Belfast

We go native: Guinness and Bushmill's whisky.

The first thing I should say about Northern Ireland is that, in my experience at least, the people we met were all very kind, friendly, and welcoming. They’re not friendly in an overbearing how am ever I going to escape this conversation? kind of way, either. Just very warm, thoughtful, and lovely.


For example:

We got a little turned around in the Belfast city center, and needed to ask directions to the St. George market. We asked a gruff-looking man on the street, leaning on a building and smoking a cigarette. As soon as we asked him for help, he not only explained how to get to the market, but very helpfully walked us down the street to the intersection we needed and pointed us in the right direction. Everyone was like that: Bus drivers, bartenders, store clerks, people on the street, you name it. It was a very friendly, hospitable place where we always felt welcome wherever we went. It was a real change from the north of England where the people honestly seem to be a bit guarded and wary of strangers.

The next thing I’ll say about Belfast is that in retrospect I now realize that it’s a very odd choice for a vacation destination. Belfast isn’t a dangerous place anymore, but the city is still deeply scarred from “The Troubles.” Bombings and shootings were pretty common in Belfast up until about ten years ago, and the city is still trying to pick itself up and rebuild. As we took a tour around the city, you could see the beautiful old buildings mixed in with vacant lots where buildings had been destroyed and cleared away, mixed in with tons of new construction. The peace wall that divides the Protestant and Catholic parts of the city is still there, and political murals about the IRA, bombings, and so forth are on nearly every corner. Still, despite the fact that the city was once so divided, Belfast seems to be recovering. It’s a ‘cautiously optimistic’ vibe, where you see that there’s a real commitment to rebuilding and healing the community.

Still, driving around the city feels a bit like visiting a war zone.

That said, I’m very glad that we went to Belfast. I learned a lot about the city’s political history from the trip, and saw a city that was really like no other city that I’ve ever seen before: Industrial, urban, haunted, and forward-thinking. The city center was a really hip place, too: Tons of cool boutiques, vintage shops, and fancy restaurants. I went to at least six different vintage shops on Saturday, each one quirkier and more fantastic than the next.

An embarrassing confession: Before I went to Belfast, I didn’t even actually realize that Northern Ireland is an entirely separate country from Ireland. I feel like kind of an idiot. Whenever I used to hear something about “Northern Ireland” on the news, I just assumed that they meant it in a descriptive way, like the north part of Ireland. But no. Northern Ireland and Ireland are separate, much like Virginia and West Virginia. How could I have not known that?

Me = Duh. Makes me realize that I still have a lot to learn about the rest of the world.

Here are some of the pictures from the Belfast part of the trip.

This is the ferry we took across the sea, three hours to Belfast.

The inside of the ferry was kind of swanky. It had shopping, a movie theater, food service, a nice lounge, and free snacks and drinks. Sounds a bit like air travel, but it was way better. The seats were comfy and it was a really relaxed way to travel. (The lack of metal detectors, xrays, and full-body friskings was a real bonus.)

One of the many sad vacant lots (read: bombing sites) outside the city center.

Contrasted by the very lovely Queen's College, right in the city center.

Victoria Square

Frankie, chillin' on Merchant Street

"Living statues." Less than, greater than, or equal to mimes? Discuss among yourselves.



Clock tower, falling over just like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Here a few of the best/most iconic murals I snapped:



Bobby Sands

This political mural is on the side of a Subway restaurant. Weird contrast.

Harbor fountains

Fall colors in the city

Tour bus!

City gal!

Frankie, eating mussels. (This girl won't eat pizza, but mussels? Can't get enough.)

Outside the Parliment building

City Hall

The last few pictures are of "The Salmon of Knowledge." No joke, that's it's name. It's an iconic Belfast landmark-- A statue of a gigantic fish. Legend says that if you kiss the fish, you'll get smarter. Must work at least a little, because after kissing the fish, Frankie counted to SEVENTY. (Prett good, eh?)

It was actually really cute. After hearing the tour guide talk about The Salmon of Knowledge, Frankie couldn't wait to go over and kiss it. She was soooo excited, and couldn't stop talking about it. Even after she kissed the big fish, she told literally everyone that she passed (on the street, in the bus, at the hotel) what she had done, and how she already felt smarter. Adorable.

Did The Big Fish make me smarter? Only time will tell...