCE, not sure if we have an equivalent in American English. ZEBRA CROSSING- is pedestrian crossing. I think because of the black and white stripes on the road. We've heard " We'll have a wee quick look" and "nip in here"
Nick has been looking and looking and we still have seen only 2 or 3 SmartCars. Not sure why--with the prices for petrol the way they are.
We visited the Giant's Causeway (in the rain) .
It is an area of specially formed rocks which would lend credence to the legend of giants building a bridge between two areas and then knocking it down. The area is a UNESCO site---not sure exactly what that means, except that they get special funding to keep it up.
We've seen hills which are faerie mounds--where the wee folk live and a cave where mermaids live. Lots of ghost stories as well.
Bushmill's Distillery---- not my favorite place to visit, but I do understand why we made the tour. This is the oldest distillery in the world and they are 400 years old this year. The gentleman guiding the tour was not much of a speaker and his "patter" was pretty boring. Think about the smell of souring grain----Phew, it smelled awful. We couldn't take pictures on the tour, but could in the waiting area. At the end of the tour, we each could get a "free" drink of one of the 4 least aged varieties. YES, I tried it. A hot toddy with hot water and honey added to the whiskey and it was NASTY--probably not as bad tasting as Guinness, but close.
I did some shopping at the Bushmill's store. UPC choir, remember last year you "got" to taste whale meat?-- well this year you get to taste something from the Bushmills store.
I've been having some shopping problems. I see something I kind of like (for me) but I think, I'll look the next time we stop and it'll be cheaper. Wrong--either it is higher, or they don't have what I wanted at all.
Belfast is really an international city, just driving down the street, we saw Starbucks, KFC, McDonalds, Disney store, the Gap, Subway and Pizza Hut. Near our hotel (the Europa- more about that later) is a giant ferris wheel- It is lit up tonite and I tried to get a picture. It is at least 5-6 stories high and our tour guide today told us 15 minutes on it is 6 pounds.
I mentioned before we left that the Europa Hotel is the most bombed hotel in Europe/the world (depends on which book you read). N and I read this information in about 3 different places. We mentioned it to our dinner companions tonite and they had also read and heard that statement. It is a lovely hotel, seems to be under construction inside. I'm guessing that some of that bombing was during WWII when it was a major Nazi target because of ship building and airplane building and the port.
The hotel has an interesting shower in which the water comes out of the ceiling, not the wall. Haven't tried it yet, but it may be like being in a rain storm. I'll let you know. And there is no shower curtain.
The Europa hotel has a "magazine" which is an advertisement for who has stayed there (Clintons/ international celebrities) . In the center of the magazine is a two page spread of their "rubber duckies". There was one on our bathtub in a litle plastic wrapper. No explanation just a rubber duckie. The magazine showed pictures of this same toy in different places all over the world. the suggestion is that a person take his duck with him when he leaves and photograph it when he reaches an interesting destination. For teachers out there like Flat Stanley. I have plans for my rubber ducky to be photographed in interesting places. Hope I don't lose the e-address.
Belfast is known for inventors of the Kelvin scale, for the cardiac defibrilator and also for being the place where the Titanic was built.
The people here say--"It was okay when it left Belfast".
C.S. Lewis lived in Belfast as did Van Morrison and several other "famous folks" that I never heard of. It was the linen capital of the world in the 1800's and when prohibition came to America, 75% of Irish Distilleries went broke. There may be a lesson there someplace.
The famous theatre here is named the Lyric Theatre. Lian Niessom (spelling?) started here and is a huge supporter.
We drove by a University which was build by Queen Victoria so that Catholics and Presbyterians would have a college to attend. They were not permitted in the existing university.
I also saw a Presbyterian Cathedral---never thought of Presbyterians having Cathedrals. Live and learn.
We heard more about THE TROUBLE (in the '60's) and hunger strikes and political problems which hopefully are a thing of the past. More murals covering entire buildings.
That's all for this evening. Tomorrow we're ferrying to Scotland- and I'll be writing from Glasgow
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