Visiting Northern Ireland was a real education in Ireland history, politics, economics, religions, and conflicts. We were told of the conflicts between Irish Catholic freedom fighters vs English Protestant occupants. We took a 'black taxi' (old London cabs) tour of areas on each side that had experienced the hardest fighting during the war.
It was shoocking to see that the result is that Catholics and Protestants still live separated by tall brick and wired walls that go on for miles. These communities have gates that are locked and unlocked daily. One groups' heroes and martyrs (boldly painted on wall murals) are the other's source of hatred. Children attend separate schools and may never meet until they attend college. To further the divide, the Protestants are supporters of Israel and the Catholics support Palestinians. It was a lot to absorb, but thankfully, peace is the current order of the day.
Despite the history and current tensions, Northern Ireland is as beautiful as the rest of the country. Belfast is a large bustling city where the British pound is the currency rather than the Euro. Monica (from Spain) and I shared a beautiful B&B, and a wonderful dinner in a local pub, along with other travelers in our group.
The rest of our tour group consists of American students studying near London, singles, couples, and siblings from Germany, England, Ireland, Spain, New Zealand, S. Africa, USA, and Australia.
No comments:
Post a Comment