Belfast

Well, we'd thought today was going to involve a drive out to County Antrim (Ballymena), but getting a lazy start to the morning combined with the lack of any real "destination" or site to see sort of combined to nixing that plan.

Instead, we decided to do a walking tour of things in Belfast close to our apartment. 

We visited a republican remembrance garden,

the Bobby Sands mural and

walked along the peace line along Shankill Road. 

For most of the walk, we were in pretty heavily touristed areas... there were taxicab private tours and tour buses going by.  However, in some parts, there was no other foot traffic and the cars seemed fewer and further between.  At one point, both Laura and I called it and we turned back.  I'm sure we were fine, but our "Spidy-sense" was activated and we felt uncomfortable.  On reflection, that didn't seem such a bad thing.  Visiting the literal "front lines" of a place with so much strife SHOULD make you feel uncomfortable.  They still close these gates at night and fresh pro-IRA and pro-Unionist graffiti is evident everywhere you look.  It's sobering to find a daycare behind iron fencing and razor wire.

From Shankill Road, we walked back to Belfast City Hall.  Built in 1906, it's a very beautiful building that is free to walk in and look around.  It houses a 16-room exhibition of the history of Belfast and Northern Ireland that is really informative and well done.  There's also a comfy cafe to rest up and fortify yourself in after you've done the exhibit.

The main part of Belfast's downtown is bustling and vibrant and if you hadn't just come from there, it'd be easy to forget about its proximity to "The Troubles"

The girls found "Hotel Chocolate" and volunteered to stay there next trip.

On the way back to the apartment, we stoped in what has to be the nicest Tesco (supermarket) I've ever been in!

It's dinner in tonight and a fresh stop for a long travel day tomorrow as we bid farewell to the Emerald Isle and cross over to Scotland!