Weekend in Belfast

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Hey everyone! So, this weekend Butler (the organization I came over here with) organized a trip up North to the city of Belfast. We stayed for four nights and had a really good time. I met so many different kids and it gave us a chance to meet other Americans going to other schools in Ireland. The first day there I spent the day venturing around Belfast seeing its sights. I walked around the innercity a bit and then headed up to Queen's University, which is truly a gorgeous campus. I walked around a bit and was lucky to come across a gated park, which enclosed the campus Botanic Gardens. Absolutely brilliant! There was one place called the Palm House which was a giant greenhouse and held some of the most beautiful and interesting plants and flowers I've ever seen. It was gigantic! So, after staying in there for awhile, taking in the beautiful scents I went to the central park area where I sat and watched a family playing with their dog. It was really wonderful. I later met up with my buddy Dan and we went to the Ulster Musuem where I learned a lot about Northern Ireland's political history and got further insight to what the city was truly like...

At first it seems like anyother city, fit with its shops, bustling traffic and hotels. But outside the developing city center, you are hit with the truth; a city whose underlying history cannot be masked. Walls of hateful murals line the streets. Fences, some 12 feet high, tell you where and where you cannot go. Strong yellow gates baricade neighborhoods and block out the unwanted. I have never before witnessed such a division. Of course, I knew about the fighting - Catholic, Protestant, Republican, Loyalist - but had no idea the extent of their hate. Countless murals depict the trauma here and it is quite apparent which community belongs to who. It really put a lot of things in perspective. I mean, you could really feel the pain this city has felt. You drive by homes that have armored glass and steel fences - certainly not a welcoming place.

But, on a happier note, on Saturday we took a bus to the surrounding countryside of Belfast and definitely were in for a treat. Our first stop was Dunlace Castle, which was the most intact ruin I have seen so far. Then we toured the oldest licensed distillery in the world, Old Bushmills. You couldn't even imagine the number of barrels of whiskey! And I had no idea the amount of work goes into the art of distilling, it really was very interesting. At the end we had the chance to sample some of Old Bushmills great concoction, but not being the biggest whiskey fan, opted to have a Hot Toddy where the cloves and cinnamon masked the whiskey a little.

Continuing on we went all the way to the most Northern tip of the island where the view was truly extraordinary. I couldn't believe it was the same ocean that we see on the east coast. The Atlantic was breathtaking! It was the deepest shade of blue I've ever seen and was absolutely beautiful. We were also blessed with a beautiful clear day which allowed us to see Scotland across the water! It seriously felt like I could swim right over. Along the coastline we made our final stop at the famous, Giants Causeway, which is a unique layering of rocks that shoots out from the inland. But after seeing so many people along the rocks, I decided to stray and was quite content by myself with just the water, ocean air, and me. I found the most perfect rock and sat upon it soaking up the views. It was definitely the highlight of the trip. I was just so at peace and everything was simply perfect - the water, the rock, blue sky, and ocean breeze grazing my face...pure bliss.

Well, that's about it for my time in Belfast. We also hit the night life a little bit, but were pretty worn out from the day so hit the lights pretty early. Well, I love you all and till next time...
Kathryn

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