England and Ireland---Day 17

Dunluce Castle

Second day in Derry, and a very nice day it was...it even rained a very small amount which made Nila happy.  After breakfast we were driven to Giants Causeway.  We went by the coast which has hard lava deposits over chalk layers.  Lots of landslides and a deserted castle, Dunluce Castle.  The castle was deserted after the kitchen fell off one night before dessert could be served. :-)



 



Giants Causeway is an area of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.  It is very much the same as Devil's Postpile in California.  So regular it looks manufactured, Nila and I were suitably impressed.  We also noted that in the States the area would be roped off and no climbing allowed for fear of law suits.

"Jobs not Creed"

We came back to Derry for a walking tour of the walled city.  On the way to our starting point we drove by the murals of Derry, a set of painted end walls of apartments reminding everyone of "The Troubles," as the civil rebellion of Northern Ireland is referred to here.

Rohan in a new area

Guild Hall

Derry City Centre is the only city in Europe with an intact city wall.  In fact you can walk around the city on the wall in about 20 minutes, as it is only a mile around.  Our guide, Rohan, was Chinese Irish and professed to be the only Buddhist in Northern Ireland.  I thought city walls would be level, but these were not.  Not only did they slope strongly toward the city, they also climbed up and down, with humps over the four gates.  We also visited the Guild Hall, which is the city hall, named after the guilds of London that came to the city in the 1600's.



On our own after the city wall walk, Nila and I came back to the hotel and took it easy for the rest of the afternoon.

 This is interesting, no shocking.  The flight costs about $450.  The fees and taxes add up to more than $600.  and who collects the international surcharge anyway?