13 mai 2009
Newcastle
Last week, little visit to Newcastle, on the East shores of Northern Ireland. This little town is quite famous for its scenery, especially the Mountain of Mourne, the great landscape of hills and mountains you can see below.
20 mars 2009
CARRICK-a-REDE Bridge
This is also one of the curiosity of the north coast of Ireland. Of course, it has been raised to the rank of almost national treasure. It cannot compete with the Grand Canyon or even with the Giants Causeway in itself, its neighbour, but well, it is worth doing and taking a picture of ! :) PS : Don’t forget to bring 4 £.
So, here is where I go, and if you dont really see what i’m talking about when i say “bridge”, look at the zoom :
And here is what it looks really like when you have reached the gap between land and the island :
Unfortunately, there is not much to see on the little island, except a few gulls, a little house for the fishermen who have their nets for the lobsters, and maybe also the view :
19 mars 2009
GIANTS CAUSEWAY (at last)
At last, i have been to the Giants Causeway. In French : “La chaussée des géants.” For the legends around it, click HERE. And for the scientific explanations see THERE.
MORE PICS IN THE ALBUM “GIANTS CAUSEWAY”
04 décembre 2008
DERRY & LIMAVADY
Sunday 30th of November, my housemate drove me to the north coast in order to give me a taste, after 6 months, of the landscapes of Ireland.
Agrandir le plan
We were lucky because the sun was shining, and the sky crystal-clear, which enabled us to see as far as Donegall on one side and Scotland on the other, with all the Giants Causeway in the middle. But of course, it was freeeeezing, as you can see from the layer of snow covering the top of the cliff (Binevenagh) from which we discovered all the panorama of the
Lough Foyle (the estuary of the river Foyle on the bottom of the which you can find the city of (London)Derry).
Derry is the second largest city of Northern Ireland. But it is mainly known for its historical walled city (see photos) perfectly preserved, and its tumultuous history : Derry fought a siege in 1688 ; in 1921 when Ireland acquired independance, Derry remained on the British part of the frontier ; in 1969 the first Troubles began here, and in 1972 the Bloody Sunday cost 12 civilian lives during a demonstration, as remind us a lot of murals.
For more pictures, see the photo album DERRY
24 septembre 2008
Cavehill
Today was the most beautiful day since i arrived in Belfast. The perfect opportunity to enjoy a walk to the hills above Belfast, and especially Cavehill. As you can guess, this hill takes its name from a cave.
Seen from the city, Cavehill shows the shape of the silhouette of a giant's face who would be lying on the ground, head turned to sky. The story says this rocky face inspired to Jonathan Swift (who was pastor near Belfast for a time) the idea of his novel "Gulliver's Travel".
Also, the main sightseeing point from these hills is called "Napoleon's Nose". To understand why, check this video :
On the slopes of Cavehill, we can find too the Castle of Belfast, a landmark of the historical map of Belfast. It stands where a first Norman castle was built, then reconstructed, burned down, and eventually the Donegall family built a new one, much more like a mansion, but it's the Shaftesbury family who finished it and later, in 1934, offered it to the city of Belfast. The castle is now devoted to weddings, receptions, teas, and leisures.
More pictures to see in the photo album CAVEHILL.
12 juillet 2008
THE TWELFTH
Today is the 12th of July, the most important and most dodgy date of the Northern Ireland's Calendar. Last night, all the loyalists districts were up and dancing and drinking around big bonfires like the one on this photo here, burning images of the Pope, and the Irish flag. Why ? Because this date encompasses severals of British-Irish history, all of which are at the advantage of the Protestant side.
On this flags, displayed during the marches on Lisburn Road, you can see King Billie, the British King William III. On July 1st 1690, during the Battle of the Boyne (on the Irish soil) William of Orange beat the deposed king James II, and his Catholic-Irish army, and achieved the Glorious Revolution. The Battle of Aughrim, the 12th of July 1691, in which the last Catholic Jacobite army was destroyed, in the bloodiest battle fought on the Irish soil, and the reign of William of Orange was definitely secured.
All these dates merged into one to because they have in common the same ground and result : the victory and survivance of the Protestant forces and people on a predominantly Catholic and Irish country. Hence, no surprise you can see Martin Luther here.
Therefore, this date has become the most important date of the Northern Ireland calendar, the one when it is not safe to stroll around the streets. Some years ago, soldiers were deployed in the streets. Because this is a very one-sided party, and better not to come wavering the Irish flag !
