The Tetris Effect

Things are a bit different in Northern Ireland:

- Accents

- Pounds

- Road Signs

- Miles per hour (I have no idea if I'm speeding)

- Yards

- The houses are different, I think they are brighter/happier in Ireland

- I can listen to BBC radio (yay), Irish radio was driving me nuts!

In terms of landscape it's different, but same - still beautiful.  But the towns themselves look gloomier somehow.  I'm not sure I can put my finger on it, but there is a 'sameness' about the houses, which is a weird thing to say, given that in Ireland, they all seem to be identical to each other there too.  There is definitely less colour, maybe less flower pots in the windows or something.  Houses are still well maintained.

I also have to talk about my 'Irish' moment, or 'blonde' moment.  Ever since I started driving in Ireland I've noticed a road sign, which is just a black picture on a white board.  When I first saw the sign I thought 'that looks like a camera, there must be a photo op nearby'.  I've since seen this sign probably 50 times since, and have always kept an eye out for somewhere to stop the car for an apparent photo op.  Today, for the first time, was the same picture, with a written explanation below the picture.  Yep, you got it - speed camera!

Since I came into Northern Ireland, and this is a weird observation, but I have noticed police cars and ambulances more, not because I didn't see them in Ireland, but here they seem to be more obvious, and I've noticed them with their sirens on.  But I don't remember hearing one police or ambulance in Ireland, not even in Dublin.

Then an incident happened today that made me wonder if people are 'angrier' here.  I was in Coleraine, and I was trying to get out of the town to get to my B&B.  The centre of town is a series of one way roads.  I had a paper map, and written instructions which I had studied quite hard before I got in the car, but I was going around in circles mainly because I couldn't see the street names.  To avoid doing another loop at this particular point, I started to veer to my left lane and put my indicator on.  Unfortunately there was a car in my blind spot on the left (another joy of driving a strange car).  I saw him with plenty of time and corrected. He beeped his horn at me.  Fair enough.  But then was gesticulating his hands out the window for oh about the next 30 to 40 meters (or is that yards).  The last symbol directed at me was the universal sign for 'wanker'.  Geez, I would hate to see what he would have done to me if I'd actually hit him FFS!  Road rage, a global problem apparently.

I then couldn't help wonder if it was because I had Irish number plates, that made him even more angrier.  I don't know.  Maybe he just had a bad day, or bad life...  The lady at the last Irish B&B mentioned that she still is wary of going into Northern Ireland, and they even go to lengths to park their car and just walk places so they can't be identified by their car.    

Anyway this morning I left Omagh, and knew I didn't have a lot of driving to do today, so when I saw the sign for the Folk Museum, I thought I would go in and spend some time there as it shows the history of Irish emigration for the area to the US.  And I have a keen fascination for emigration.  I drove in, only to find the Museum closed on Mondays.  I drove on.

Then I got to Londonderry (actually at the time I thought I was in Letterkenny for some reason, but looking at the map, it had to have been Londonderry).  My friend Penny had told me that she didn't like Londonderry much, she found the place eerie.  I, on the other hand had that same feeling about Waterford, but I quite liked the look of Londonderry, and I tried to find somewhere to park the car so that I could explore, but to no avail.  It must have been a walled city at one time as I drove through a couple of the gates.

From Londonderry I got to Coleraine, and this time easily found a car park.  I walked around the centre of town for a bit, grabbed a coffee, found the information centre, got directions for my B&B.  It was leaving here that the 'incident' happened, but besides that, I thought Coleraine was a gorgeous little town.

I got to my B&B successfully, a lady answered, but she then got the owner of the house.  She was an old lady with a walking frame, but a truly lovely lady.  They got me sorted, made sure I had everything I needed.  I asked for directions to the Giant's Causeway and the old lady rang me from downstairs to say Heather was coming up with a map for me.  So nice.  The amenities in this B&B are also better than some hotels, although I don't think I'll be eating the rotten apples provided...  The house is a farm house.  It looks about three stories, and quite large, with a lot of property.  There is a swag of history on the farmhouse in the bedroom that I should read up on...

I pretty much went straight out to see the Causeway.  I decided not to pay attention to the map I'd just been given, as I had seen road signs on the road that I could follow.  The scenic route apparently... but when I hit the beach and turned left, I knew I had to turn back.  I eventually got there, and wow.  The Causeway blew me away.  It wasn't as big as I thought it would be, but at the same time, it was bigger, and by that I mean that I didn't realise how big some of the rocks were.  Science and nature are wonderful things.  Even after hearing the explanation on the audio guide, I still don't understand how they are formed in that shape.  I spent a lot of time there and did the long trail.  Just beautiful.  I think the Causeway is one of the sights I am most happiest to see.  That's off the bucket list now!

I got back to the B&B and ran the bath, and shouldn't have been surprised to hear, I think cows or some other animals.  There is a barnyard just behind the house, and the noises were quite loud, I was worried they would go all night!  But all seems quiet now.