Against all better judgement we are doing a full day bus tour with The Great Unwashed up to Belfast today to see the Titanic Experience . Already experiencing a sinking feeling. Ah thank you very much, here all week, try the Veal. Also a visit to Giants Causeway, a Rope a Dope bridge somewhere and a possible GOT shooting location. Hoping it is where they shot the Ice Dragon as that would fit in perfectly with today’s theme of AVOID ICE! Hope bus driver is listening . Will be a long day but did have an early night . A short walk to our pick up point and head off @07:15 . That bus with the half cocky roo on it will suit the wild rover in me
Now first job on tours like this is pick out the clowns that will cause trouble . Easy. The mixed group of 8 Euro Trash Down the back – Ities I think but who cares. By mixed I mean both assholes and morons. Why are Euro trash so loud and laugh inanely like a brain dead vegetable? First stop was the Titanic Belfast experience. In a sign of what little research we really did for this trip it was mostly about the building of the rather inept Ice Breaker which is fair enough given it was Belfast . The display was large but not riveting which is odd given it was all about riveting. I got a million of them folks
Next on our way to our Friends in the North we drove through Ballymena – the birthplace of Liam Neeson and Poker machines. I wasn’t Taken by it. Then we got a flat tire and sat by side of road until a replacement bus could arrive for our full 60 seater . Note that number. It had a full complement of tyres but only 57 seats .3 people would have to miss the Rope Bridge. In hindsight I should have put my hand up . Many years ago at Carrick a Rede someone discovered there was a 20 foot gap between two large rocks so let’s string two ropes and a coffin lid between it and flog it to the Italian tourists . So basically you park the bus with the good wheels in the car park, walk 1klm out on a path that would test your average mountain goat , walk across a bridge for 20 secs, turn around, rinse ,repeat . Get back on bus . Beautiful scenery
Back on bus, wait 15 mins for the Pasta Pals to get back of course and then head off to Giants Causeway . Stop at top of mountain in bus park – our original bus was back now – catch a shuttle bus down with Ireland’s unhappiest worker for 1.2 Euro, walk on a lot of uneven rocks and maybe break an ankle , catch shuttle backup with Smiley and try to get something to eat as it is already 3 pm Cause Way too much time has been spent on the bus. You getting for these gems as I drop them ? The 1.2 Euro raises an interesting point. Would have been useful to be reminded in tour info that in the North they only really accept Pounds not Euro. I had really earnt my one and only beer for the day by now . Had a quick bite as time was limited and had to be back on bus by 4:30 pm for the 4 hr drive home. At 4:30 pm we were on bus and Euro T were just entering cafe to order some meatballs of course
Eventually on the road it was raining lightly by now. The weather was ok, grey and overcast all day apart from one hour of sunshine. Can anyone guess which hour that was. You win a used rivet if you correctly nominated “ Was it the hour you were sitting in the bus after Ballymena?” On the way home we did see the highlight of the day through a foggy bus window. Dunluce Castle used as House of Greyjoy in GOT
Back home by 830 pm and a brisk walk home had us snuggled up in bed just after 9 pm, a mere 14 hrs after we had left with high hopes of a once in a lifetime experience . Well, in the end they were right
Because I certainly wouldn’t do it again !
flashman181 