Belfast Walkabout
August 12, 2023
For largest display, click on the photograph
When I visit a city I like to do a little dive into its history to give some context to my photographs. Belfast’s location goes back to the Bronze Age, it was established as a town in 1613, and Queen Victoria made it a city in 1888. Within those years there was a lot of strife and conflict leading up to the 29 years run of sectarian strife known as the Troubles. The bombings have ceased, but the underlying cause is still here … and visible. The more I read about Belfast, the more I wanted to understand its convoluted history. I’ll save that story for another day. In the meantime, a walk around this beautiful city is well worth the time.
You say you want to go shopping? If you are in the mood to spend large try the Queen’s Arcade, the last remaining Victorian arcade in the city. For a bite or a drink, go in any direction, you will find something.
I came across one alley with restaurants and bars that was, well, see for yourself
What else caught my eye
About a mile or so out from city center is the Belfast Botanical Gardens. Getting out of the main tourist and business district I noticed a change in the populace, more people of color, a change in the restaurants, various languages being spoken on the street, an area where immigrants have made their mark. This part of the city has an entirely different tone than that of the tourist areas. It was fascinating and delightful.
