And so do I. From the city, I head south towards the Mourne Scenic Loop, which takes its name from the mountain range in County Louth. At Portaferry, I cross the glassy calm waters of Strangford Lough in a ferry, then head to Newcastle, the neat, orderly seaside town where all life is rendered in miniature by its mighty backdrop: Slieve Donard, a cloud-covered mountain so grumpy and aloof it could be in Scotland.
On the road to Giant’s CausewayAlexander Barlow
But this is unmistakably Northern Ireland. On the way back to Belfast, I stop at an empty, leaden High Street that, like many others, is festooned in red-and-blue flags with such fierce deliberateness there can be no mistaking its loyalties. To the left is a pub, long ago abandoned, that bears a muted menace. What secrets does it keep, I wonder, as the lights turn green. With an empty straight line up ahead, I can’t resist pressing hard on the pedal, and the oblivion of a roaring engine.
For more information on the Ferrari Roma, see ferrari.com
A very brief guide to Northern Ireland
Northern Irish writer Anna Cafolla on the key areas to hit
Belfast
Belfast feels like a city on the up, with a youthful Copenhagen-ish cool to go with a gritty, soulful heritage. The food scene is buzzing, from the seasonal small plates of Ox in the centre to the likes of cool wine bar/bistro Frae, in up-and-coming Hollywood to the east. New ideas abound, like the old Ulster Sports Club’s reimagining as a cool music venue, from the team behind the Merchant Hotel – the one-time Ulster Bank, now the city’s smartest hotel.
Wild flowersAlexander Barlow
Portstewart
With surf, sand dunes and cool cafes on the north coast, Portstewart is an update on the classic Victorian seaside resort: from a whippy cone at Morelli’s, open since 1911, to piccolos and cruffins at the airily cool Lost & Found, with views of the Mussenden Temple on the clifftop. Nearby Portrush has the best Irish seafood at Harry’s Shack, and more than 40 gins at the pretty Harbour Bar.
Derry City
History is never far away in Derry, and the recently redeveloped Museum of Free Derry is a must for the story of Bloody Sunday and The Troubles. Life feels lighter now, though – in the queue for bao buns and fish tacos at the Notorious Street Food van, or at the lively, paraphernalia-packed Sandinos bar, close to a new sort of oversized mural: of the cast of Derry Girls.
