Page 113 - WDT MAGAZINE IRELAND ISSUE WINTER 2018

Sporadic clashes have occurred since, up to the
present day. While Northern Ireland is a safe place for
tourists, it is prudent not to discuss politics in public
areas – especially pubs, to wear neutral clothing,
avoid displays of the Union Jack or the Irish Tricolour,
and use the term city instead of Londonderry or Derry
until you know where someone stands. For the rest
of this story, I’ll use the protocol of official Irish tour-
ism sites and call it Derry~Londonderry – although
that could piss off both sides.
Other than some nasty pizza our first night, we had
no problems at all in Derry Londonderry. Unlike some
charming Irish villages and towns filled with gift
shops and touristy restaurants, this was a working
city with shops, pubs, and restaurants designed to be
patronized by the locals. That’s refreshing for veteran
travelers. And yet, there is a lot for visitors to enjoy
here.
There’s thriving arts scene in Derry~Londonderry
that looks to the future. The Centre for Contem-
porary featured local and international modern art.
We were told that the food scene is innovative and
thriving, with an emphasis on farm-to-table and
super fresh local produce. We had an outstand-
ing lunch at our hotel dining room filled with lo-
cals and guests alike.

considered one of the best preserved walled cities in
Europe.
Before I continue to recount our time here, a word
about the confusion I experienced about whether to The historic heart of Derry/Londonderry is
call Northern Ireland’s second largest city Derry or focused around the ancient city walls and
Londonderry. Basically, the fuss is a naming dispute gates. Left: We really enjoyed our visit to the
between Irish nationalists and unionists. The minor- city, the pizza not so much.
ity Catholic nationalists generally call it Derry, and
the majority Protestant unionists Londonderry. The
disagreement grew during the four decades of the
“Troubles,” senseless mayhem and violence that
consumed the small country from the 1960s until the
Good Friday agreement was signed in 1998 resulting
in a ceasefire.

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