IRELAND MAY THE ROAD RISE ...
Finding a leprechaun in
Ireland might be a task, but if you're willing to settle for something real,
the visions will bowl you over
Everyone has their idea of
an ideal holiday. For me it's all about being on the road. So when I decided to
visit the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (yes they are different
countries) there was no other way to do it, but through a roadtrip. The first
stop was the sleepy town of Galway...
BACK TO THE START
The POA was to cover the
coastal route of both the Irelands and what better point to start this journey
than from the historic port of Galway. Steeped in history, this town has
something for everyone.You want a beach, it has many. You want quintessential
Irish pubs, they are in plenty. You can walk across the entire city in less
than an hour.
The thing about Ireland is
that once you get outside its cities you will feel as if you've stepped back in
time. To put it in perspective, imagine living in the mythical world of The
Lord of The Rings. Every bend on the Irish coastal route leaves you
overwhelmed. The Wild Atlantic Way will force you to brake often and marvel at
the views.
RANJI'S IRISH PLAYGROUND
Ballynahinch Castle made an
interesting halt. It turns out that a famous Indian royal went to Ireland in
the 1920s and bought an entire castle. He was Maharaja Ranjitsinhji, the iconic
batsman who has Ranji Trophy named after him. According to the locals, Ranji
and his family used to visit the Ballynahinch Castle during summer and it used
to be quite a sight at that time. The castle now functions as a heritage hotel.
SWITCH OFF THE MAPS
The best thing about
driving around Ireland in the summer is that there is daylight for about 20
hours on the trot. I would suggest a deviation from the route and undertaking
an exploratory journey to find hidden waterfalls, a clearing in the woods or
simply an ancient bridge. Another interesting way to do this would be by
cycling on Ireland's famous Greenway. The Great Western Greenway is a
42-km-long walking and cycling trail and covers the distance between Westport
and Achill. To add an element of surprise, go off the Greenway and you will
definitely end up on a jungle trail that will lead you to in explicable vistas.
One place that should be on your itinerary is the Slieve League Cliffs. Best
bit about these cliffs is that they are not as well-known as the famous Cliffs
of Moher, so you will most probably get the place all to yourself.
MEET THE STARKS
Just like its neighbour,
Northern Ireland is once again a driver's delight and also sort of raises the
bar in the department of scenic beauty. Northern Ireland is the ideal vacation
spot for Game of Thrones buffs. Apart from the fact that many of its scenes
have been shot at studios in Belfast, you will get to find several locations
around the countryside that are in the TV series. For instance Castle Ward,
about an hour away from Belfast, was turned into the Stark home... Winterfell.
Here, you shouldn't miss out on the Winterfell tour and if possible get hold of
the real Lord of Winterfell... William Van Der Kells. Will, as he is fondly
called, is the keeper of the secrets for the Game of Thrones crew and if you
ask all the right questions he will give you insights and little known facts
about the cast and the crew of the TV series. Push him a bit more and he might
take you to actu al filming locations around the area. And finally, do take
some archery nd finally, do take some archery lessons from him... it's always
good to be ready when the White Walkers are around!
TIME TO SIGN OFF
Before bidding adieu, spend
an hour or so at the Titanic Belfast Located close to the city airport, it
gives a much better and closer perspective to the `ship that couldn't sink'
than its namesake movie. The best part of the tour is the area where you get to
hear the actual messages that were sent from the Titanic post its meet and
greet with the iceberg.
TNN 23JUL17
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