Northern Ireland is renowned for its Giant’s Causeway region. Its layered 40,000 basalt columns and massive rock formations are the result of volcanic eruption that occurred 60 million years ago. My day’s tour would take me there, as well as other spectacular attractions in Northern Ireland’s landscape. Prior to boarding the tour bus, I stopped at Esquire Coffee (Esquire Coffee ) in Dublin for a takeaway breakfast. The cafe offers a few vegan sandwich selections. I opted for the tasty Nori Veggie Wrap sandwich containing avocado, cucumber, ginger, lemon, red peppers, red onions, lentils, quinoa, spinach, soy sauce, and nori seaweed. As I started munching on my sandwich, the tour bus whisked us away on our journey.
The Dark Hedges are a tunnel-like road with intertwined beech trees, located in Ballymoney in Northern Ireland. They were planted in the 18th century by James Stuart. He built the nearby Gracehill House on the property and decided to plant the the trees to impress visitors on the way to his home. Named one of the UK’s most popular attractions, many tourists visit this impressive landmark each year.
Carrick A Rede is another popular attraction in Northern Ireland, near Ballintoy in the County Antrim region. The rope bridge connects the mainland to the small island of Carrickarede. Tourists in eager anticipation muster up the courage stroll across the rope bridge, as the the wooden walkway beneath sways back and forth in the wind. I enjoyed the exhilarating walk with breath-taking panoramic views of the ocean, cliffs, islands, birds, and caves.
Our group stopped for lunch at the Fullerton Arms Inn restaurant (Fullerton Arms)in Ballintoy. The chef provided a fabulous vegan lunch for me consisting of a veggie stir fry over rice. A hot herbal tea accompanied my meal. For a relaxing sit down lunch, not too far from the rope bridge, this elegantly decorated inn is a great choice.
Next on our itinerary was the magnificent Giant’s Causeway. I walked up the winding pathway onto incredible panoramic views of massive boulders, unique rock formations, and cliffs, overlooking the vast seas.
Many visitors climbed high atop some of the giant rock formations, as did I.
After our allocated time at Giant’s Causeway, we made a photo stop at an Old Irish castle which had been destroyed, yet still maintained its towering facade and colossal span.
Our final stop on the day’s itinerary was the capital city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Birthplace of the Titanic, the city is home to some notable landmarks.
A Titanic memorial statue stands on city hall’s lawn.
The Belfast Opera House stands out as an exquisite structure.
The Crown Saloon, near Belfast center, is renowned for its colorful and ornate exterior facade and its elaborate interior. The pub offers private dining booths with decorative patterns on its glass doors.
After our allocate time in the city, we boarded the bus to head back to Dublin. Upon arrival, I decided to have my dinner at Umi Falafel (Umi Falafel). This casual and inexpensive vegetarian/vegan-friendly restaurant offers many purely vegan options. My appetizer was the batatas haras – sweet potato wedges. For my entree, I selected the Palestinian Falafel containing Palestinian bread pocket filled with hummus, tomato, cucumbers, pickles, fried aubergine, parsley in a chili tahini sauce. My dinner was absoutely delicious.
A mint lemonade was my evening beverage.
For dessert, I opted for Umi’s flavorful semolina cake.
What a lovely tour it was! I enjoyed the romantic Dark Hedges, the awe-inspiring Carrick A Rede rope bridge, the striking landscapes of the Giant’s Causeway, the historic Belfast center, and the incredible vegan food throughout the day. AS evening turned into night, I awaited with eager anticipation of the next day’s visit to Kilkenny Castle, Wicklow Mountains, and the Glendolough Valley monastic settlement.