Very interesting class today. Two former enemies spoke to us. One was a member of the IRA(Catholic) and went to prison for 16 years and the other was an Ulster Freedom Fighter (Protestant) who was in prison for 13 years. They refer to themselves, not as enemies anymore but as the opposition. Very different views on the same topic. Went to an ice hockey game between the Boston PD and the NY Fire Department. The 2013 World Police and Firemen games are going on in Belfast this week. There are teams everywhere from lots of different countries. Meeting lots of them.

Boston vs NYC

NYC won  5-3

Irish dancers at the local pub

Australia's team

Local girls. Spent the evening taking pictures of themselves.

I'll let the photo speak for itself

Aaron and Martin. Members of the North Scotland

field hockey team. They love America.

Swedish ice hockey team. Fun night.

Went to the Titanic Belfast exhibit today. It was awesome. Learned some things I didn't already know especially about building Titanic in the shipyard in Belfast.

Pretty church on the way to class. Nice blue sky. Rare in Northern Ireland.

Belfast shipyards

Belfast across the River Lagan

Cave Hill about the city.

Titanic Belfast exhibit. Largest in the world.

Cabin layout plans.

Titanic in dry dock.

First Class cabin

Second Class cabin

Third Class cabin.

 There were only 2 bathrooms for all of the 3rd class passengers.

Lifeboat

Statue outside exhibit

SS Nomadic was Titanic's tender. It took passengers to the ship

from Cherbourg, France.

Police patrolling the river.

stern of SS Nomadic in dry dock

More police.

 If it wasn't for the occasional bombing attempts, this would be a really safe city.

So apparently they are still throwing petrol bombs in Belfast. I was in this pub on Wednesday because they have live music 6 nights a week. It was clearly a Nationalist Irish Catholic pub. We were a little uncomfortable and had to watch what we said but the music was great.  Then they refused to let this guy in on Saturday and I guess he wasn't happy about that. He returns with a bottle filled with gas and a sock hanging out of it. Smashes it on floor but it failed to ignite. Patrons held him down until police got there. The pub owner said that things were calm after that and business as usual.  Just another day in Belfast I guess. Now we know why all the police cars were racing by us.

It does explain why there is at least one bouncer (all dressed in black) at the door of EVERY pub I've seen.

 

The Bittles Pub and some other interesting things.

Reminds me of the Flat Iron Building in NYC

Great mall in there. And the dome on the top of the mall

is a lookout all over the city.

A little town on the way to Co. Antrim coastline

Dunluce Castle

Me, Cheryl, Nancy and Judy at the castle

Views were stunning

This was inhabited until one night part of it fell into the Irish Sea>

I think it's a good reason to move.

Giant's Causeway. They really are hexagons!

See that trail on the side of the mountain?

That's where I walked. Very cool but very tough trail.

A thistle! We are very near to Scotland at the Causeway.

They tell us that the landscape is very similar on the

Scottish islands.

Yes, that's what I walked up.

The glens of Co. Antrim

It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. So unlike

Northern Ireland weather. Couldn't have been a better day.