Wok N Roll with us...Bob and Teri Along with Atlas and Kalani: Northern Ireland, August 2, 2019

We basically did a drive through Northern Ireland on our way to catch the ferry to Scotland. Unlike the Republic of Ireland that obtained its independence from the English in 1922, Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom. Belfast is both the capital city of Northern Ireland and also its largest city. We had a short stop in Belfast with time to take a limited stroll in the city. Belfast has been the scene of various sectarian conflicts between the Catholics and Protestants and has seen some of the worst troubles from these conflicts. On this trip, as the Brexit date is approaching, we became very aware of the concerns from most that these sectarian conflicts might return should a Brexit no-deal happen. The site now occupied by the Belfast City Hall originally was the location of the White Linen Hall, an important international linen exchange in the 1700s. Inside the city hall building is an impressive collection of marble statues, stained glass windows, and paintings. The Clever House, located directly across the street from the City Hall, began as the Robinson Cleaver department store in 1874. This high-end store, prior to its closure in 1984, prided itself as the most famous store in the world for Irish Linens. We were soon back on our bus, in too short of order, where we continued on our way to catch our ferry to Scotland. Along our route, we were treated to some of the beautiful views of the coastline of Northern Ireland. We had a 3-hour ferry crossing, arriving in Edinburgh, Scotland in time for dinner.