A Fast Trip to Belfast (Part 1): No Way, It's the Giant's Causeway!!

- July 1-2, 2026, Wednesday to Thursday.

- It was a fast trip from Dublin to Belfast! Well, a two-hour train ride, that is. Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. Just to clarify, for some, although Northern Ireland is the northern part of Ireland (the island), Northern Ireland is geopolitically is part of the UK, and is not part of the Republic of Ireland. In a nutshell, the Partition of Ireland happened in 1921 when some parts of the island wanted to remain British, and others wanted to be an independent country. So yes, I was finally back in the UK, and the "borderless" transport between Ireland and Northern Ireland made everything smooth. I did not have to pass through any kind of immigration officer; I just hopped on the train and that was it!

- I walked through the city center to reach my accommodation called The Edge. It's actually a student flat with some units being available for short-stay bookings during the summer term. It's very near Ulster University, and is literally at the "edge" of the city center. It can honestly be a bit of a walk from here to everywhere else, but as far as this flat was concerned, I loved it so much (and it has air conditioning!!)

Assembly Buildings, headquarters of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. 

Belfast City hall.

Belfast has many intertwining shopping streets north of the City Hall. This part is somewhere in Corn Market, with the "Spirit of Belfast" standing in the middle.

Just to let you know I'm here haha.

This is my flat. Too bad I'm only staying here for a short time!

- Just like in Galway, my first day was spent out of the city. I booked a tour with GetYoutGuide to see the Giant's Causeway. But before that, we started our day by visiting Carrickfergus Castle. Carrickfergus is one of the oldest towns across the whole of Ireland. Its castle was built in the 12th century, and likewise, is one of the oldest and best preserved castles in Ireland. Although we were asked to only go around the castle as we didn't have time to go inside and explore, seeing the castle gave me some warmth in my heart. I've long known about the Irish folk song called "Carrickfergus", and for the longest time I thought it was some mystical place, not knowing that it a was very real place that I could visit - and that I WOULD be able to visit it one day. So there I was, singing the song in my head while staring at the castle (after taking my photos of course haha.)

Carrickfergus Castle.

Castle gate.

"I wish I was....in Carrickfergus....where the castle....looks out to sea...." (at least, this is how it goes in the Charlotte Church version. of the song.)

Memorial.

William of Orange (William III.)

- We later drove to Glencloy and visited Carnlough Harbour. It was a trading port in the 19th century, and has a nice view of the sea. More recently, it is known for being one of the filming locations of Game of Thrones.

Calm waters.

Do you know the Krusty Krab? Yes, this is what it really is: a lobster trap.

Another look at the habor.

So here is the scene in Game of Throne....

....and this is me.

- For lunch, we stopped over at Fullerton Arms. Although it appears to be a regular pub, it was one of the fortunate recipients of the wooden doors used in Game of Thrones! There are around eight of these doors all across Northern Ireland, often in the most unexpected of places.

Oh we also had a brief stopover at Portaneevey lookout. It is a protected zone for ecological purposes.

There is a rope bridge for those who want to make it down there.

Fullterton Arms, where they don't only serve good food, but also....

....they welcome you with this authentic Game of Thrones door!

- After lunch we headed to the Giant's Causeway. Basalt columns were naturally formed through volcanic activity millions of years ago. Legend has it though, that giants made these columns; why or who specifically made the columns depend on which legend you come across, as there are many stories surrounding this place. Be careful when walking around or climbing the rocks because the winds and the waves can be unpredictable!

They look like playdough.

Yes, everything is natural.

The mountain, clouds, and sunlight? - Unpaid actors.

Climbing the stones feels like being in a video game.

It was incredibly difficult to take nice photos with the columns - there was just a lot of people, and lot of wind!!

I am the giant.

- We had a brief stopover at Dunluce Castle, before dropping by at the Old Bushmills Distillery. Old Bushmills Distillery was established in the 18th century and is still producing some of the best whiskeys in Northern Ireland today.

Dunluce Castle, built in the 13th century, and has been abandoned since the 17th century from battles and storms.

Old Bushmills Distillery.

We didn't get to go inside the actual distillery, but we saw quite a bit going around the buildings.

Distillery buildings from afar.

- Finally, we dropped by a seemingly ominous place called the "Dark Hedges". The name comes from the road lined with beech trees, whose branches have seemed to intertwine, making the pathway a bit darker and shadier. This place only gained popularity after Game of Thrones used this as the "King's Road". Whether you're a fan of the series or not, it does make a nice backdrop!

Dark Hedges. "They're not hedges, and they're not dark," said our tour guide.

From this angle, they remind me of the "tree of life", an important symbol in Celtic culture.

Intertwining branches.

I think the movie was shot from this angle.

OMG ANOTHER DOOR!! This authentic Game of Thrones door can be found at The Hedges Hotel, which is where were parked and went to see the hedges. I was looking for the toilet when I saw this door.

Back in Belfast, I was looking for a toilet here at Victoria Square, a nice shopping center.

- We arrived in Belfast an hour or so after leaving the Dark Hedges. I got so much more than what I had hoped to see and experience in the tour. Although the Giant's Causeway is one of the main things people visit Belfast for, seeing Belfast itself is just as important - and that's the next on my to-do list! 

I Landed in Ireland (Part 5): Museums Galore in Dublin!

- June 30-July 1, 2026, Tuesday to Wednesday.

