Belfast

This weekend I went to Belfast with my flatmates and it was awesome. Belfast is the perfect weekend trip.  

 

The flight was awesome because it was 2 pence. And we spent longer waiting in the airport than we did on the plane, since the flight was 45 minutes. And we could drink at the airport.

 

Hostel was great- we stayed at one of the International Youth Hostel chains and it was really good. £11 a night for a 4 person private room, and the beds were even decently comfortable. I got bottom bunk, which was good, since I could throw things at Kirk.

 

The first night I learned some important things: never order a salad at a pub, and also that Guiness and whiskey is better on Irish soil.  Also, Irish soda bread is what I’ve been missing my whole life.

We fooled around at the site of the British parliament.

 

 

And found a poignant statue called “Reconciliation.” 

We did the Tourist Bus thing. It was perfect since it was raining slightly and we got to see a good tour and learn stuff. We got off the bus at lots of stops. We saw the harbor area, and then walked down to the centre and city hall. We stopped in a cute pub for a drink to warm us up, and they were out of cream so we couldn’t get proper Irish coffee, but we got coffee with Bailey’s instead. The city hall is gorgeous. And there’s good shopping around there too.

 

 

We got off the bus at Shankill Rd, right in the heart of the “troubles.” We saw lots of barbed wire, and rubble. They called this area the “killing fields” of Belfast. Shankill Rd is the loyalist side of Belfast, and we saw lots of war murals to that effect.

 

 

A UVF memorial garden.

 

  

There were road blocks everywhere and we had been walking around for 30 mins in the rain trying to get through before we got frustrated and got back on the bus. Turns out, those roadblocks are up at night and on weekends and are part of a “Peace Wall” separating Shankill Rd. and its parallel road, The Falls, which is the heart of the Irish side of the conflict. We drove down The Falls on the bus and saw lots of murals, this time for the Irish side. Our tour guide explained that the Irish side identifies with other “occupied” peoples around the world, so we saw murals supporting the Palestinians, Cubans, and lots of anti-Bush stuff.

 

 

You can tell that Belfast  is in a period of healing and reform.  There are public service announcements everywhere, especially pertaining to drinking, smoking, and domestic violence. 

 

 

 

We passed into South Belfast, the nicer areas, and saw some pretty streets and student-y areas. We came to the Queens Unviersity of Belfast, which is a spectacular building. We were exaughsted at this point, and ended up at Cafe Rythms, a totally hippie joint that sold food, healing crystals, and played healing music. But it was perfect because they had hot soup (potato and leek) and tea and scones and all the really good food you want when you’ve been out in the cold all day.  

 

 

The City Hall at night.  British cities love ferris wheels.