Raf's Travel Diaries

Without knowing, I chose to go to Northern Ireland on the 13th of July, a public holiday which commemorates the anniversary of the shutting of Derry's gates (Derry was a 'fortress' to Protestants, when the city came under siege from King Jame's army). I took the train from O'Connolly Station to Portadown (30 euros for the ticket!!!), where 2 friends who live and work in a farm near by picked me up. It rained all afternoon, plus we were advised not to go anywhere because sometimes there are incidents in the marches on this day, so we just hung around the farm house, played pool and ping-pong and then went over to some other farm for a BBQ. On Tuesday, after a quick breakfast we set of for the Giant's Causeway (World Heritage Site- UNESCO), a huge area of interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. Just see for yourself, this place is incredible! ( £ 6 to park). Natural volcanic formations Giant's Causeway Giant's Causeway

London. I was so overwhelmed I don't even know where to start. I'd been wanting to go there, to what I consider the Capital of Creativity, for ages. And I wasn't disappointed. I arrived to Luton Airport and took a train from there to St. Pancras Train Station (£22,50 return) . I knew I was staying somewhere close to that station, so I took it as a starting point. Black cabs and red double-deckers From there I walked randomly till I got to the British Museum (Free/Donation) . I'd heard about it, but I didn't expect to literally find half the world's historic items there! Qur'an at the British Museum Just as I started off in the Islamic room, I cam e across a 700 year old copy of the Qur'an. Then in the main hall a couple of black Egyptian Obelisks and the massive Lion of Knidos from Turkey (200 BC) drew my attention. I also saw numerous statues from Egyptian Pharaohs, many Roman copies of famous Greek sculptures amongst which was Lely's Venus. Final