Road Tripping | Ireland Days 9-10

Guide, Ireland, Road Trip, Travel, Belfast
Guide, Ireland, Road Trip, Travel, Belfast
Guide, Ireland, Road Trip, Travel, Belfast
Belfast

Our final two days were spent in Belfast and with a late night flight back to Stansted, it meant we could really make the most of our time there – which was good, as we were driving from Galway!

We left Galway fairly early, as it was a bit of drive across the border and decided to stop en route. Looking at the guidebook, we were drawn to Enniskillen – which was slightly underwhelming and it’s fair to say we didn’t stay long!

Upon arrival in the Northern Irish capital, we checked in to the hotel before walking to the city centre. We just had a general wander and saw the City Hall and St. Anne’s Cathedral before stopping at Pizza Express for dinner (which was adjacent to the cathedral and we were blessed with a window table!). By this point, I was getting tired, so we made our way back to the hotel – stopping at the Victoria Square shopping centre, as Ash wanted to buy a jumper. On the shopping centre’s top floor, there’s an observation platform, offering 360-degree views. Unfortunately, being late at night, we weren’t able to see too much, other than the shops’ reflections but I imagine during the day, it’s much clearer (but busier).

Today we walked 7.7km.
Guide, Ireland, Road Trip, Travel, Belfast
Guide, Ireland, Road Trip, Travel, Belfast
Guide, Ireland, Road Trip, Travel, Antrim, Giants Causeway, Causeway Coast
Guide, Ireland, Road Trip, Travel, Antrim, Giants Causeway, Causeway Coast
The following day, our first point of interest was Titanic Quarter and the Museum. This is definitely a must-visit when in Belfast and the experience was really interesting – enhanced by interactive elements and plenty of video/sound bites. I had never seen the film all the way through (don’t judge – I have seen it since our return!), so I learnt a lot. And working in the cruise industry, I loved all the aspects of the ship building, decor and facilities just as much as everything else. With our tickets, we could have explored the SS Nomadic – but time wasn’t on our side with everything else we wanted to fit in and I was already tiring from all the walking.

Our next stop was Belfast Castle and we didn’t spend too long there, as there wasn’t too much to see – without exploring nearby Castle Hill. Some of the gardens were closed off, but the central point with the fountain was a popular photo opportunity and was lovely in the sunshine. Out of all the castles we saw, Belfast’s was one of my favourites.

With several hours until we needed to be at the airport, we drove to the Giants Causeway, which was well worth it – although I am desperate to go back when I’m not pregnant. It was a bit of walk from the car park and visitor centre to the stones themselves and we decided to walk rather than pay £1 for the bus. The Causeway Coast was really beautiful and the weather definitely helped. However, when we got to the base of the natural wonder, I was unable to climb the Shepherd’s Steps as they were steep and uneven, so I stayed at the bottom while Ash saw it all and took photos. There were many Causeway trails to embark on, but obviously we didn’t do any of those! Like I say, I’d love to go back to experience more.

Today we walked 8.1km.
Where we stayed
Again, we lucked out with the location as the hotel wasn’t too far from the city centre and all the major sights. I love the Radisson chain and like other locations, I wasn’t disappointed: the room was a great size with the comfiest bed, the buffet breakfast was extensive and great value, the staff were so helpful and couldn’t have done more for us – including giving me a free parking token when I checked out and they realised I was pregnant! The only negative was that we had a large bath – but it had no plug. Luckily, we managed to improvise!

Love, Lucy xx

1 comment

  1. This sounds great, I really want to go to Belfast! No idea how you managed so much walking so heavily pregnant! Xx

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Love, Lucy xx

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