Today, we head to Belfast! It's crazy to think that I will have to exchange my money to pound, not to euro. The bus to Belfast from Dublin involved mostly sleeping. Having Wi-Fi was so helpful because I wasn't bored on the way. The taxi to the guesthouse was short but fun. The taxi car was very cute and unique in that people in the car were facing each other!
I guess patience brings fortunes because Kevie and I were the last ones to pick up the room key so we didn’t get a choice but just pick up whatever that was left. It ended up with us having the best room with the best view! A good start to first day in Belfast! When you come to a new place, wouldn't you want to know some facts about it?
Belfast, which is the capital city of Northern Ireland, is both a historical and modern city. It gained its city status by Queen Victoria in 1888. Belfast has two universities, two cathedrals, and a grand opera house. It is the city where the Titanic was designed and built. Northern Ireland covers about one sixth of the island of Ireland, and it became part of the United Kingdom in 1921. There are six counties in Northern Ireland, which are Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone.
Two communities have been in conflict for many years in Northern Ireland, which are Republicans and the Unionists. The Republicans are Roman Catholic and they want Northern Ireland to be part of Ireland; the Unionists are Protestant, and they want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom. There are over 2,000 murals in Northern Ireland. The first mural was painted in 1908 by Unionists. The purpose of painting murals is to mark one's territory, commemorate people who have died, and to show resistance.
The city, Belfast, has a population of 280,962, and 43.9% are aged 30 or younger, and 60% of the total population is working population. Belfast is ranked as the UK's second most attractive city (after London) for foreign direct investment. Some interesting facts are that: as time goes by, there are more tourists and more money spent by them in Belfast. In 2005, there were 6.4 million visitors with about 286 million pounds spent in Belfast; in 2012, about 7.6 million visitors came to Belfast and they spent 416 million pounds in Belfast. Belfast zoo is home to the only group of purple-faced langurs, which are monkeys, in Europe. Liam Neeson first trod the boards at Belfast's Lyric Theater. Queen's University in Belfast taught both Protestants and Catholics from 1845. Led Zeppelin’s 'Stairway to Heaven' was first played live in the Ulster Hall.
http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/business/investinginbelfast/belfastfacts.aspx http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/history/heritage/20-things-you-might-not-know-about-belfast
I guess patience brings fortunes because Kevie and I were the last ones to pick up the room key so we didn’t get a choice but just pick up whatever that was left. It ended up with us having the best room with the best view! A good start to first day in Belfast! When you come to a new place, wouldn't you want to know some facts about it?
Belfast, which is the capital city of Northern Ireland, is both a historical and modern city. It gained its city status by Queen Victoria in 1888. Belfast has two universities, two cathedrals, and a grand opera house. It is the city where the Titanic was designed and built. Northern Ireland covers about one sixth of the island of Ireland, and it became part of the United Kingdom in 1921. There are six counties in Northern Ireland, which are Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone.
Two communities have been in conflict for many years in Northern Ireland, which are Republicans and the Unionists. The Republicans are Roman Catholic and they want Northern Ireland to be part of Ireland; the Unionists are Protestant, and they want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom. There are over 2,000 murals in Northern Ireland. The first mural was painted in 1908 by Unionists. The purpose of painting murals is to mark one's territory, commemorate people who have died, and to show resistance.
The city, Belfast, has a population of 280,962, and 43.9% are aged 30 or younger, and 60% of the total population is working population. Belfast is ranked as the UK's second most attractive city (after London) for foreign direct investment. Some interesting facts are that: as time goes by, there are more tourists and more money spent by them in Belfast. In 2005, there were 6.4 million visitors with about 286 million pounds spent in Belfast; in 2012, about 7.6 million visitors came to Belfast and they spent 416 million pounds in Belfast. Belfast zoo is home to the only group of purple-faced langurs, which are monkeys, in Europe. Liam Neeson first trod the boards at Belfast's Lyric Theater. Queen's University in Belfast taught both Protestants and Catholics from 1845. Led Zeppelin’s 'Stairway to Heaven' was first played live in the Ulster Hall.
http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/business/investinginbelfast/belfastfacts.aspx http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/history/heritage/20-things-you-might-not-know-about-belfast