Photos and the City

Author: Ursula Schmitz

  • Ballintoy Harbour

    ballintoy harbour, game of thrones, northern ireland, uk, causeway coast, roadtrip, ursula schmitz

    Somewhere I read that one should go to the Harbour Café in Ballintoy and have some breakfast there as it is such lovely place and I love a good breakfast at any time. To my surprise, there was almost a little traffic jam while I passed by a  beautiful white church and then went down the narrow road to the bottom of the cliffs. The café must be really fabulous when so many people are here!

    After I snatched one of the few parking spaces I suddenly knew where all these people came from (or came for…)

    ballintoy harbour, game of thrones, northern ireland, uk, causeway coast, roadtrip, ursula schmitz

    Balinntoy harbour was used in the second season of “Game of Thrones” as “Lordsport in the Isle of Pyke” and also as the Iron Isles. Still getting some food was more interesting at that very moment. And I definitely will recommend the café in the harbour, you won´t miss it – there is only one!

    And afterwards a nice walk around the harbour!

    ballintoy harbour, game of thrones, northern ireland, uk, causeway coast, roadtrip, ursula schmitzballintoy harbour, game of thrones, northern ireland, uk, causeway coast, roadtrip, ursula schmitzballintoy harbour, game of thrones, northern ireland, uk, causeway coast, roadtrip, ursula schmitz

    View of Sheep Island. In the summertime, sheeps were taken to the island per boat to spent the summer there and enjoy the grass. Today it is an Area of Special Scientific Interest due to its cormorant (an aquatic bird) population.

    ballintoy harbour, game of thrones, northern ireland, uk, causeway coast, roadtrip, ursula schmitz

    View towards Scotland.

    ballintoy harbour, game of thrones, northern ireland, uk, causeway coast, roadtrip, ursula schmitzballintoy harbour, game of thrones, northern ireland, uk, causeway coast, roadtrip, ursula schmitz

     

     

     

     

  • Bushmills

    After wandering around the Giant´s Causeway the shuttle bus brought me back to Bushmills and I decided it was about time to stroll around the village and to fulfil the whiskey orders I had brought with me.

    bushmills, northern ireland, united kingdom, ursula schmitz, roadtrip, whiskey, travel

    Bushmills name came from the River Bush and the large watermill built there in the 17th century and the village is probably best known for its distillery, the oldest one worldwide!

    1608 – On April 20th 1608, King James I granted Sir Thomas Phillips – landowner and Governor of Co. Antrim, Ireland – a license to distil.

    1784 – The Old Bushmills Distillery is official. Hugh Anderson registered the Old Bushmills Distillery and the Pot Still became its registered trade mark. It’s still our mark of genuine distinction today. (Old Bushmills)

    You´ll already smell the distillery before you´ll see it! It´s possible to take a tour around, but I just went into the shop and bought the desired Reserve, only available here.

    bushmills, northern ireland, united kingdom, ursula schmitz, roadtrip, whiskey, travelbushmills, northern ireland, united kingdom, ursula schmitz, roadtrip, whiskey, travel

    On my way back into the city centre I passed a watermill – maybe the old one? At least it looked very idyllic!

    bushmills, northern ireland, united kingdom, ursula schmitz, roadtrip, whiskey, travelbushmills, northern ireland, united kingdom, ursula schmitz, roadtrip, whiskey, travel

    Bushmills seemed to have quite an interesting project going on – photographs on doors and windows of empty houses (there was a lot of them) show how these used to look.

    bushmills, northern ireland, united kingdom, ursula schmitz, roadtrip, whiskey, travelbushmills, northern ireland, united kingdom, ursula schmitz, roadtrip, whiskey, travel

    You´ll find even more images here: The Guardian

    bushmills, northern ireland, united kingdom, ursula schmitz, roadtrip, whiskey, travel

  • In the footsteps of giants…

    Welcome back to Ireland! After Venice and the English winter wonderland, it´s time to finish my road trip along the Causeway Coast.

    giant´s causeway, ireland, northern ireland, uk, unesco, nature, landscape, sea, ocean, cliffs

    The basalt columns might be the most known part of the Giant´s Causeway, but there is more to explore!

    giant´s causeway, ireland, northern ireland, uk, unesco, nature, landscape, sea, ocean, cliffsgiant´s causeway, ireland, northern ireland, uk, unesco, nature, landscape, sea, ocean, cliffs

    When Finn fled from the wrath of Scottish giant, Benandonner, he left his boot in this bay – also know as Port Noffer. In the back, you see the Whishing Chair – until some years ago only ladies were allowed to sit on the chair.

    giant´s causeway, ireland, northern ireland, uk, unesco, nature, landscape, sea, ocean, cliffsgiant´s causeway, ireland, northern ireland, uk, unesco, nature, landscape, sea, ocean, cliffs

    There are two possible trails – the one on top of the cliffs, which takes you about 5 miles from the Giant´s Causeway to ruins of Dunseverick Castle and another kind of the mid of the cliffs taking you around them for some may half a mile. There used to be a longer trail but it got buried some years ago.

    giant´s causeway, ireland, northern ireland, uk, unesco, nature, landscape, sea, ocean, cliffsgiant´s causeway, ireland, northern ireland, uk, unesco, nature, landscape, sea, ocean, cliffs

    The Whishing Chair from above.

    giant´s causeway, ireland, northern ireland, uk, unesco, nature, landscape, sea, ocean, cliffs

    View of the “Organ” and the buried former pathway.

    giant´s causeway, ireland, northern ireland, uk, unesco, nature, landscape, sea, ocean, cliffsgiant´s causeway, ireland, northern ireland, uk, unesco, nature, landscape, sea, ocean, cliffsgiant´s causeway, ireland, northern ireland, uk, unesco, nature, landscape, sea, ocean, cliffs

    Hello Scotland! I spot you! And would love to do a little cruise on that sailboat!

    giant´s causeway, ireland, northern ireland, uk, unesco, nature, landscape, sea, ocean, cliffs

    View in direction of the basalt columns and Finn´s “camel” in the back.

    giant´s causeway, ireland, northern ireland, uk, unesco, nature, landscape, sea, ocean, cliffsgiant´s causeway, ireland, northern ireland, uk, unesco, nature, landscape, sea, ocean, cliffs