Caught the 4a bus into the City Centre this morning, and after wondering around at 8 looking for breakfast, my suspicions that most Irish are not early risers are coming true. If the.ancients Kings of England just rolled on up here early in the morning, they probably would have been able to conquer this place quite easily. All day bus ticket, unlimited was £3.70, much much cheaper than the Hop in Hop off Tours I saw advertised today for £30! The public transport system is very easy, pay the driver and away you go.
Breakfast was at Oscars Champagne Bar, which was one of the very very few places open at 8 ish. It was a home cooked Irish breakfast which really hit the spot. Off to St George's Market.. Again, the latest opening market I've ever seen, it started at 9.. With a lot of the traders still setting up at 9.30am.
Amazing crafts, I wish I could have taken photos, the jewellery, handcrafts and photography was incredible. There was also a local fresh food market with delicious looking cakes, fresh vegetables and fruit, olives, breads, pasta and seafood, a feast for the eyes. One cheeky butcher told me the reason the crabs were so docile, was because he had hypnotised them, and if I bought a special lead, I could walk them home with me.. Another young fellow selling his mothers home baked goods, offered me two extra because of my accent. We got to talking to a fellow selling jewellery made from 7000 year old peat big wood and silver, and turns out he created the vine trusses for EVERGREEN farms in Emerald. Small. Small, world.
We wandering about the city centre, taking in the sights, watching buskers, visiting local churches and people watching. One wee lad brought me to tears with his rendition of Amazing grace on the bagpipes. There was a band playing in a park, activities in City Hall grounds and a Cultural festival going on. There's a great vibe to this place. Belfast is all relatively new in comparision to some if the other places we have visited, and unfortunately make really bad coffee.
We made our way back to the hotel in time to meet our Black Cab for the Political Mural Tour this afternoon. Because I've always been an avid reader, I've always been aware of 'the troubles' that go in here, but I was unaware that there is still segregation. Still a wall between the two areas of town. We saw evidence of bombing, we saw memorial gardens, hears stories that Mike told of his own growing up, as a kid running down to the wall at knock off time to see if his Dad came back through the wall alive at the end of the working day. We watched kids on either side of the wall play amongst the rubble, behind the fences and behind the bars. We saw political murals and we signed the peace wall. We finished the tour with a renewed with a gratefulness for the ability to live in a peaceful world, where kids can play together, regardless of race or religion.
In saying that the troubles are clearly evident still, is not saying that we felt threatened at any time. The people are friendly, warm and welcoming, and even when we were in the 'wrong neighbourhoods' we did not feel at all nervous.
We got dropped off in the Titanic Quarter, and after wandering about the docklands, worked our way back into the city centre to catch the bus again home, after a walk through the gardens of Stormont estate.
Dinner, and a great cup of Irish tea before preparing for the big trip to the west coast tomorrow.
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