When you take a path, the path takes you....

Our most recently learned, and currently applicable phrase. We are quickly learning to go with the flow here! We really did think we were brilliant in taking the overnight flight here- the kids would sleep, Michael would sleep....Instead we spent our first day in Belfast dealing with not only jetlag but also our very first family all-nighter.

Good times.

So we napped. Yes, Jen, I know we weren't supposed to. YOU tell Tess that. When a 4 year old has no fear of public tantrums, and you're in a foreign country, you give the child her sleep!

We were better equipped to deal with the city this morning- slightly. They were up early and I was just finally falling asleep when they got up. Nevertheless....

Belfast is still pretty gritty, as far as I can tell. We were right in the downtown, so there was a touch of swankness to be found here and there. But for all the recent efforts to spruce it up, it still looks like a tired city that's lived a hard life.

Which, of course, it has.

When we met our swap family in Portsmouth, they mentioned the recent spat of violence here in Belfast and assured us that we didn't need to worry. So we didn't. The primary place of interest we went in the city, actually, was to Falls road in West Belfast, to see the famous murals painted during, and about, The Troubles. We debated whether or not to go, but Frommers said it was generally safe to walk about there (though in another section it said it usually fine to drive around but safer to take one of the black cabs. Huh.)

For those of you do don't know- the 70's and especially the 80's here were known as "The Troubles" when "Republicans," who wanted Northern Ireland to join the Republic (usually the Catholic minority) and the "Loyalists (usually Protestants) ," who wanted it to remain a part of the UK, were fighting. Violence was common, as was oppression, terrorism, and severe measures against citizens. Things are sorted out now, but tensions are still simmering. The murals ooze grief and rage and pride.

While we were walking to the murals, just before we got to them, we passed a man who almost surreptitiously gave the man passing on our other side the sign of the cross in greeting. Because of phenomenal intensity of the scowl on his face, it didn't seem like a casual "hey there," or "love the lord!" It seemed like a secret brotherhood greeting. Yes, yes, I know. He could have been having a bad day, or maybe he was tired or hung over. Maybe he just has a scowly face. But it was right out of a movie- so perfect it was almost campy. It would have been funny, except that it's his real life, so it just made me sad.

And of course, there's just the fact of the religious angle of the troubles to make me even sadder- one more example of religion being co-opted by politics and becoming a root cause of hatred instead of love.

Sigh.

ANYWAY, saw the murals, ate some food, drank some beer (tally so far- Guinness- it really is better here! Belfast Ale- tastes like roast chicken and Asparagus. Caffrey's- fine and boring).

Gardners take note- those beautiful hanging baskets of flowers that are in all the guidebook photos of Irish towns? Full of the lowly petunia!

Ok, that's not a hanging basket in the photo. But they all have the same flowers, so suck it up. Non-gardners- there is a certain gardner snobbery around petunia's- they are so cheerful and vibrant and easy to grow, they are considered "common." But I've always loved them, and now I can grow them with pride!

We met up with David's parents, and they not only dropped off the car, but drove us out of the city (which has some CRAZY roads, driving on the wrong side of the road not being the most confusing part) and even packed us a lunch. They invited us for tea, but we need to get moving, so we'll meet up with them again later. House swapping is fantastic for meeting regular folks and hanging out with them, it turns out!

We made it up here to Bushmills with little mishap. The drive was lovely. I'll admit when we first arrived I was secretly a little disappointed. Sure it was green. Just like Maine. Same color grass, similar type trees, similar type wild flowers (except poppies grow all over here along the roads and highways), same wild grasses... It was pretty, but jeez. An awful lot like home. But then about 45 minutes North of Belfast we saw this:

Ahhhhhhhhh. Hello, Ireland.

And this is the view out our window:

The house is very nice- a short walk from downtown. We were surprised to discover that, while we knew it was our swap family's second home, they also rent it out. Which means it is essentially devoid of....everything. No oil or spices for cooking, no piles of toys for the kids, no worn out extra blankets for the cool evenings.....but most startlingly, no phone or internet! But "the path takes you..."We're still in amazing Ireland, surrounded by beauty, troubled only by which amazing site to take in tomorrow.

Life isn't too hard. :-)

Jodi