Belfast

At the end of February we took a trip to Northern Ireland. For those who don't know, Northern Ireland is actually a different country. It is under control of the United Kingdom, and therefore the currency is different. They use pounds as opposed to euros. 

One of the most heart-wrenching stops on the trip was to the city of Belfast. This beautiful city is torn apart by the Troubles. The Peace Walls were especially saddening. I am happy that they keep the residents safe, but it sad that they are necessary. 

Murals are also very common in Belfast. Most are political, discussing issues common to the Troubles. Others are different, like this tourist one. 

Howth

One weekend, a few members of our group got together and headed to the fishing town of Howth. It was incredible! The scenery is gorgeous, and we had a blast hiking around. We hiked for a few hours, then stopped at a pub to catch the rugby game. 

Sunday, it was market time! Howth has a wonderful farmers market on Sunday. We had a great time wondering around and munching on all the different foods. I finally tried black current jam and it was yummy! 

Glendalough

A few weeks ago we took a group field trip to the monastic sight of Glendalough. This is located in the incredibly beautiful Wicklow Mountains. This is a collection of amazing hiking trails and an old monastic community.

The museum 

A replica of the monastic sigh 

That is actually the door, not a window :)