Up and at 'em...7 AM wake up call and most of the kids were AT breakfast at 7 AM ...even though we did not need to load the bus until 8:30...you might ask...WHY? After the 'basic Scottish breakfast' for a few days, when our host at Premier Inn in Belfast said BACON....well, enough said! Not only bacon (actually, 'back ham') was on the buffet but also sausage, two kinds of eggs, FRUIT, youghurt, and a lot of cereal varieties. Talk about some happy young men...and ladies! As I was heading TO breakfast, most of them were headed back to the room 'full as a stuck pig'....it was really funny!
We loaded up around 8:30 and had a quick meeting about Belfast. None of our students really had much of a concept of the history or 'The Troubles' that most parents and grandparents might have remembered. Terry gave us the History of Ireland in Ten Minutes...which is about as concise as you can get, but he did an outstanding job. They came away with the understanding that The Nationalists wanted Ireland to be one Nation and that the Unionists wanted to stick with the United Kingdom, and this was only a part of the struggle between the two groups. We can be very thankful that our students, and really, our families have never had to live with daily bombings in our own neighborhoods, or homelands. I am not certain that we really have a great appreciation for how fortunate we are to have such a safe homeland.
I was reminded through the process that it was the Clinton Administration that helped to settle things down in Northern Ireland. Only ten years ago we would not have had the freedom to travel safely, without fear of local bombings between the opposing groups. Much has changed with this younger generation, yet it is still politically incorrect to ask someone what their religious preference is. This might be a reason that such a small percentage of the population even attends church of any kind. The grand cathedrals changed from Catholic to Protestant during the Reformation, and yet are not really vibrant, unless appearances deceive us. It is heartbreaking, really, that they are a thoughtful, accepting people, but miss out on one of the greatest joys in life, which is in knowing Christ. But, thank goodness for the work of the Clinton Administration for helping to settle things down for the benefit of the common man. And there...I said something nice about a President I did not support.
The group shots are from our trip up to the Northern Ireland Parlaiment and also if you look in the background of the other photo...try to find the red brick tower from the school where C.S. Lewis studied. The trip to the seat of government brought some pretty interesting discussions.
I will say that their love for our current President quite surprises me....so I have had to bite my tongue a lot....though some might not agree that I have bitten it often enough. It is nice that the American President is so wonderfully respected over here....though sometimes I get the idea that it is not just the Office of the President they love. But, I think that over here politics and religion are mostly things that people keep to themselves...which is quite different from what we experience in America, where we speak so freely. Well...I won't bore you with my politics.
All in all the experience in Belfast was quite an educational one and both Terry and our tour guide did a great job explaining how the city is split, about the peace fences, the meanings behind the murals, and so much more. It is really much deeper than can be expressed here. Perhaps I will blog more when I download some photos.
I will try to post about the foods we tried, including the amazing Cornwall Pastys that our group enjoyed for lunch. There is a great story behind it and I think they would sell amazingly in the States!
After lunch in a market area, we met back at the Opera House and headed out of Belfast, south toward Dublin. We were delighted to find that our own dear Tour Director, Terry actually acted for a while in that Opera House....how exciting is that! He reads poetry to us and sings to us...it is great!
Full and ready for a nap, most of the kids missed the beautiful countryside, but when we stopped for what we would call a Turnpike Service Area....they all woke up. Let me just say that in America, we have NOT cornered the market on the highways! These places are well planned out and just wonderful!
Back to the bus with our variety of unusual and yummy foods....more photos to come! I love that Terry kept giving us the update on where we were and what we were seeing. My journal is full of notes...not stories, but notes! This should help a lot when I do the photo album for everyone!
Dublin is a modern city and it was only early afternoon when we arrived. We checked in to the BELVEDERE which is a beautiful but old place with a modern feel...and recently refurbished...and with free wi-fi (this is the qualifier for us regarding the quality of a hotel...funny, isn't it?) Yes, the carpet can be old but it does not matter as long as we have wi-fi!
We took a quick walking tour just to get us acclimated to the area and were delighted to know that we are right in the city center. We could not be more delighted. Put on your prayer list that tickets are available tomorrow night so we can see LITTLE WOMEN in the most famous theatre in Dublin....what a treat if it can happen!
We saw churches, the Writer's Museum..(Melissa is EXCITED!) ...the GPO, which is the General Post Office, sculptures and the grand Millennium Spire.
Did I mention shopping? Yes, they found an Ireland store!
Back to the hotel for a wonderful dinner, topped off with ice cream!
So...a recap of the day.....lots and lots of photos, plenty of walking, singing, poetry, limericks, great food of all varieties, getting from point A to point B without getting lost, lost phone, found passport, great new bus driver (Tommy, who we can barely understand, but as adorable as can be), a trip to the TITANIC dock and Leo pix, cathedrals, history, more food...and down time for blogging, posting to FB, texting, and watching Spencer dance to music we could not hear. Did I mention that Bryant saved my life tonight? More on that later, but thanks ever so much, Bryant!
All in all, it was a fabulous day and we are left with a feeling that Europe is great but as we always knew, America is greater. There are freedoms that we have in America that no one else can really understand. We love the history here and thirst to know more, but I hope the kids come away with a greater thirst for the true American History. The stories of our ancestors the way it really happened rather than the way it is told today in in politically correct way, is ever so important. I hope they never ever lose that. I hope we never ever stop teaching our students what took place in America to get it where it is today...the good, the bad and the ugly...and not just the re-written. So much of that history is steeped in a deep Biblical tradition that we should be so proud of. We are truly the city on a hill for so many in so many countries across the globe.
