The Adventures of the Travelling Principal....

October break comes at just the right time....the first quarter of the school year is done and the temperature is on the rise...the perfect time for a rest. My plans for rest were quickly changed to plans for a trip when it became clear that it would be cheaper for the school to send someone to pick up our stranded textbooks in Ireland than it would be to ship them to Niger. So, off to Ireland I go...

My first stop on the way there and back was Istanbul, Turkey, where I had an overnight layover. The layover provided me an opportunity to see some of this ancient city. The Blue Mosque was quite a site, so much bigger than any of the mosques in Niger.

 Shopping in the Grand Bazaar was an interesting experience....colourful venues and lots of people filled every aisle.

After landing in Dublin, I hopped in my little Nissan and drove (on the opposite side of the road) up to Belfast to Somerton House Bed & Breakfast, a lovely spot with very kind and helpful owners.

In Belfast, I took a bus tour of the city...the capital building and the Titanic museum were just a couple of the many highlights of the tour. Many of the crew on the Titanic were from Belfast since the ship was built and launched from there.

Belfast castle...

Carrickfergus Castle has seen many owners over the years....Scots, English, and Irish...oh, the stories those old walls could tell.

The drive up the coast to Giant's Causeway was breathtakingly beautiful. Ireland truly is an emerald with every shade of green shimmering in her landscape.

Aye, twas a lovely trip indeed!