Oh to be in England, now that Spring is here. ( Part 2 - Ireland, and Northern Ireland, UK ) - Posted 26 Jun 2011 )
Oh to be in England, now that Spring is here. ( Part 2 - Ireland, and Northern Ireland, UK ) Posted 26 Jun 2011
Spent half a day at Warwick Castle before hopping onto the car ferry from Holyhead to Ireland. Warwick Castle is a medieval relic from days of yore, suitably revamped to snag the tourist pound, It has included, as its latest attraction, Merlin's Tower, at an additional fee, of course. 
Predictable , as D would comment afterwards - why should the good guy win all the time? Hmm, the pragmatist vs the optimist. His is the lone voice out there. Deep down, even in the hearts of those who are bitter and angry with a short hand drawn from life's experiences, we yearn for happy endings where the good guys ( ie ourselves ) win. I reminded D that we know who always wins in the end, and we share the spoils. His name is J.
The ferry crossing to Dublin took 100 minutes. G, D and A played Monopoly Deal on board. I had my more than fair share of 40 winks. In Dublin, we had to make a mental note that it is not the UK, and pounds gave way to euros. The landscape was full of pubs, pubs and more pubs... and people milling outside, with a beer mug in hand.
Guess this is the equivalent of Singaporeans hitting the mall, the mall, and yet another, for their fix. Overnight at Bewleys Hotel that came with a nice touch of Victorian decor and Irish warmth. D and A went ballistic after we drove past Domino's Pizza. They got their pizza, while the parents bade a quiet retreat into the adjoining restaurant for a more decent meal.
We are heading North, via Newry, towards Newcastle ( not the one with the same name in the UK ). En route, we were greeted a visual treat of a field of vibrant yellow, taking centrestage among pastures green.
Lost some time searching for Newgrange, a prehistoric monument which is part of UNESCO World Heritage site. The signs were not clear, and even our car GPS did not deliver. Eventually, we found our way into the Visitor's Centre, which was a blessing because that is the only way to gain access to the site, via pre-paid tickets, and a ride on their private buses. inclusive of guides at specified times. if we had gone there directly, we would still have to turn back.
Another bonus was discovering that Newgrange is not the only monument of its kind. It has a relative - Knowth, which resides nearby. The ticket includes a visit to the exhibits at the Visitor's Centre, which tell the clueless what to expect at the sites.
Taking reference from www.newgrange.com, here's a brief intro.
" Newgrange was constructed over 5,000 years ago (about 3,200 B.C.), making it older than Stonehenge in England and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Newgrange was built during the Neolithic or New Stone Age by a farming community that prospered on the rich lands of the Boyne Valley. Knowth and Dowth are similar mounds that together with Newgrange have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Archaeologists classified Newgrange as a passage tomb, however Newgrange is now recognised to be much more than a passage tomb. Ancient Temple is a more fitting classification, a place of astrological, spiritual, religious and ceremonial importance, much as present day cathedrals are places of prestige and worship where dignitaries may be laid to rest....
Newgrange is best known for the illumination of its passage and chamber by the winter solstice sun. Above the entrance to the passage at Newgrange there is a opening called a roof-box. This baffling orifice held a great surprise for those who unearthed it. Its purpose is to allow sunlight to penetrate the chamber on the shortest days of the year, around December 21, the winter solstice.
At dawn, from December 19th to 23rd, a narrow beam of light penetrates the roof-box and reaches the floor of the chamber, gradually extending to the rear of the chamber. As the sun rises higher, the beam widens within the chamber so that the whole room becomes dramatically illuminated. This event lasts for 17 minutes, beginning around 9am.
The accuracy of Newgrange as a time-telling device is remarkable when one considers that it was built 500 years before the Great Pyramids and more than 1,000 years before Stonehenge. The intent of its builders was undoubtedly to mark the beginning of the new year. In addition, it may have served as a powerful symbol of the victory of life over death."
We were shown a mock-up of what actually happens during the winter solstice and it was somewhat unreal ( pardon the pun ) when the whole place, which had earlier been shrouded in pitch black darkness, became illuminated through a narrow slit, and all this was designed, with precision, before the advent of what we recognise as engineering science. Amazing! The guide also pointed out the different designs on the kerb-stones. Whatever that represents, the jury is still out there.
Stayed at a Youth Hostel for the night. The downside of not having a bathroom ensuite was compensated by its central location and the manager, who has the most engaging smile and is so friendly, she even helped carry our baggage up four flights of stairs.
Funnily enough,, when I asked her about the "Peace Maze" located about an hour's drive away, she did not know about it, and had to google to look it up. Ah, but we are still in the South, i.e. Ireland, where the notion of peace is somewhat different from that held by those in the North.
For the uninitiated, the Peace Maze is the world's second largest permanent hedge maze ( made up of some 6,000 yew trees planted by people all over Northern Ireland ) designed to commemorate the peace and reconciliation efforts of Northern Ireland over the past century. The maze is made up of two distinct halves, which must be crossed in order to escape.
In the centre, there used to be a Peace Bell ( which is no longer there ), intended for escapees to ring to signify their freedom. The average completion time is 40 minutes. With G navigating, A and I tagging along, we took 30 minutes to freedom. D was left to wander about on his own, and completed it in 45 minutes, with some help from G giving him directions from the bridge across the two halves.
I was thinking that I probably wouldn't make it under 4 hours without a GPS, human or mechanical - those who know me well will be nodding at this!
Our GPS, the mechanical one, located the Peace Maze with ease this time. It was a cold, muggy day. I was almost tempted to surrender to the warmth inside the car, but the rest of the gang was not letting me off that easily. I was glad to do my little bit for "peace"
Driving through the streets of Belfast, we saw people setting up tents to protest or to campaign ( depending on which side they are on ) for their rights. We spent some time driving through Shankill road ( or is it pronounced Shan't kill?- the irony ) where the bulk of war murals can be found. It had a depressing feel. As if by contrast, I have not come across another place where there are so many churches spread over a 1 km radius - about 10 of them.
Leaving Belfast, I had two mental impressions. One was a signboard near our hotel which says " V. Good, Advocates and Solicitors." I'm not kidding. Another was a sculpture of a half torso of a man with his arms spread out, appearing out of a wall above a pub. It's a poignant representation of a land with one half reaching for reconciliation, and the other half still mired in deep historical wounds.
Upon reaching the site, I realised that I had actually made a boo-boo with the booking of the car ferry slot. it had cost us another 55 pounds to shift to a later slot. Ouch!
Took the ferry from Larne to Cairnryan -onto Scottish ground. End of Part 2.
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