The difference between Northern Ireland and Dublin has been striking. For me, it began with the weather. In Belfast and Donegal, I battled rain and chill; in Dublin, the sun has been shining, and the air feels almost warm. But the greater contrast is in atmosphere. Belfast and Dublin are both capitals, but their scale gives them quite different personalities. … Read More
Dublin, Ireland – Day 1
On my final morning in Belfast, the sun was shining, and the air was warm. My Uber driver chuckled when I commented on the weather. He said, “It probably won’t stay this way. We get more than two hundred days of rain. Sometimes just a short downpour, but often the whole day.” Belfast’s Central Train Station was modern and easy … Read More
Belfast, Northern Ireland – Day 4
When I left my hotel this morning, I didn’t have high hopes for the weather. It’s been thwarting my plans for days, and the gray sky, low clouds, and drizzle didn’t look promising. I’d signed up for a tour of the Causeway Coastal Route and the Giant’s Causeway. The bus left promptly at 8:30, and the day turned into a … Read More
Belfast, Northern Ireland – Day 3
The day started sunny, but I knew to bring along my umbrella. Good thing I did, more about that later. My first stop was the Titanic Museum. Everyone I’ve spoken with who has visited Belfast told me it is a must-see. When I arrived I took a walk over to the only remaining White Star ship (the company that operated … Read More
Belfast, Northern Ireland – Day 2
The day started sunny, but I knew to bring along my umbrella. Good thing I did, more about that later. My first stop was the Titanic Museum. Everyone I’ve spoken with who has visited Belfast told me it is a must-see. When I arrived I took a walk over to the only remaining White Star ship (the company that operated … Read More
Belfast, Northern Ireland – Day 1
This morning, I boarded a bus in Letterkenny that went directly to Belfast. Today this route is straightforward, there are no indications that we crossed from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland. Thanks to the Good Friday Agreement (1998) and the removal of military checkpoints, the political tension that once made this journey scary and potentially dangerous is largely … Read More
Donegal Town, Ireland
My latest excursion with the Tbex conference was a tour of Donegal Town. The organizers were determined to have the twelve participants on the tour experience as much as possible. The weather didn’t cooperate, it rained off and on, everything from a fine mist to a torrential downpour. Donegal is a very compact town, so walking distances between each of … Read More
Glen Cholm Cille Folk Village, Ireland
Today was the unofficial start of the conference I am attending. Because the conference is for travel content creators, the sponsors (mainly tourist boards) want us to experience the local attractions so we can communicate with our audiences about them. For two days they offer us a variety of tours in the area. I could have chosen from bicycling through … Read More
Letterkenny and Grianan of Ailigh
This morning started sunny and warm. Despite that, we headed across the street to the Donegal County Museum. As a participant in Tbex, (the conference I am attending) four of us were given a personal tour by one of the curators, Caroline. She described the museum’s mission as “guardians of Donegal’s history and culture.” The tour was fascinating and thorough … Read More
Glenveagh Castle and Letterkenny, Ireland
This morning exhaustion finally caught up with me. I slept until 10am, something I haven’t done in years. It turned out to be the perfect thing to do, as it rained most of the morning. Once I was up and moving, the sun began to peak through the clouds. Phoenyx, the woman who I’m sharing an Airbnb with, and I … Read More