In the Land of Scots

1/30/18

Glasgow, Scotland

Another early morning, on Tuesday we caught a traditional British black cab to Belfast City Airport headed to Glasgow. This tiny airstrip housed a handful of gates for propeller planes only. Even though we arrived at the airport with more than enough time to spare, we still almost missed our flight due to our inability to understand the thick accent of the announcer calling for us to board our plane. It wouldn’t be a real vacation without at least one brisk airport jog. Finally on board our 78-seat plane, we barely had time to take our jackets off before the captain announced we were descending after only 20 minutes in the air. 

Spotted in the Belfast City Airport. This marketing campaign would definitely not go over well in the states.

Our tiny propeller plane.

Once we arrived, we made our way to the Victorian House, our accommodations for the night, to drop off our bags. From there we went to Singl-End, a local bakery where we tried Welsh Rarebit (yum!). Refueled with sandwiches, we made our way to the city center for some much needed shoe shopping. Our Arctic boots proved to be too hot for everyday wear, so we made like Brits and treated ourselves to some Clarks and Dr. Martens. 

Welsh Rarebit, a cheesy delicacy!

Feeling adventure-ready with our new shoes, we walked through the beautiful Kelvingrove Park to the Kelvingrove Museum. This was a spectacular museum featuring many Scottish historical artifacts, including exhibits on armor, textiles, wildlife, and Scottish design. We didn’t want to leave but finally got kicked out 15 minutes past closing time. 

Medieval armor at the Kelvingrove Museum.

We made our way to Ashton Lane, a cobblestone street that is home to restaurants, pubs, and even a craft brewery called Innis & Gunn. We couldn’t pass up the chance to try a new brewery and used it as a home base to catch up on our blogging and have a couple pints. They had the first proper hoppy beer we’ve found across the pond, a double IPA, and a delicious whiskey-aged scotch ale. We finished the night with some Vietnamese food at the quirky Hanoi Bike Shop. We enjoyed a bowl of pho, some slow-cooked curry brisket, and a warm pot of jasmine tea. We retired to our hotel and got some rest as the constant Scottish drizzle pattered on our skylight.

One Man's Hero is Another Man's Terrorist

1/29/2018

Belfast, Northern Ireland

We took a 7:35a train to Belfast on Monday morning. After checking into the Belfast International Youth Hostel, we took a black cab “Troubles” tour with a Belfast native. He took us all over the city to see the murals, walls, and bonfire sites which all play their own role in the story of the Catholic/Protestant conflict in the area. Driving through the massive gates of the 45-foot wall that divides the Catholic and Protestant sides of town, we saw the extreme rift this conflict has caused on the island. Both sides use murals as a way to express their struggles and pain, some glorifying activists that the other side vilifies. As our driver told us, “one man’s hero is another man’s terrorist.” The dividing walls are not a perfect solution, but seem to be a decent stopgap measure to keep the lid on a centuries-old feud (for now, anyways). While our driver said that he didn’t think the walls would last forever, he also didn’t think they would come down any time soon. Given the violent history of the conflict in recent years, our driver told us that 70% of the city’s residents support keeping the walls in place.

The layers of materials show how the walls have grown over the years, now standing 45 feet tall in many parts of the city. You can see in this picture that the walls are still actively maintained and repaired by the local government.

The gates that close every night, effectively segregating the Protestant and Catholic sides of town.

Continuing with the day’s theme of sadness and the loss of human life, we had our cab driver drop us off at the Titanic museum, which is adjacent to the docks where the Titanic was actually built. We arrived expecting a rehashing of the dramatized Hollywood version of the Titanic story, but soon found there was much more to tell with regards to the history of Belfast and moreover, industrialization as a whole. Shipbuilding was one of the major reasons Belfast earned its nickname as the “workshop of the Empire.” The museum included a replica of the 220-foot cranes that workers climbed daily without any safety restraints. The shipbuilders spent over two years building just the tools and infrastructure that were necessary to build ships the size of the Titanic. The building of the Titanic was a testament to human ingenuity, but ultimately a casualty of the same hubristic thought that led to her creation. 

After we had our fill of somber history lessons, we headed over to the local “chippy,” John Long’s Fish Shop, for a traditional fish and chips supper, complete with mushy peas. Stuffed to the gills, we returned to our hostel to rest up for our flight the next morning to Alex’s ancestral homeland, Scotland.