Belfast
Belfast, Northen Ireland
Only a few decades ago I would never have considered – or thought – I would ever visit Belfast or, indeed, Northern Ireland.
Travel memory (experience not my own): I recall my dear cousin Heather's account in the mid 1970s of when she visited as a teenager with her sister and brother-in-law. These were the very violent, tense days of “the troubles”. They had rented a car and had come from the UK. The British soliders, carrying and waving machine guns, had to check their car. They were told to never leave the car unattended in a non secure area since it would be stripped down in case of there being a planted bomb.
Travel memory (my own experience – but from decades ago): Back in 1981 a friend from high school and I did that 'back packing thing' across Europe. We were at a B&B in England. There was a young schoolboy – about 12 or so in his school uniform etc. I could tell he was trying to 'bait' those “North American travellers” by trying to convince us to visit Belfast. His father, coming into the room, was horrified, shot him a stern look and said, “Don't be silly! What are you telling them that for!”
PS – we were naive in a lot of ways in Europe on that 1981 trip, but had not been naive re: Northern Ireland, so the boy would never have been successful irrespective of his father's rebuke.
Only a few decades ago I would never have considered – or thought – I would ever visit Belfast or, indeed, Northern Ireland.
Travel memory (experience not my own): I recall my dear cousin Heather's account in the mid 1970s of when she visited as a teenager with her sister and brother-in-law. These were the very violent, tense days of “the troubles”. They had rented a car and had come from the UK. The British soliders, carrying and waving machine guns, had to check their car. They were told to never leave the car unattended in a non secure area since it would be stripped down in case of there being a planted bomb.
Travel memory (my own experience – but from decades ago): Back in 1981 a friend from high school and I did that 'back packing thing' across Europe. We were at a B&B in England. There was a young schoolboy – about 12 or so in his school uniform etc. I could tell he was trying to 'bait' those “North American travellers” by trying to convince us to visit Belfast. His father, coming into the room, was horrified, shot him a stern look and said, “Don't be silly! What are you telling them that for!”
PS – we were naive in a lot of ways in Europe on that 1981 trip, but had not been naive re: Northern Ireland, so the boy would never have been successful irrespective of his father's rebuke.