Today was our first day of the program. After the introductions, we took a tour of the campus and then a bus tour of Belfast. Very enlightening. We went thru Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods and the separation of the two is still very evident even with the peace agreement.

The flags will tell you what section of Belfast you are in.

This is a Loyalist(Unionist) section flying the UK flag.

Here's a Republican (Nationalist) section flying the Irish flag.

Some of the many murals around Belfast.

Famous mural of Bobby Sands who died in prison while on a hunger strike.

These are pro-IRA murals

One of the many walls that separate Catholics and Protestant neighborhoods.

This is the most well known of the walls. People sign their names

when they visit. So did I. On the other side is a Catholic neighborhood.

This is the Protestant side of the same street.

These yellow gates can be closed when there's tension between

the 2 sides. There are many sets of gates like this throughout Belfast.

Loyalist protestors still trying to keep the marches going since July 12.

And here's the police right across the street from them.

A little scary and this isn't the IRA. This is a Protestant mural.

This is a Loyalist mural against the Irish nationalists.

This street is extra wide and there are trees and shrubs planted on

either side to separate two neighborhoods.

First day of school!