Country or State or Region? I'm Still Not Sure.

I decided it was time to add a new country (or state or something) to my list and headed up to Belfast. I'd like to say that after spending almost 10 hours there that I now know what to call Northern Ireland, but I don't.

So I headed out really early and as we approached Belfast the train go more and more full as all the shoppers from the south headed to Belfast where apparently everything is much cheaper. And well within the first hour I might have stopped in a few shops and did some shopping myself (but I can justify it because they were stores I'd never seen before and thus it was allowed). Now the challenge will be to find space in my suitcases.

My first good decision was to walk from the train station to the city center instead of waiting for the free bus. Lucky I did because I happened upon the St. George's Market which is a huge food market which has existed there since 1890. I think I can safely say that this is the 2nd best market I have found in Europe (the one in Lyon might still win). There was tons of meat and fish and veggies and lots of prepared foods, amazing shortbread cookies, giant American style cookies, and (my favorite) the American food stand with pop tarts, fluff, candy bars, peanut butter, and a bunch of different pop. Hilarious.

The second good decision was to go on one of the bus tours. (Ok actually it was a recommendation from my colleague who is from Belfast, but it was my decision to listen to her.) Anyway it was good because there are some very interesting and impressive sites outside of walking distance from the city center. The murals were so telling of the history of this amazing city. The amount of history in this one city is astounding. I still have lots to learn!

Oh and I decided I want to go back to school at either Queen's College or Campbell College. I don't care what they teach me, I just want to be on those campuses.

The Christmas market in front of the City Hall was great, a bit too crowded for me, but very international. I even had a springbok burger. It was from a place which serves exotic burgers: alligator, wild boar, ostrich, venison, kangaroo. Not bad at all.

I liked Belfast and I need to go back some time and learn more about the all of the history there of the Titanic. Oh, but be warned, Belfast has the most slippery dry sidewalks I have ever experienced. I hate to think what they're like when it is wet.