The last couple of days were busy busy busy!

We got picked up from the Dublin Airport Tuesday morning (bright and early, may I add) by Eamon and Conner. While we were waiting, we got the opportunity to talk to some people, and one thing I immediately noticed was that everyone is eager to converse. Afterwards though, we immediately booked it to the Belfast Castle, as we wanted to fight off the jet lag. The castle itself was gorgeous, from the gardens to ballroom, and I was enamored by the architecture.

We then headed to the St. Peter’s Immaculata Youth Centre, where we got to tour the facility and learn more about the social work that they do there. After a nice lunch there, we toured the cathedral right next to it. The high ceilings and mosaics were fascinating as I walked through it, and I enjoyed the serene atmosphere.

We then grabbed an early dinner at our hotel- The Leonardo Hotel- where I enjoyed some beef and Guinness stew! With the time given for the remainder of the day, we rested up and then wandered about the city of Belfast. It’s interesting how different it is here, from the roads to the slang. While cars in the states have the drivers side on the left, cars in Ireland have them on the right. The accents were a struggle at first, but I am slowly becoming acclimated to them.

On Wednesday, the day started with driving through the streets of Belfast to see the graffiti art and to discuss the symbolism behind them. I also got to sign my name on a wall, which was really awesome! I hope that when I come back to visit, it’s still there!

We then headed to the Parliament Building, which was a scenic drive up. We toured the building, learning about how legislation and the law works in Ireland. The court rooms were fascinating with the amount of detail put into every pillar, and I got to see what one of the court rooms looked like before reconstruction efforts. It was interesting and I enjoyed the scenery!

We then visited the Ulster Museum, where I loved walking through the paintings. The history and precision depicted in each is jaw dropping, and I enjoyed analyzing each one. My favorite painting was The Dawn of Christianity (Flight into Egypt). We continued to walk through the museum, learning more about evolution and natural history.

For dinner, we made our way to John Longs, where the speciality is Fish & Chips. For my first Fish & Chips experience, I quite enjoyed it! As we had the rest of the evening free, we took our time to rest up before he got ready to explore the city again for our last night at Belfast!

The next day begins with a new adventure, with us traveling down to Donegal!