A Day Trip to Belfast

The other day I set off with my lovely boy, at the crack of dawn, to our local airport for a day trip to Belfast. He had an invitation to attend the Open Day at Queen's University, where he has an offer to study English, and a mum just has to go along too ... I needed to see it for myself.

(I hasten to add that none of these photos are mine, because it was raining so hard I didn't take my camera out of my bag.... thank you Google Images)

First stop was the University itself where we were shown into the Great Hall for our talk ...

... very Harry Potter! The walls were lined with portraits of academia! The English course sounded fascinating ... as I was listening I was thinking that I would love to do it too ... as long as I didn't have to write up any of the assignments.

We had a tour of the facilities which were all very impressive ... the new Library, Students' Union and Sports hall were fantastic .... and the accomodation at Elm's Village looked good too. It was all within walking distance, which is a bonus.

After lunch we headed into the City Centre .... to check it all out:

The City Hall and Belfast Wheel

Shopping on Donegall Street - I dived into M&S to buy new shoes and socks as my feet where so wet. Foolishly, I had worn my suede boots (for comfort) and they has soaked up water beyond my ankles!

As with every big city, a shopping mall is a useful way to protect you from the elements - and we found two!

A good place for a coffee break.

The new Victoria Square was very swish ... full of designer shops and elegant architecture.

Serious shopaholics would love it!

Tired, we headed back to the airport for our short flight home - only thirty minutes in the air.

I hadn't known what to expect of the day ... the idea of a University a flight away seems such a daunting step, but in the end, it was far easier than our long drives up to Durham, where my lovely girl spent her three years. I was very pleasantly surprised by the city, and how familiar it all seemed ... it was just like any big city in the UK (which is exactly what it is) ... it didn't feel far from home at all. Everyone we met was warm and friendly (apart from the airport security staff who were truly ferocious - unlike Liverpool where everything is conducted with Scouse humour!)

Most importantly, my lovely boy was very impressed, especially with the course, so he just needs to get the grades now! Some serious hard work needed before the exams, I think!