Our trip to Ireland

Here are some photos from our trip to Ireland... we went there for a long weekend just before we returned to Singapore.

Inside one of the houses in the Ulster-American Folk Park, which was very interesting and we would recommend it to anyone visiting Northern Ireland. They had literally moved real houses and buildings to the park (beams and logs and all) to showcase what life was like for Irish people who migrated to America.

They even had real people in costumes in the houses, telling you about that particular building and about their way of life. Some were also cooking things that were representative of how they ate - like oatcakes by the peat fire and corn cakes.

The schoolhouse... only one room for the whole school! I am not sure if they had separate classes in the same room or if they all sat together in one class.

One of the costumed characters in the Ulster-American Folk Park recommended that we drove through Gortin Glen, and along the way we randomly followed a sign to Gortin lakes...

This is at Portstewart, along the coast.

Having a scone and milkshake at Portstewart.

Along the coastal path at the Giant's Causeway... which was absolutely beautiful.

This is the "amphitheatre", which was also spectacular... I couldn't quite capture the awesomeness of it in a photo though...

The famous hexagonal causeway stones...

People were just climbing all over it.

More of the Giant's causeway... well that was the main reason for us going to Ireland - because I had seen amazing pictures of it and for the longest time wanted to see it for myself and walk on the stones with my own feet.

Okay, I shall stop putting more photos of the Giant's Causeway now. But I thought I should put one with Pong in it. :P

This is on the island that you get to via the Cerrick-a-rede bridge.

At this point, our camera ran out of battery, and other photos were on our phone, which we have not downloaded yet... so I am afraid there are only photos from the first 1.5 days in Ireland. :P

We also went to Glenariff, which we would definitely go back to as well... they have a few walks of varying lengths and difficulties. We went on a 3km waterfall walk which brought us though broadwalks and wooden steps along the riverside, which was beautiful as well... the uphill climb back to the car park seemed never-ending though... :P

Anyway, guess what we bought from Ireland as souveniers... nope, not fridge magnets... not those tea towels that have pretty pictures and say "Ireland" on them... yes, you guessed it! we bought books! 2 books from Wesley Owen in Coleraine - both on assisted dying/ euthanasia... both from a Christian perspective, but one pro-euthanasia and one against euthanasia. I have started reading one, and hope to make good progress through it later this week after we are more settled down with unpacking and packing.

Hmm... did we buy anything else besides books? Oh no, maybe it IS true that we only buy books and nothing else when we travel... let me think... think hard... oh yes! We did buy three postcards. :) See? We do buy other things beside books when we travel.