Sunday, July 30, 2017

TRAVEL SPECIAL .....IRELAND MAY THE ROAD RISE ...

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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