50 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
50 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
title: 'Day 6: Cairnryan (UK) via Belfast to Sligo (IE)'
|
|
date: 2013-06-13T14:45:12+02:00
|
|
Tags: []
|
|
Categories: []
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Eire
|
|
|
|
{{< image src="/img/map-day6.png" width="400px" float="right">}}
|
|
|
|
Yesterday morning, we got up really (really) early. Way too early, if you ask me. If you ask Pim too. Even if you ask Stena Line: when we
|
|
got to the dock, we had to wait for 45 minutes before we could board. Luckily, boarding went a lot easier than on the chunnel - a lot more
|
|
room for maneuvering. We parked the car and went to the on board restaurant for some much needed breakfast. The food was meh, but it'd last
|
|
us a couple of hours for sure.
|
|
|
|
To our pleasant surprise, there was WiFi (from Norway) and GSM (from the USA or Canada) coverage on the boat, so we were online. Since we
|
|
hadn't booked any hotels in Ireland yet, we decided the two and a half hours on the boat would be best spent organizing some accommodation
|
|
for the coming nights. After a rather uneventful trip, we arrived at Belfast harbor at 09:50 so we got into our car and continued our
|
|
journey into Northern Ireland. Our first destination was the third distillery on our list: Bushmills, on the north coast. We got there
|
|
pretty early and did the 11:20 tour. With the Glen Morangie and Oban experiences under our belt, we pretty much knew exactly what was
|
|
coming: Barley, Malting, Grist, Wash, Wort, Still, Cask, Whisk(e)y! The big difference is that Bushmills (like many Irish whiskeys) distills
|
|
their product thrice whereas the Scots tend to have only two distillation runs for their whiskys. The extra still (between the wash still
|
|
and the spirit still) is called the low wines still. We sampled the local cuisine in the on-site restaurant and left with a few bottles of
|
|
whiskey.
|
|
|
|
Next stop was the Giant's Causeway. We had heard this was a must see site, and since it's very close to Bushmills, we drove there to see
|
|
what was going on. Turns out there's some interesting rock formations on the coast with about 40'000 interlocking basalt columns (these are
|
|
four, five, six and seven sided prisms). It's a beautiful area - after climbing the columns and rocks and taking pictures (like everybody
|
|
else there) we decide to hike up the path along the coast. There are some very impressive views so more photos are taken with Pim shooting
|
|
panoramas and myself taking some nice shots down the steep cliffs. In total, we did a 7 km hike along the coast (doubling back the way we
|
|
came so Pim could get a gps trail of our path with his android). And we got quite lucky with the weather too - dry and mostly sunny!
|
|
|
|
We leave Bushmills and plot a course to Sligo where we've booked our first hotel in Ireland at the Best Western there. Along the way we come
|
|
across our first real shower. But it doesn't last long and we are soon cruising along accompanied by a bright sun. With the Insane Clown
|
|
Posse providing the beats we hardly notice crossing the border from the UK into Ireland. Really, the only indication is that we're back on
|
|
the metric system when it comes to maximum speeds. But, we are in Ireland! It's a nice drive through a very green landscape and before we
|
|
know it we're in Sligo searching for our Best Western hotel. After a wee bit of back and forth, we find it just outside the city center. The
|
|
place is a bit older but there's two beds and a shower so it'll do nicely.
|
|
|
|
After inspecting the room we check with Ania, our receptionist, where we can find some local specialties (i.e. lamb). She suggests we go to
|
|
Coach Lane at Donaghy's bar. Another fine recommendation! Pim has a very rich Minestrone soup and I have the pasta with red pepper and
|
|
garlic as a starter. Our mains are an Angus fillet (Pim) and trio of Lamb (me). Both are delicious! It's all so nice I decide to go all out
|
|
and have the in-season fruit crumble with ice cream. Mjam! We're both quite full after this feast so we go for a walk around the town of
|
|
Sligo. Eventually we end up at McGarrigles pub where there's live traditional Irish trad music played by a group of two guys and three girls
|
|
simply sitting in a corner of the pub. There's a really nice atmosphere in the bar (and it's quite popular too, the place is super
|
|
crowded!). After we finish our drinks, we head back to the hotel - another excellent day has come to an end. Tomorow: Achill!
|
|
|
|
**Posted by Paul de Weerd at 3:22 AM (next day)**
|