We finished up complex Belfast in the morning, before heading on to our next destination. We were sad to say goodbye to Belfast since there was still much to be seen. We are hoping to return again someday, next time we're in Ireland.
From Belfast, we made the 90-minute journey northeast to our next stop, Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Somewhat similar to Belfast, Derry/Londonderry suffered a great deal of hardship during The Troubles. With a great divide between the Catholics and Protestants, there was much conflict here during those years. The name Londonderry is more commonly used by the Nationalist/Catholic community, while the name Derry is preferred by the Unionist/Protestant community. Our sense was that a more peaceful coexistence has been reached here, as opposed to Belfast, where the rounds still seem rawer. Perhaps this can be attributed to the fact that this is a smaller city.
Derry/Londonderry is the only remaining completely intact walled city in Ireland. It is one of the finest examples of a walled city in Europe. We were excited to arrive and see this city, so rich in history, for ourselves.
After a hearty breakfast at our hotel in Belfast, we headed to the Ulster Folk Museum, right outside the city proper, to spend a few hours, The museum was charming and perfectly suited for adults and children alike. Despite the consistent rain while we were visiting, we had a most enjoyable visit to this quaint place. Use this link to learn more about the Ulster Folk Museum: https://www.ulsterfolkmuseum.org/visit?_gl=1*18hwr0d*_ga*NTg5MTk2MTQ1LjE2ODc3MzAyNzA.*_ga_DE0DHBTKPK*MTY4NzczMDI3MC4xLjAuMTY4NzczMDI3MC4wLjAuMA..
We arrived in Londonderry close to 2 PM, just in time to catch the wonderful Martin McCrossan City Tour. The only problem is so did the torrential rain. As soon as we started our walking tour, the skies opened up and rain poured down on us for well over an hour as we tried our best to see the city. The tour guide said she hadn't seen any rain like this in months. Lucky us! And like clockwork, when our tour wrapped up, so did the rain. We took advantage of the sunny skies to walk down and cross the historic Peace Bridge, over the beautiful Foyle River. Use this link to learn more about this historic and most charming walled city: https://discovernorthernireland.com/destinations/derry-londonderry
We checked into our hotel, The Bishop's Gate in the early evening and were glad to put our feet up for a few hours before heading out again to see more of the city and enjoy a delicious dinner at Brown's in Town.