Ballintoy

This morning we joined a tour - 7 days around Ireland stopping at all the main tourist spots and a few that aren't quite so well-known.

We went up through Belfast and a group of us did the "Black Cab" tour that focuses on the history of conflict in Belfast.  We visited the murals, the wall and the memorials behind the wall.   Very, very moving and un-nerving hour and a half.  Afterwards we had a quick stop at the Farmers Market for a late lunch and a walk back to the bus through the CBD.

Late afternoon we arrived in Ballintoy, a seriously cute wee village - no internet,  no cash machines.  Most of the group headed out to Carrick-a-rede swing bridge.  I went out there with them, with no intention of walking the bridge (even small swing-bridges terrify me), but I had thought I'd take photos of the others.  In the end though I wussed out when I realised that even just the walk back to the hostel was going to be more than I could manage.

I went back to the village on the bus and instead took a walk down to the port.  The islands down at the port are the ones used as the Iron Islands in the Game of Thrones so I did have my own special experience!  

And still managed to do over 20,000 steps for the day.

Now the others are all back, we've settled  into one of the local pubs for dinner and it's looking like being a convivial night.  I believe a pub crawl is being planned for after dinner - we'll be moving across the road to share our money with the only other pub in town.