I really didn’t know what to expect as I flew into Belfast, the starting point for a Photography Tour. It is the biggest city in Northern Ireland, which makes it part of the United Kingdom, not the Republic of Ireland.  

Ireland is one of my favorite countries in the world, so I was prepared to like even though they fly the Union Jack.  

I didn’t get to be there long and the tour company didn’t organize anything specific for us to see, but I enjoyed meandering the city on my own, shopping and making a trip out to the Titanic Museum.  It’s a dramatic structure architecturally, designed to draw attention and people to tell the story of the massive ship that sunk on its maiden voyage.   

The Titanic Museum Experience  was interesting and well done.  If you are in Belfast, I recommend it.  The Titanic is a big deal in Belfast, generating t shirts that read with mottos like, “The Titanic: Built by the Irish, sunk by the English.”   

I  did enjoy the view of the City Hall out my hotel window.  Impressive structure.   I also enjoyed the weekend market but had so much fun chatting and shopping with the local artists that I forgot to take pictures.  Shame on me.  

Game of Thrones

A lot of people use Belfast as a starting point for Game of Thrones Tours.  While our tour wasn’t focused on this wildly popular show filmed in various points near Belfast, we did stop at a few for photo opportunities.  

My favorite was the Dark Hedges.  Photographers, local and foreign alike, flock to the avenue during every season of the year to capture this unique natural phenomenon in different lighting conditions.The stunning tunnel of trees along the Bregagh Road was planted in the 18th century by the Stuart family, owners of the Georgian mansion, Gracehill House.

The trees represented the King’s Road in the first episode of the second season of Thrones, as Arya Stark, who had escaped from King’s Landing disguised as a boy, travelled through the Hedges with other characters to join the Night’s Watch. And ever since, the Dark Hedges have proved to be a magnet for followers of the series from right around the world, including Japan, China, America and Scandinavia.

Fortunately we pretty much had the road to ourselves when our tour guides took us for a visit.  

Giant’s Causeway

A crucial part of any trip to Northern Ireland is to see the UNESCO-listed Giant’s Causeway.  Although it hasn’t been featured in Game of Thrones, it is a spectacular site. 

It  is made up of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the majority hexagonal, that were created in a volcanic eruption.

I got interested in it when I visited a black beach with basalt rocks in Iceland.  On that trip several people mentioned the Giant’s Causeway as being similar.  They were right.  For images of the basalt rock at Vik Beach, go to this Iceland blog post.

The legend is that Irish giant Finn MacCool built the causeway by hand in an effort to traverse the North Channel to do battle with a Scottish giant.The existence of similar stone columns on the Scottish isle of Staffa helped build the legend down the centuries.

We ventured to the Giant’s Causeway before the sun came up to avoid the crowds.  This was worth doing.   

Doors seemed to be a big deal in the Game of Thrones.  At the Fullerton Arms, we picked up a brochure that listed the seven in the area that are in the show.  Some fans make it a mission to visit all seven.  

We weren’t that obsessed but did enjoy a lovely lunch at the Fullerton Arms , the location for one of the doors.   They seem to be happily capitalizing on the fascination with all things Game of Thrones. 

Coming up on future blogs: the Wild Atlantic Coast and scenes from Northern Ireland and the northern part of the Republic of Ireland.  Expect to see dramatic coast line and lots of rocks, castles and historic sights.  

The tour company I was with was Strabo Tours.  Photographer Tour Leader Eileen McCarney Muldoon. Here she is enjoying an Instagram moment on the Game of Thrones chair at the Fullerton Arms.