Belfast Castle

Since it's quiet around FS this week, I have today and tomorrow off. With neither of my roommates home, I was on my own to figure out how to spend the day. So I went walking. I didn't have a goal in mind, I just wanted to explore. I went up around the corner on the main road and then back to Ballysillan Road. L mentioned that if you walked far enough on Ballysillan, you'd come to Cave Hill. So I walked. And walked. I passed a bunch of shops, take out places and chippies, lots of churches, and a few gorgeous look out points. I stopped to take some photos of a wall mural, only to find out that the batteries in my camera were dead, so no photos today.

After about two miles I hit a new road, and a sign for Belfast Castle. I had no idea where the Castle was except that it's on Cave Hill. I guess I became a bit obsessed with seeing it, so I started following the signs, and eventually, I made it. It's a beautiful buidling, but by the time I got there all I could think of was refilling my water bottle and just being glad I made it. I skipped out on the vistor center (I figure I'll go again when Mom and Dad come in the spring), but was totally enjoying the AMAZING weather and the view of (i think) Belfast Lough. The Castle is in the middle of Cave Hill Country Park, so I took a trail back, cutting out a good corner of the walk.

So I'm walking this trail, passing families with dogs, keeping an eye out for the trail markers and thinking about the last time I thought about hiking and decided not to when 3 coyotes crossed right in front of me. I was thinking how glad I was that I am completely ignorant of any large wild animals of Northern Ireland and I realize that it's getting a bit dark for 3pm. The clouds were moving in...and it rains. My umbrella wasn't much use in the wind and rain, but at least it was warm today.

To top of the evening, I'm watching International Gladiators. Yep, it's just what you think, almost the olympics of gladiating (that's a good word...)

Tomorrow's another day off, any suggestions for what I should do?

PS. Belfast has palm trees. Weird.