It’s late November, and refusing to be put off by my meteorological experience of Ireland in September, I’ve decided to return, partly tempted by a cheap flight and a good hotel deal, and partly on the assumption that the weather couldn’t possibly be any worse.
I’m also partly driven by my desire to see more of Ireland, and specifically to get out of Belfast. Last time I was here, I did all the touristy stuff – and while attractions like the Titanic Museum are indeed very impressive, there’s so much more to this place.
My previous visit was in mid January; it was bitterly cold with snow in the air and no amount of layering could keep me warm enough. Or, at times, cool enough. I later discovered I was harvesting a rather nasty bout of the flu. In any case, I failed to get to two key locations on my list – the Giant’s Causeway and the city of Derry (London being optional, though probably wise to mention at some part).
This being the UK, in November, you can’t hope for too much. And so I’m not exactly disappointed or surprised to see the forecast for the next few days…
But this is a significant improvement on September, when the weather app didn’t even bother with any symbols that didn’t have at least three drops of rain, lightning and black wind speeds. And this time I wont be driving either – utilising Northern Ireland’s seemingly efficient public transport system.
It’s time to get away from the crowds, and at this time of year it takes just a few seconds to get through East Midlands Aiport security. As a child, upstairs used to mean excitement – a place to watch the planes land and take off. These days, it’s a bar, which means paying for the view. And somehow it doesn’t quite match those excitement levels.
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