East Belfast

We started out going to Holywood on the train but when our train got cancelled we decided to head out of the station and under the M3 to East Belfast.  We have ridden through East Belfast on the bus to get to Ikea and Tesco Extra.  On our trips through I noticed lots on murals and second hand stores. =)  We like second hand stores.

With all the big churches in Belfast it is easy to find main roads you just walk towards the high steeples.  We walked through a residential area that I am going to have to learn more about.  The uniformity of the houses and common British flag decorations makes you think they are owned by like minded people or a group is in charge of doing this.  It has a much nicer feel than West Belfast.  They have a flag with the queen as normal on one side and a skull on the other.  You know what they feel about the monarch.  West Belfast feels like a waste land things are in very bad shape there.

In East Belfast their are lots of very impressive murals.  They celebrate the men of Ulster and the Red Hand of Ulster.  Belfast has a mural tour to see all of the murals through the city.  I will have to read up a bit on The Troubles.  The kids had a lot of questions that I could not answer.  I am aware that there has been some fighting in Ireland but I am not sure of all the causes.  We have all heard of the trouble between the religions but this seems to go back beyond that time.  

Memorial for WWII

Men remembered

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a Mural for the Titanic

We ended our shopping day at a park.  It was built in memory of a local Dr.  The kids enjoyed the chance to run and play.

Sabrina and Sarah

Samuel leaning on the steeple