Beaches and Parks

Friday afternoon and Saturday Heather and I took long walks. The first was through the sea-side town of Bangor with Richard and Claire (Richard's cousin and her financee).



Building dams and collecting shells at Bangor beach.

Saturday was a long walk to lady Dixon Park where Heather and I did things like lie in the grass and rearrange nature.

Plans now are to have a 9-day road trip with Julia after Heather leaves here next Friday and then back to Cambrige April 18th... ooo the adventure continues!

The Troubles

Last Friday Julia, Heather and I spent the morning on a Black Taxi tour, learning a bit more about 'the troubles' by getting a tour of the some of the areas of Belfast that are still divided and covered in murals. For a little background 'the troubles' refers to the time between 1970 to the mid-90s when Catholic militant groups were fighing to reunite Ireland while Protestant groups were trying to keep Northern Ireland's Brittish rule. In this time many innocent people were killed, the country is still struggling to heal from all the damage done.
We visited Catholic and Protestant communities still divided by a 'peace wall' and gates that close the road between after dark. The messages on murals are similar on both sides, tributes to heroes and successes, prayers that history won't repeat itself and for troubles to end in other parts of the world...
gates to keep kids from causing more trouble after dark...

The peace wall that divides and will continue to do so until the people express a common desire to have it taken down.

Blustery Belfast

The weather here is nuts. You'll go out on a sunny morning and before you reach the bus stop it's hailing, by the time the bus arrives it's raining and by the time you mount the bus it's blue skies again. The wildest weather i've come across anywhere.

I'm staying with Heather at her boyfriend's grandma's house (Nanny Dunn), who has proven to be quite the host, the house is always full of family or at least grandkids staying over after a big night out.
Heather and I have been meeting up with Julia (who i met in Canada a few years ago)and spending days exploring Belfast as well as nearby cities and castles.
I'll likely be here another 2 weeks and we'll taking in some of the more cultural highlights, doing the renouned 'black taxi' tour of the Protestant/Catholic areas tomorrow, learning a bit more about the Troubles. Also looking forward to heading a bit further North and West, haven't seen proper Irish countryside yet, can't wait to get my first real glimpse of some rolling hills.

It's so nice to have a home base again, seems like everywhere I go i'm being looked after, with time to breathe and daydream, and there've been lots of 'em. I'm looking forward to many possibilities for the next few months, lots of good things growing. Lots of love. xo A

Days in Dublin

Stayed for 2 nights with Denise and Gary in Dublin. They were amazing, met them in Sydney. However, I dont' have a picture of them since we had planned to meet them for a birthday drink after I met up with Heather the last day but due to the crazy Dublin traffic

(the worst i've come across so far) it ended in a rush to meet them to collect my bags at the bus station before scurrying off to Belfast.


The two days I did spend in Dublin were great, a very busy city, thick with history. I had the first day to wander on my own and then met Heather who came down from Belfast to meet me.

Family Ties

Twas so good to meet and re-meet some of my more distant relatives. Was Brenda's 70th surprise birthday, so the timing was perfect. Everyone was so lovely, look forward to seeing them all again.

Plans and Reflections

I'm back in the UK at my cousin Jessica's house in London; heading to Ireland Tuesday to visit a bunch of friends, primarily Heather from home who will be in Belfast. Will be in Ireland for 6 weeks without much internet. This weekend am visiting with family in the South, got a ride up and took the ferry (left at 3am yesterday, arrived 4pm... eech) with my cousin Jim from France.

I'm slowly digesting the last 6 weeks, the second section of this journey. After Johnny's in Villers, I took the train back to Taize for 10 days, 6 of which I spent in silence living with 7 other girls. Taize is a community founded by monks, I'd say about 40 live there permanently, that has been going more than 40 years. The busiest time is Easter till autumn on with as many as 10,000 people staying there for days, weeks or months at a time, about 500 were there with me and two of the girls I stayed with in silence have been there since Septembe It's a place that leaves you encouraged creatively and spiritually, feeling the importance of individuality, simplicity and community. The way the community approached 'religion' has a way of removing all the bullshit that I (and many others) have struggled with for so long, welcoming everyone with open arms and focusing on the true nature of 'God' - Love... Hard to explain in just a few words, but meeting so many people who are so lovely and down to earth was incredible, and so many new places to visit along the way! An incredible experience I will cherish forever, the perfect place to start out this adventure.

I left Taize and caught rides with some really kind strangers (sounds better than 'hitch-hiking, eh mum?) back across to Jim and Jane's where I stayed a few nights before coming up here. Looking forward to Ireland, really feeling like it's meant to be, so many beautiful people to visit, some of which I haven't seen in years and years! Peas and love! xxxxx Allison (ps. apologies for the lack of pictures)