If only you could have heard us on the bus...- exploring northern ireland

Below you will find some pictures from our day of exploration on Saturday. This was truly the trip of a lifetime and although we all loved the buisness meet ups, taking pictures and getting that much closer to each other while discovering the beauty of the northern part of the island, was one of our favorite parts by far. On Saturday morning, we woke up early and took a three hour bus drive to the north of Ireland and started by viewing some spots that are currently popular because of the series Game of Thrones. Our bus driver explained how film had impacted the tourist numbers in the recent years at how the Irish hope to see more people coming over and falling in love with the landscapes, just as the speaker from Tourism Ireland.

From the tree-filled iconic road, we made our way over to a rickety rope bridge where we tried not to look down as we crossed over the blue water filled with rocky shores and shells for as far as you could see. The height at which we were didn't scare most of us, but you could tell that some of us (YES YOU PROFESSOR MAGGIORE AND KEVIN) would have wanted the bridge pulled a little tighter to stop the swinging back and forth, as we took pictures and made jokes. The flowers and green rolling hills were a sight as we forced ourselves up steep inclines and skipped down the small roads that were available to the tourists viewing the attraction.

The day even resulted in one of the best lunches by far, at one of the close, small shops aimed mostly at tourists, but at the bellies of everyone. Before that though, we drove a bit further to stop on the side of the road to "moo" at the cows and try to get them as close to us as possible, without the danger element. As we played one step forward, two steps back with the cattle, we really didn't think about the beauty that was awaiting us at our next stop.

Upon arriving to the cause way, our driver gave us some insight on the folk law behind the natural wonder and also the true, factual cause of the hexagonal vertical stone structures, which was lava. From jumping stones, trying not to get our sneakers wet, and snapping each other in the scenery, we eventually got to the biggest challenge of the day, walking back up the hill that we had come down...but the long way. The hike was long, but rewarding as we gazed down at the beach and the little people three levels below.

Ending our day in Belfast, we actually stumbled upon a small cultural fair where everything from kangaroo burgers to paella was available. Our driver picked us up and hour later and found that even with our lack of sterling coins, we were able to barter our way with euros. From this spot, he brought us to see murals that go along with the story of Ireland as a whole, but mostly the years of struggle of the protestants and the catholics. These murals were of all different meanings and messages on respective sides of two gates that were closed at the end of the day due to such hard feelings of loyalty and national feelings regarding England and Ireland. We signed the peace wall in hopes that one day they are able to live in peace and hear each others sides.