Galgorm Manor Hotel Ballymena

... the house was amazing, it used to be lord someone's summer residence and was a very impressive georgian manor. there was 11 bedrooms (used to be 16 but they merged some cause it just wasn't necessary to have 16 bedrooms in a 5 person household), at least 3 kitchens, an indoor swimming pool, tennis court, 2 lakes, stables, gate house and a big fountain in the courtyard. and it was all furnished in antique/period furniture. we'd all heard about it ...

... seen any men with guns, we said no and he said how do you know and pulled down the car's sun visor to show us his gun! (he also called the pope a nazi so he was a bit strange) but there's obviously still alot of tension there, our next stop was on the side of a road between two long 10m(ish) high walls that run right through the city and out into the mountains - the peace wall to keep the protestant and catholic neighbourhoods seperated. there was a sculpture set into the wall with ...

... of photos on the thousands of hexagonal columns and it was so clear that we could see scotland. we had a picnic lunch there before going to carrick-a-rede rope bridge. we were really lucky with the weather cause they close it if its too windy or wet. it was a really beautiful walk to the bridge and we could see more of scotland from the island. the bridge wasn't as scary as i thought it would be! then we drove back to derry, through some really pretty countryside, to get ready for halloween<br>

... over to roaming. We arrived in Belfast the morning, and I had Bob Dylan blasting Vision's of Johanna as we rolled across the border. <br><br>Belfast is one of the strangest, and uncomfortable places that I've ever been to. A huge wall--the "peace line"--divides the residential areas of the city in half, with Irish Catholics living on one side and English Protestants on the other. This is where all the IRA violence (the Troubles) took place, and if you've ever had an "Irish Car ...

... driving through there. Rolling green hills that look more perfect than any watercolour painting could ever depict them, white ponies grazing and frolicking in the lush wild grass, abandoned grey stone cottages and stone walls in varying states of disrepair and neglect, old men in red tractors tipping their tweed hats as you pass them on the secluded laneways...what a perfect start to my holiday with my parents ...

... our journey to the next stop in Balleymena. We stopped at the Ulster American Heritage Park in Omagh, where you took this outdoor tour of life back in the day or little shanty houses to rich houses...wow...way different from now. churches, etc. then you were brought through the town to the shipping yard to a replica of a ship that sailed over with immigrants to Pennsylvania area....which would have been around the exact time ...

... the train back to Carrickfergus where Trevor picked us up and brought us back to their house. Here Ca and I finally decided on a B &amp; B in Bergamo for the night (it's really not cheap there so we hope to find something cheaper for the rest of the Milan stay) and I updated a few of my travelblogs (so ones that were previously blank are kinda filled in....the grammar kinda sucks though ....but that's like all of the them so oh well) .... Grandma and ...

... shopping (we love it here!!! the clothes are fun and different and reasonably priced...or so we think...). Ca is specifically loving it because after a month with the same shirt in different colours she feels like she is "swimming in a pool of pattern" and is buying it all up...Good thing Grandma and Grandpa will be taking stuff home for us.. Most of the stuff I have bought has been for work...and I love it all because you could never find the colours, patterns ...

... in a small village called Ballycarry, about 8km north of Carrickfergus, which is 9km north of Belfast. The B&B I'm staying at is very comfortable, set in a remote, country setting with lots of hills and sheep. I'll post a photo soon. The owners are ever so friendly... but it would be a lot more fun sharing it with someone... I will travel in and out of Belfast each day. I kind of feel like relaxing and partying over the next 4 ...

... I&#8217;d long desperately wanted to see it for myself, so it was no disappointment to be visiting Belfast for the second time in less than a year. <br><br>In the centre of the city itself there is no obvious hint to outsiders of the Protestant/Catholic divide, Belfast could be Bristol, Birmingham or any other British city starting with a &#8216;B&#8217; you can think of. But the most famous thing to do in the city to see some of the heartlands of sectarianism is to take a ...