Smooth Sailing

I was so lucky with the weather when I crossed the Irish Sea, which can be quite rough. When I woke up in the morning I was able to take a local bus to the PandO Bus and that bus takes you to the PandO ferry terminal in Cairnryan to Larne in Ireland. It was cold and windy with white caps but the ferry was huge and had stabilizers so was quite steady. I had some tomato basil soup aboard - v. civilized.

 

So, off the ship and on to Belfast. Northern Ireland is so very different from Southern Ireland, otherwise known as the Irish Republic. Everywhere you go in Northern Ireland, and particularly in Belfast, there are signs of "The Troubles."  There are murals everywhere, very moving - many are tributes to those murdered by what the locals call the "extremists" and there is a tall tall tall chain fence that goes forever, what they call the "peace fence" between the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods. There is still evidence of bomb blasts and bullets and although peace is extolled, there is plenty of evidence that violence could erupt at any moment. There are signs everywhere of just what type of neighborhood you are in, the curbs painted with stripes of red, white and blue (the unionists) or green, white and orange (the nationalists) with their respective flags flying off of the light poles and buildings. It is so very very sad. All this senseless violence in the name of religion, but what else is new in this world? I'm afraid I have very few pictures in Belfast. I was so appalled by what I saw here. The division of these poor neighborhoods. It wasn't the well to do that suffered but the lower class and the signs are everywhere.

I stayed at a lovely hotel in Belfast, The Europa. The view from my room? Not so lovely.  Here it is:

Well, at least I had a sliver of natural light.

 Found out the next morning that The Europa in Belfast is the most bombed hotel in the world. oy  Can't complain though - fresh berries for breakfast!! 

Next up: The Giant's Causeway, Derry and a camel on his hunkers!