St Pattys

We spent St Patrick’s weekend in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Everyone was in party mode and there was a big parade through the city streets. It brings home all the stuff we have heard and seen over the years of the troubled times Belfast has gone through. Even through they are well into the peace process there were still stark reminders about the past and the lingering problems the Catholics and the Protestants still have against each other. This is mainly all in the suburbs, where huge walls still split the two communities. Even though this is the case Belfast is still a fun and friendly place! On Sunday we battered through Gale force winds, blizzards, ice pellets and sideways rain! We bore the brunt of a freezing front from the Arctic. On Sunday we hired a van and drove up to the very north to the beautiful Causeway coastal road. We stopped at the Giants Causeway where the coast has eroded away to show 10's of 1000's of basalt columns which looked quite amazing. We then made our way back along the coastal road through fishing villages before heading back to Belfast.

The Ulster freedom fighters and other murals, these are everywhere

We did a black cab history tour around Belfast. A lot of political stuff everywhere
The huge walls that still surrounds the suburbs and splits the communities, it is still there for a reason.

The girls joining in on the fun of the parade
A few to many Guinness’s and Harps
St Patrick!The local riot stopper, these were everywhere!
The huge basalt columns

An old medieval castle from the 1200's on the coastal road
The wild and rugged north coast