Walking in Belfast

I believe that one of the best ways to experience a new place is to venture out on your own two feet.  Since arriving a little over two weeks ago, I have managed to spend a lot of time either walking or running the streets of Belfast.  This is my preferred method of exploration because it causes me to consciously pay attention to where I am travelling, as opposed to taking the bus where my mind can easily wander and lose track of where I am.  Being on foot allows me to take in the smells and sounds of my surroundings as well.   For this blog entry, I am going to tell you about two danders (walks) I have taken.

Mural along the Shore Road

Last Thursday Liz gave me the day to myself and I decided to venture out from Karl's and my flat and walk through various places of Belfast I had not yet seen.  I started the day walking to the City Centre where City Hall is located.  On the way, I took time to notice the many different murals and flags I was passing.  Murals and flags are ways that people of Northern Ireland publicly display their allegiance to political parties or remember events of the past.  Once I arrived at City Centre, I spent time looking through City Hall and its exhibits which focus on the history of Belfast. 

Botanic Gardens

From City Centre, I continued south toward Queen's University and the Botanic Gardens.  Right next to the gardens is the Ulster Museum, so it was my next stop for the day.  The museum has two whole floors dedicated to the history of Belfast and the Troubles.  I focused my attention that day on learning about the history of Belfast, but I will soon be returning to explore the other art and nature exhibits the museum has to offer. 

Taken along the Shore (and below)

Today, I decided to take another walk.  This walk however turned out to be a lot longer than I expected, but it was very enjoyable none the less.  After Friends and Neighbours at Whitehouse this afternoon, a gentleman from church dropped me off at the shore in Whiteabbey.  I was only planning on walking along the shore for a mile or two, but I ended up staying along the 93 bicycle path all the way to City Centre (probably about six miles).  The shore line was very pretty and smelled of breezy sea air.  As I continued along the foot path, I found myself paralleling the motorway...this was not a very enjoyable part of the walk, but I kept going only to find myself in Duncrue, which is a very industrialised part of Belfast.  This was not the most enjoyable scenery either.  But alas, I kept going and stumbled out in Cathedral Quarter.  I came across some neat art pieces and historical buildings, thus making my really, really long journey worth the while. 

There is still a lot of Belfast which I have yet to explore, so I still have many walking or running journeys ahead of me.  Perhaps Karl and I might get to venture out on one together this Saturday when we are off together. 

Albert Memorial Clock

The Big Fish at Donegall Quay