We took a hop-on and hop-off bus tour of Belfast. It gave us an excellent overview. This is Stormont where the Northern Ireland Parliament meets. The grounds upon which it sits are as beautiful as the building.
Campbell College is the Irish equivalent of Eton. Nobel Laureate Samuel Becket taught here. When he left, the headmaster tried to dissuade him by telling him that he had the opportunity to mold the lives of the cream of Ulster youth. Becket replied, "Yes, the cream, rich and thick". C.S. Lewis was a student here. There is a lamp post in the forest-like campus, that is believed to be the inspiration for the guide to the wardrobe for the children in the book
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
The two huge cranes, 'Sampson' and 'Goliath' are from Belfast's shipbuilding legacy. They are no longer in use, but will be preserved. In the background, you can see parts for wind-powered generators.
Since the end of "The Troubles", there has been a building boom in Belfast as illustrated by all the cranes and new buildings you see here.
There are many artworks along the waterfront that have been put there since the peace. This one supposed to be a female figure holding a globe. It is know by the locals as "The Thing with the Ring".
The lean you see here on the Albert Clock is not a photographic artifact. The memorial to Queen Victoria's husband was built over an underground river, and one side has been seriously undermined.
This intersection marks the beginning of the section of Belfast where the majority of the killings took place during the height the sectarian/political violence.
This is the Crumlin Road Courthouse. Many militants were tried here.
Lady Justice is atop the Crumlin Road Courthouse. Note that she is missing her balance. It was stolen and sold on eBay.
The gaol across Crumlin Road from the courthouse was where many of the militants were jailed. It is no longer in use. Tours are run every weekend.
This house was destroyed in a bombing.
This inflammatory mural in the protestant/loyalist section of Belfast has become such a tourist attraction that it will not be destroyed. Note the flagpole projecting from the black section of the mural holding the Union Jack. A quick look at the flags is one way to tell which neighborhood you are in - Catholic/Nationalist or Protestant/Loyalist.
Note the hand in the middle of the emblem to the right in this photo. The red hand is a symbol of Northern Ireland. Legend says that two rival clans raced to claim a far-away land. The first hand to reach the land would own the place. When it looked like one clan would win, a man in a boat of the group that was behind, cut off his hand and threw it ashore, thus winning the contest for his clan. The hand became a symbol for "the people of Ulster will do whatever it takes to get the job done".
The gate separating Republican and Loyalist sections of Belfast is closed every night and kept closed every weekend, even though it has been 12 years since the Troubles.
Above the houses you can see a "Peace Wall" separating neighborhoods. There are still very hard feelings and little mixing except in the university neighborhoods. People do not want the wall to come down, but there is hope that it will disappear over the next two generations.
The themes of these murals in the Catholic/Nationalist neighborhood are mostly revolutionary in nature celebrating everything from Che Guevara to solidarity between the IRA and the Palestinians.
This is a mural of Bobby Sands, an IRA martyr who went on a hunger strike while in jail. He was elected to the Northern Ireland Parliament as a representative of Sein Fein, but died of hunger two days later.
The Belfast Eye is patterned after the London Eye. All of the capsules, but one, costs about ten dollars. The single exception costs about one hundred dollars, is quite luxurious, and comes with a bottle of champagne. It is the site of many proposals.
No one would have dared build anything, let along a shopping center with this much glass, during "The Troubles".
The drydock where the Titanic received her final fitting will soon become part of a museum complex. There is a perverse sort of pride taken in the fact that the Titanic was built in Belfast. The locals will, however, tell you that "She was just fine when she left here".
The pumphouse that pumped out the drydock is already open for tours on a limited basis.
This is the poorhouse where many families displaced by the Irish Potato Famine came.
We liked the Britishism of "Agreed" rather than "Sold" on the property listing sign.
This hotel is a great place to end our stay in Great Britain. It has been open only two months. The hotel wraps around one side of the new national rugby stadium. The top floor has 6 suites that look onto the field. Our room is large, luxurious and looks toward the town, not the stadium. After staying in hotels that were not Marriotts, we REALLY appreciate the standards of our daughter's employer. Thanks Erin for setting us so well. 
This is the hotel and stadium from a distance. We met a fella who lives in the neighborhood. He really bad mouthed the stadium and hotel because of the length of time he had to endure the construction. He did go on to give us good recommendations for places to see in the area. I have to say that I am ready to eat food that has flavor and be with people who are more lighthearted. Everyone has been friendly and helpful, just a bit serious. 
We walked from the hotel to the Thames River in Twickenham. We turned a corner along the foot path and saw this humorous fountain. Note the nymph about to fall into the water on the left side.
Beyond the hedge row was a pond with the pretty lilypads. Not the colors of Monet, but still a pleasing still-life.
Image King Henry VIII floating by on his elaborate barge on his way to see Anne Boleyn at Hampton Court, which isn't far away.
This is what the edge of the footpath looked like. There were people sitting on benches all along here.
York House is now the town hall and used for receptions and weddings. The central part was build in 1690. The gardens and Thames are right behind it. 
