Today we explored Belfast, and it would seem that aside from post Christmas shopping, everything here shuts down. We began by walking through the CBD to the botanic gardens and palm house and on to the Ulster Museum. The museum was deserted, so we took our time learning about 'The Troubles' in an excellent exhibition which was balanced, clear and surprisingly unbiased considering where it appears. This is a city clearly still grappling with its recent past, the graffiti we've seen alludes to the undercurrent of civil dissatisfaction that has been heightened by the fallout of the GFC here in Northern Ireland in particular. Being in an industrial city is also a change aesthetically speaking. There's an incongruity in the architecture from what we've seen elsewhere; brutalist industrial buildings abutting Victorian era pubs and homes, with new developments and 70's blocks in between. It's a fascinating city to explore.
After our wander in the museum we made our way past the university to the major shopping district, where we finally found where everyone was - sales. We shopped for a few hours, I bought a jumper, but it was mostly just a window shop. We had dinner at Five Guys, yes it's American, but it was very tasty.
Everything shuts at six, so we picked up some nibbles and went back to our hotel as the weather had turned, nothing was really open, and tomorrow is going to be a big day. Currently watching The Hogfather on tv and drinking cups of tea, and Guinness.
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