Belfast

Went to stay with my aunty in Belfast and had a personal 'Black Cab' tour with her. She drove us to an area where she encountered a bus being firebombed and in flames in the middle of the road, and also where she did her first teaching assignment at a high school to the sound of explosions and gunfire in the background. We drove along Falls and Shankill Roads and checked out the murals.

We then had lunch at an American Pub and then went to the Crown Liquor Saloon, a pub which has the somewhat dubious title of 'most bombed pub in Ireland during the Troubles'.
Absolutely amazing tangible history here, reminded me a little of Berlin with the wall...of course Belfast has their own version of that, the so called 'Peace Wall', which still has its graffitied check points and scorch marks from being firebombed. The areas between the roads are creepy, a kind of desolate no-mans land.

There are so many great cafes, pubs and restaurants to visit (they are very much into locally grown produce), and the bars and nightlife are amazing.

I loved Belfast, it was so gritty and defiant, yet at the same time such a welcoming and friendly city that I know will be flooded with tourists in years to come.