Hills, hills and more hills. The city of Derry is made up of nothing but hills. Driving into the city was a great way to see different restaurants and local hangouts as we climbed to one of the highest points in Derry, to the Clarence House. The breakfast that was provided for us was incredible for every type of taste bud. After breakfast, we had a busy day planned filled with a tour of Northwest Regional College, class, and a walking tour of the beautiful city of Derry.
The day began with a tour of Northwest Regional College with our tour guide, Mr. Willie. We were shown all the different programs the school has to offer and we were even able to go into some classes to observe. There is a hairdressing and beauty program that I was particularly excited about when I found out that we would be able to get a free treatment. The school seems newly redone and has unique features such as full sound boards for recording music and brand new Macs in basically every classroom and student area.
In the afternoon we got the opportunity to get a guided tour through the Walled City in Derry from a very passionate and enthusiastic guide. He took us through the past history and the current events that have shaped the lives of the people in Derry. Our emotions were on a roller-coaster with the great stories of hope and peace as well as the tear-jerking story of a young girl who got caught in a cross fire shooting during the troubled times in Derry. After the mile walk of the city, we grabbed a bite at Café del Mondo, an organic restaurant where we ate fish and chips and sea bass.
When we got back to the hotel, the group worked on homework. We found that the best place to sit at night is on the balcony, where one can see all the night city lights creep up on the rolling hills. As one of my classmates Austin wrote, “The city lights are coming on one by one, which perfectly complements the Peace Bridge being ablaze against a dark sky” describes perfectly the beauty of this city that has been through so much hardship in its history.