- Rise and shine, I'm back in Dublin! On my last two days in Dublin, I realized that most of the things left on my list of places to go to were museums. But I guess Dublin is quite creative when it comes to their museums, so each gave different experiences.

- One of the main things to do in Dublin is to visit the Book of Kells Experience at Trinity College Dublin. BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE IN ADVANCE as it can get sold out very quickly! The Book of Kells is a Celtic Gospel book from the 9th century, and is handmade with much intricacy. It has been passed on through history until it was presented to Trinity College Dublin for safekeeping in 1661. Today, the actual book cannot be photographed inside the museum. However, replicas are available for photography, just like the Old Library's Long Room, located above the chamber where the Book of Kells is kept. The Long Room is itself a much-photographed landmark, especially with the floating Earth in the middle, an art installation from 2023 called "Gaia".

Trinity College.

With the Campanile and Graduates Memorial Building of Trinity College.

Old Library's Long Room.

Proclamation of the Irish Republic, a copy at least.

In a separate building, there is a lights-and-sounds exhibit supplementing the Book of Kells Experience.

- Around the corner from Trinity College is the National Museum of Ireland. This was established in the 1800s. The National Museum actually has several branches across the city, but I visited the one along Kildare Street. This one focuses on archaeology. The Natural History branch is supposed to be just behind the Archaeology branch, but it has been closed for renovations for a few years now. The other branches are located a but further away or in other cities in Ireland. 

Museum's dome.

Floor mosaic with the zodiac signs.

Ancient necklaces, which I would really like to have.

Museum halls.

Giant log canoe.

Replica of an ancient Viking fishing boat.

Mummy! The museum had an Egyptian gallery.

Museum facade.

- Behind the National Museum is the National Gallery. Also founded in the 1800s, it houses many prominent artworks across Europe. The museum layout was a bit confusing for me, but getting lost in the museum was a nice way to absorb the art.

National Gallery.

Medusa head on a shield.

Infinity.

I like this part of the gallery. It feels like a palace.

Monet!

Van Gogh!

Picasso!

- I spent the rest of the afternoon strolling around the city and eventually taking an early rest at the hostel.

I finally tried the Irish shortbread. It was so buttery!

- On my last morning in Dublin, I took some snaps of Temple Bar pub, which was just behind my hostel. The Temple Bar was so named not because of a temple, but after Sir William Temple, an educator who owned property in the area. The building was built in 1840. Since the current owners purchased the pub in the 90s, they have made the pub appear more Irish, now with its bright red color, and maintaining its fame for its wide selection of (alcoholic) drinks. I was not able to go inside as it is almost always too crowded. Despite this, the whole area is always bustling with life as there are many shops and equally-nice pubs. Moreover, the pub was the filming location of many films and music videos, including Ireland's 2018 Eurovision entry, "Together" by Ryan O'Shaugnessy (and I'm still bitter that it didn't win it was such a nice song!!)

Temple Bar Pub.

Sir William Temple.

Another side of Temple Bar Pub.

- One of the museums that caught my eye when I was planning for my trip was The Little Museum of Dublin. Located near St. Stephen's Green, this small museum houses items donated by people all over Dublin and collectively tell the story of Dublin's politics, history, and culture. The museum can only be accessed via a guided tour, but free time will be given afterwards to roam around for as long as one wishes.

Little Museum of Dublin.

This main room contained artefacts that were mostly related to the earlier years of Dublin, especially related to the fight for independence.

Uylsses.

A life-sized copy.

This one had more contemporary artefacts.

A room dedicated to U2.

Pretending to work for The Irish Times.

Finally got the room all to myself.

Another copy of the proclamation of the Irish Republic.

Yes it is not only one of the greatest, and biggest doll houses I have ever seen. But it is not the biggest in the world.

The last remaining Irish phone booth that works.

YES OMG THERE IS A DIAL TONE.

Another copy of the Book of Kells.

- The last major thing I did in Dublin was to, strange enough (pun intended, maybe?), a visit to the Museum of Curiosities. Opened just in late 2025, this small museum can be found along Pembroke Street and a few small blocks away from the Little Museum of Dublin. It reminds me a lot of Ripley's Believe It Or Not: filled with odd, strange, and even supernatural objects that sometimes leave one to wonder how true everything is. It has unusual taxidermied animals, objects of the occult, or simple everyday objects of time long gone. It was a small museum, and surely an eerie one, but it does break free from the usual Dublin attractions.

Here I am!

Unsettling, but interesting.

A chimera of sorts!

Yes, it is a real lion.

This room has some witchcraft stuff too.

- To shake things off, I had my final lunch in Dublin at The Oliver St. John Gogarty Bar, named after Oliver St. John Gogarty, an author, doctor, and politician. The pub itself was lively even at noon, and based on what I saw in other days, it's livelier at night (though I might not be able to feel comfortable with that level of energy as it can get too rowdy). I had an Irish breakfast for lunch and listened to live Irish music while finishing my meal. Perfect!

There are carriages outside the pub sometimes.

Irish breakfast.

Live music!

It was crowded, but just right I guess.

Was missing flavors of home a bit, so I got myself an ube drink from the Filipino milk tea place near the pub.

- Though I was leaving Dublin that afternoon, my immersion in Irish culture and society has not ended. From Dublin Connolly Station, I rode a 2-hour train back to the UK, to the capital city of Northern Ireland, Belfast!