Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour
Belfast is much changed since I was here in 1981 when the centre of the city was caged behind tall wire fences topped with razor wire. There are still leftover scars from the Troubles on the cityscape, but much of the city has been transformed.
Former Troubles hotspots are now on the tourist routes, with many murals. We went to the Ulster Museum to see the history display for that period when 3500 people were killed and many thousands more seriously injured.
We decided to see the key sites from the top of a double decker bus. Our tour guide supplemented his commentary with some Belfast songs accompanied by his guitar. The Titanic Museum was opened in 2012 but we didn't need to visit, especially as we will be on a ferry tomorrow!
The old court building is opposite the gaol which is now another tourist attraction. It has recently been sold to developers who will turn it into the most impressive hotel in Belfast. Presumably the tunnel under the road linking the court and the gaol will have no further use.
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