Derry and the Irish Sea Shore

I've spent the last few days learning a lot of mistakes I made in my novel, a lot of assumptions that are either totally untrue or that I could have expanded further. Derry has been great. As opposed to Belfast which is a city with 300,000 Derry only has 100,000, and 16th century walls that encase the city center nicely. They are a great place to stroll and get a birds-eye view of everything here. The river Foyle cuts right through the center of town, with City Center and the Catholic Bogside on one shore, and the mostly Prodestant area on the other.

The weather has grown slightly sour, but nothing I can't handle. It's been cloudy and muggy for the last few days, so no more Irish sunburns for the time being. The people in this hostel, the Derry Independent Hostel, are GREAT. The owner is a fantastic and laid-back woman from New Zeland and the other people that work for her are pretty cool. There has been a group of about 5 or 6 of us who are all staying in Derry for more than a night or two, and we've kind of banded together and begun hanging out and going out to pubs and stuff at night. This group includes two students from Grenell in Iowa who are my age and doing research here for a month with one of their professors. They are Anthropology majors and are studying with the Tower Museum as they prepare an exibit on the Ulster Plantations, which is 400 years old this year, and really the start of the political unrest that is still happening on the island.

It was with them and their professor Doug that I went to a Catholic commemorative march. Every year the people walk through the Bogside and Craggin areas of town - once 'free' from British rule, with no outsiders entering the community without getting killed by the IRA (See the 'Now Entering Free Derry' sign for remaining proof) - with flags and flutes and pictures of all those who were killed in Derry and they go to the cemetary in commemoration of those who gave their lives for the cause. This year was particularily important because it is the 40th anniversary this summer of the Battle of the Bogside, which was the 3 day riot that finally pushed the British to deploy military troops into Northern Ireland. So we watched, and participated in the march with the people, which lead to the cemetary where the local Sinn Fein leaders gave speeches. It was pretty intense, the marches were really powerful and very dignified. Probably more than 200 people were there.

I've also seen the Free Derry Museum, gone on a few walking tours of the murals, and talked to the local people who's job it is to talk about the political nature of the 70's. One of them gave me the political walking tour, and I later found out he's good friends with the owner of the Hostel I'm at, so he's around all the time and we've been chatting.


Took the train to Castlerock today, a tiny town right on the ocean, with a huge beach and huge balck cliffs just a bit away. Across the water you can see county Donegal, and probably the city that I'll be living near while on the farm. It was not a super sunny day, but it was beautiful nonetheless. I read on the beach and wandered with my feet in the cool crisp waters, along the cliffs and back to the town where I got coffee and wrote for a couple of hours. The town was so silent and empty it was eerie, but I also kind of liked this, after the city it felt good to be in a place with less movement and noise for the afternoon. Took the train back to Derry and went to the pub across the road with the owner and some of the people I've been enjoying and enjoyed a half pint of cider while exchaning stories.

Tomorrow will be my last day in Derry then I head to Belfast on Wednesday morning to meet Josie. Though I am meeting people along the way, it will be so nice to have a companion who already knows me and who I can just relax with.