Monday 23rd

Not much to report today on the blog in terms of biking. High winds of up to 70mph have hit the north coast of Ireland and we're stuck! We decided that it wasn't worth carrying on as we wouldn't enjoy the day so opted for a relaxed morning followed by a trip into Belfast city centre.
Besides the high winds, there were occasional breaks in the rain revealing warm sunshine and after consulting our lonely planet guide decided a trip around the city finding the murals wouldn't be so tough.
Having never ridden in 70mph gusts of wind before with a passenger and luggage, it came as quite a shock when shortly after leaving the hotel, a gust hit us so hard it nearly blew Nikki off the bike and felt like someone had given my helmet an almighty slap on the side! Maybe we should have taken notice of the branch that snapped off the tree above us as we were preparing to leave as a sign it wasn't really safe... You live and learn!
After a short journey into the city centre, we found the cathedral and tried to find our way through the one way streets to the main square. This determination to go looking round on the bike was short lived however and 5 minutes later we were parked up in a multistorey car park and dialling to arrange a tour in a black cab to see the murals!
The tour was carried out by the taxi driver, which it turns out isn't abnormal and in my opinion quite refreshing. It may have been a little one sided but interesting nevertheless to hear about the trials and tribulations of the catholic community in Northern Ireland. To see some of the areas where what I can only describe as attrocities took place such as Bombay Street were a massive eye opener. I always liked to believe that the British media were a free media reporting from all sides of a story but as we toured the streets it seemed to me that over in England, we only receive a one sided story. The murals not only depicted events from Northern Ireland but also events ongoing around the world which I found fascinating.

We did get an opportunity to see the British side of the peace line too and I found it rather disturbing to find a mural that celebrated a man for the fact that he had killed so many Catholics.

Certainly an eye opening day and one that I will not forget for a very long time.

On the plus side, progress is being made in Northern Ireland and who knows, maybe sometime in our lifetime, the peace line may come down and both sides can live in peace. I think this particular mural covers hat most would like to see (you'll need to click the picture to enlarge and see the poem).