Parador Hotel Belfast

Went shopping in Belfast (cheaper in the north) and was surprised to find an Auntie Anne's pretzel store in a Westfield Mall. I must admit I was so excited about having a pretzel but no one who really knows me would not be surprised since pretzels are one ...

... out
catching some waves. Too bad we couldnt post pics yet, but we'll probs
post them a few times in between countries if we have time. We're in
Belfast
now and once again, have found a great B and B...tomorrow we head to
Scotland ont he Ferry. For tonight, just an internet cafe and a cup of
Starbucks coffee. Home Sweet Home.

... explaining why my typing is so poor and it's past midnight!

Now i'm sure i've missed many things, and i hope i get some photos up for you all - Belfast is just beautiful and a necessary part of any tour - very interesting to see both sides of the story, as it were.

Till next time,

XO (due to very very very fecking slow computers, late hour and my level of alcoholedness, i'm off to bed, but will try to put up photos soon!)

... couldn't find Kim's street address on any of them. I asked one woman, she had never heard of that street. I asked a man and he told me the stop was either the next one or two down. When I got there I asked a girl and she didn't know, but the man standing beside her told me that I was at the right stop and that I should get off at the last stop on this run. Whew, I thought I had it made, and then I was unsure. When I got on the bus I explained to the driver that I wasn't ...

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... you leave the country! =P). We learnt typical Irish phrases, one of which is: "What's the craic?" meaning "What's happening...". It was a long and entertaining evening... a suitable substitue to the Irish pub we never found after midnight. Arriving in Dublin proved to be a stressful and hectic night. We had a leasuirely morning in Belfast, packing up for the bus trip that was going to take us down to Dublin. Arriving there, a mite tired and diorientated, we ...

We visited the Parliament building in Glasgow, and randomly met the German boys from Edinburgh! Small world! From Glasgow, we took the train across to the highlands of Northern Scotland and it was beautiful! Rolling hills with sheep and cows in the same pastures with rock fences! We then took the ferry to Belfast, and it was huge! The route was really bumpy from the Irish sea meeting the Atlantic Sea (the locals say that they don't ...

... of the day was driving through northern Belfast, and the areas affected by "The Troubles" between Irish catholics and British protestants. We saw graffiti walls covered by political pictures, homes with either Irish or British flags in the windows to signify their allegiance, and the locations of previous bombings and violence. However, many of the homes had white lillies or white roses in the windows. I wondered if this was a sign that ...

... cab tour of the Catholic and Protestant areas of West Belfast. I had that down as the must-do for us here, having already done one nine months earlier with my friend Rebecca on a day trip from Dublin, but once we actually got into Belfast I thought I could find the major sights again myself, and thus take Amber and Nanna on our own little black cab tour.

We started up along the Falls Road, the Catholic hub and site of the head offices of Sinn Fein, the ...

... walking tour around Derry with a local (who happen to be the Mayor's son) - looked at the murals and other points of interest. Back on the bus then heading back to Dublin, on the way we stopped at Omagh for lunch - a sleepy little town. Once back in Dublin it was a quick trip home to drop the bags off and then headed back in town for a few drinks before heading off the next day for the "big" trip - first stop London (for 4 days), then Eastern Europe (9 weeks).....here I come!!