Oh hey Belfast~
We left Portrush early on May 15th. We would be staying in Dublin the next two nights, but wanted to hit a couple of spots on our 3.5 hour drive south.
We figured it would be fun to stop in Belfast before leaving Northern Ireland. We had heard that the botanical gardens were pretty cool, so we figured we would have breakfast in the city, and then walk around the gardens for a bit.
I had been to Belfast a couple years prior to tour the political murals. The tour was fantastic, but the part of Belfast I saw was very different than the part that Ash and I experienced. Driving into the city I was expecting the industrial, dark setting I had previously experienced. Instead, we drove into a hip college campus full of trees and cute boutique-like shops. The Queens University can be found right near the River Lagan, pressed up to the gardens. We parked our car near campus, stopped at a nearby restaurant for breakfast, and then took our coffees to go so we could explore the gardens.
Walking into the front entrance, I stopped dead in my tracks. A few months before our trip, Ash and I had watched a great show on Netflix called The Fall, which takes place in Belfast. Many of the scenes were filmed in the botanical gardens, and we happened to be standing right in front of one of the iconic green houses from the show (shown above). I made Ash pose for me so that I could get a shot for our records.
We spent some time taking in the various plant life. The walk was peaceful, and I am sure a great place for many of the college students to come decompress after a stressful exam. We had a great time circling the gardens, but knew we were on a tight schedule. We made our way back to the car and began the journey to our next stop: Brú na Bóinne.
Although we were only in Belfast for a couple of hours, I can see the attraction that people could have to this city. I would love to know what other areas of Belfast we should visit, and welcome any advice you may have. Please share your thoughts below!
I do ask that this stays a positive and safe space for readers, so please, no hurtful language or remarks about other's experiences. Thank you.
