Hello, one and all! My name is Marguerite Happe and I'll be coming at you from the University of Limerick, Ireland where I will be studying till May--how lucky am I? I'm thrilled to be able to share my adventures with you as I travel around Western Europe on a student budget. If you ever have any questions about places I've stayed, prices, or recommendations that I have not covered in my post, please feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you right away!
First up: Belfast, Northern Ireland! It was a three hour bus ride from Limerick to Dublin and a two hour train ride from Dublin to Belfast, so we were good and ready to stretch our legs as soon as we arrived! Belfast is a fantastic student city, because just about everything there is to see is within a forty minute walking distance and is absolutely free! A weekend was also a perfect amount of time, as just about all of the sights can be seen in just a couple days. Here were a few of our favorite places in Belfast:
1. Lavery's Pub: We were on the hunt for a non-touristy, student filled bar and our hostel receptionist recommended Lavery's as the perfect student location on a Saturday night- and thank goodness she did! Lavery's has a fantastic beer garden, several rooms, and was packed to the brim with loads of fun Irish students from Queen's University down the street. It's also only about five minutes from the city centre, so it shouldn't be too far away no matter where you are staying.
2. St. George's Market: We stumbled upon this amazing find on our way to the train station; it's a perfect spot to grab lunch before you head out of town. Open from 10a.m. to 4p.m. on Sundays, the market is filled with everything from paella to baps to burgers to vintage accessories, all accompanied by live music! It's a fantastic place to people watch, and it was without a doubt the best meal we had on the whole trip. Plus, the picture below is of a fresh hummus and olive bar...I KNOW.
3. Belfast Botanical Gardens and Palm House: This gorgeous park is about a two minute walk from Queen's University, and is absolutely free! Gorgeous rose gardens, a Bowling green, the Tropical Ravine, and more are all in one of Belfast's oldest parks (established in 1895). It's definitely worth taking the hour to walk around, especially when the roses were blooming as they were when we were there! P.S. If you head to the Ulster Museum (also inside the park), make sure you find the Nature Zone on Level three and look out the windows- you will have a spectacular view of one of the coolest old graveyards I've seen yet in Ireland. It's called the Friar's Bush Graveyard, and you can no longer just walk in, so make sure to take a peek out the window!
4. Black Taxi Tours: A stop at the Ulster Museum, as cited before, is a good option to learn about the 'Troubles' of Northern Ireland before exploring the city further with the Black Taxi Tours. These historical cab tours were only 10 pounds per person and a great option for exploring an area that is better seen by car than on foot (as recommended to us by our hostelier). With a Northern Irish cab driver that has stories to tell, history to relay, and a vivid memory of a time when Belfast was ripped apart by the Protestant and Catholic divisions, the cab is the best way to see the political murals and divisions that are still an ever-present memory of a violent and troubled time.
Stay tuned for more on Belfast, Dublin, London, Cobh, and Limerick to appear soon! Have a lovely rest of your day...chances are good you'll have more sunshine than we have here in Limerick!
