Northen Ireland was one of the places I was most excited to visit on this trip. After hearing bits and pieces of its turbulant history (and also hearing that it is now relatively peaceful), I was looking forward to seeing it for myself.
So, of course, we end up arriving on July 12th -- a national holiday in Northen Ireland and the day that rioting and unrest is most likely to break out. Our train was stopped 30 minutes outside of Belfast because a train further up the tracks had been petrol bombed. We were bused into Belfast and took a train to the station nearest our B&B. When we walked out to the street, we could see the end of a parade just up the road. There were people everywhere with the Northern Ireland flag draped around their shoulders or carrying batons in the colors of England's flag. Most of them were young and drunk and -- considering what we'd just heard about the other train -- we were a bit nervous.
We made straight for our B&B, heading out again just to find something to eat and then returning. We were thankful that we were staying on a quiet street (and also that we were Americans as it is the British who are most harrassed by the Nationalists when feelings are hot).
The next morning, we headed over towards Falls Road -- Nationalist Catholic territory -- for a walking tour led by a former political prisoner. He acknowledged at the beginning that he was sharing his story and therefore reflecting only his point of view. He encouraged us to read up on the other side of things when we got home.
It was a fascinating tour -- mostly because of the details and insights he shared. More on that in a later post.
The Falls Road murals are ever shifting and focus not only on the revolution in Ireland, but on revolutions around the world. It's a way of expressing solidarity for other groups of people struggling for independence. Pretty cool.
1 comment:
Thanks to both of you for writing and sharing your pictures. You are creating truly adventuresome memories; stories worth hearing.
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