Belfast All Day

We've just returned from a book reading/concert with Andy White (www.andywhite.com/newsfeed) at the Belfast Book Festival. He has just put out a book called "The 21st Century Troubadour" which he and his sister read from and he performed songs that went along with the readings. He even chose one of his readings "for the couple from British Columbia".

The day started with a Black Taxi tour through the areas that were mostly involved during "The Troubles". Our driver was a Catholic by the name of Eugene and he has been married to a Protestant girl for 40 years. He took us to the Loyalists' section first with all their Union Jacks flying in recognition of the Queen's 60th Jubilee, and all their murals depicting heroes from their side. There were also piles of wooden pallets getting ready for their bonfires on the night of July 11 in preparation for the parades of July 12.
Then he took us to the wall that separates the two sides and then on to a unionists' memorial for those who were killed throughout the years of struggles. He also showed us a mural commemorating those who died during the hunger strike. Finally we saw another wall of murals with their struggles and the struggles of others. It was a very interesting tour and showed a whole different side of Belfast to the one we had seen up to that point.

We then went to the Titanic Museum where we spent 3 hours and could have spent more. Lots of information and really well presented. We stopped at the Crown Liquor Saloon, one of the oldest and most colorful pubs in Ireland, for a pint and a Jameson's and cranberry. The pub is across the street from the Europa, a hotel that has been the target of bombs 94 separate times throughout the years.

Tomorrow we're planning to go to Derry by train.

Take care.

K & M

Location:Cromwell Rd,Belfast,United Kingdom