Parliament - and Perspective

After that last 'heavy on history' post about the murals, let's take a lighthearted look at Parliament. We actually did not get to go inside, so this should be easy reading!

We continually called this the Northern Ireland Parliament, but it is really known as STORMONT

We cruised up to the entry gate. Security check...not unlike what we have in America. This is the home of the Northern Ireland Assembly and we really had no idea what to expect once we passed through the gates. Everything was green and pretty...and neatly manicured.

Woah! We were thinking...White House maybe, but old. Talk about a long driveway! I don't know if anyone else got it, but just thinking about the 'laws of perspective', I could tell how small that guard shack was and it was close to us...made me wonder how big that building in the distance actually was. MASSIVE was my guess!

It was deceiving, right? From the photo above, you thought we were going UP a hill to reach the building. This was a major DIP. Look for the statue in front of the building. That is a roundabout and we parked to the left of it. There was no entry beyond that point. Also make note of the ornamental shrubs in front of the building. (Hint...they are not shrubs)

No entry beyond this point and the drive is still almost a half mile long. This is really wonderful one point perspective. Now check out that little think at the top of the building. It looks like a triangle to you, I bet.
Does this building look familiar? Stick a dome in the center and think again. This was built in the early 1920's and was designed after our Capitol Building in DC. With the 1929 stock market crash, there was no money for a dome, so this is what they ended up with. Classical Architecture though...it still stands the test of time!

Kristin - average height young lady. This is no shrub she is hugging. (Now go back to the earlier photo and think about scale)

Lord Edward Carson, political figure and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (1910-1921). A rare example of a statue of a person being erected before his death. He also is the rare non-monarch who received a state funeral in 1935.

This is the sculpture at the top of the building. I was pretty impressed that the zoom on my camera picked it up. There is a frieze just below it. Look at the scale of the building again and imagine how tall this sculpture must be. 

JTerm 2012 - in front of the STORMONT - Northern Ireland Assembly building in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Turning around....wait until you see the view! 

There was a park and gardens to explore. And yes, it was COLD!

And statues. How did they get across the pond?

And enough green grass for running and hiking. GREEN GREEN Grass.
Look in the upper left hand corner...little red structure. Make a note.

This is a zoomed in view from Parliament. Notice the red tower. This is a tower belonging to the school where C.S.Lewis was a student. C.S.Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland in 1898 and authored more than 30 books during his life and was one of the most influential Christian writers of his day. (He died in 1963). You will recognize "The Chronicles of Narnia ~ The Screwtape Letters ~ The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe ~ and Mere Christianity" as some of his most recognized works.
 In the distance is the modern city of Belfast. 

JTerm 2012 with Belfast in the distance.

Thought for the day...this is a short one, but think about it.

"You don't HAVE a soul. You ARE a soul. You HAVE a body."
C.S.Lewis

And because you are a soul, you will endure into eternity. No so much with a mere body. That is really some food for thought....so, where do you plan to spend eternity?

The perspective in these photos was pretty amazing. We can't generally see so far into the distance (or future) in our daily existence. Thank goodness God can....and He knows the plans He has for us......Rest well in that thought!