Belfast - Northern Ireland

I have found myself hesitant to write a post regarding my recent trip to Belfast Ireland. It was, as anticipated, a beautiful place with a gorgeous landscape. I went to Belfast as much to attend the Irish Dancing World Championships and that was incredible. The standard of dance was breathtaking, the costumes AMAZING and more than enough Bling for any girl who loves pink and sparkles. I even found a MIMCO in Belfast and it had 70% off storewide. Was amazing to see one of my favourite Aussie brands again! I also bought myself some beautiful Irish Jewellery.

On my birthday I went to the most amazing and gorgeous little pub just down a side street in the city centre called Kelly's Cellars which I recommend to anyone who visits Belfast.

Kelly's Cellars is the oldest licensed premises in Belfast. The original two-storey pub was built in 1720 by Belfast merchant Hugh Kelly who kept it as a bonded warehouse in which rum, gin and whiskey were his mainstays. It was a meeting place for Henry Joy McCracken and the United Irishmen when they were planning the 1798 Rising. The story goes that McCracken hid behind the bar when British soldiers came for him. It is stunning and whilst there I enjoyed a glass of red, a pint of gunniess (well when in Ireland....) and traditional piping hot Irish Stew infront of a roaring fire on a cold Irish day. It was quintessentially Irish in my eyes and enjoyed myself thoroughly.

I do not know whether I expected too much from the city, whether songs like Carrickfergus had led me astray as well as tales of fairies and leprechauns alike; however; I felt myself somewhat let down by Belfast. Rather than jigging my way over the emerald hills I was caught up in several political and religious discussions, informed regularly which side of the city I was on and found the bus tour slightly depressing and clinging to a painful history that made me squirm with discomfort. I am very aware that I approached Belfast with a naive and fairyesque view that what had happened was in the past and of no consequence. I was quite literally the ignorant tourist, the silly girl and as a result of that I didn't quite know how to feel. I loved Belfast, but it was not what I expected.

I am not attempting to write a controversial blog, nor do I wish to crush anyones view of the city.

Belfast IS a beautiful city.

I did not expect to feel slightly patriotic when I went on a sightseeing bus tour, when quite unexpectedly the tour guide mentioned Australia in quite a unique situation. I feel for Belfast and it's painful history. I do not feel adequate enough, nor educated at all on the topic to comment successfully on it's history and stories. Perhaps I will return one day with a more formed view of the world rather than one that involves frolicking in the forest with fairies.

The Troy Game

Every day millions of children world wide play hopscotch. Every morning and evening hundreds of thousands of commuters use London’s railway and road systems. Deep in the highlands of Wales isolated shepherds cut strange symbols into the turf in order to protect their
flocks. These otherwise totally unrelated groups are all unwitting participants in the same
activity.

They are playing the Troy Game.

The Troy Game is a fantasy series by Australian author Sara Douglass. Born Sara Warneke in Penola, South Australia, Sara is now a world reknown author with over 15 books. A few years ago I read the series the Troy Game, a game that even surpasses Harry Potter as the greatest series I have ever read. Each book is set in four different times of the Great city of London. Firstly in Bronze-Age London where the Troy Game is established; the series then moves on to the 11th century during the reign of William the Conqueror. (Think Tower of London); and then to the mid 17th century during the time of the Plague and the Great Fire of London; and finishing during the London Blitz. Essentially for those who are not avid fans, the author attributes many of the great catasrophes and incidents in London's history to the ever growing Troy Game.

Years ago I loved this book before I had even set foot in the Northern Hemisphere, let alone London but I was determined that when I went...whenever that was..... to ensure I followed the tantalising instructions of Sara Douglass in the second book of The Troy Game series:

Authors Note: Darkwitch Rising

'This is a very special book to me. The book recalls for me a remarkable stillness in the most remarkable of cities. On Sunday 4th of May 2003, I was in London, exploring the back alleys of the south-eastern quadrant of the City. The City was empty, as it usually is on a Sunday. I was walking up to St Mary-at-Hill, following the steeple trail.'

'To my right I saw a tiny laneway- Idol Lane - and I caught a glimpse of something intruiging lurking amid the warehouses. So I walked up Idol Lane, mildly curious, found an open churchyard gate..and walked through. I'm never one to refuse such an invitation.'

'I found....No. I'm not going to tell you. If ever you're in London on a sunny Sunday (don't go there during a weekday when the city officeworkers will be enjoying the magic) eschew the lure of Buckingham Palace or the Tower. Instead take a packed lunch or a bottle of wine and walk up Idol Lane and through the open churchyard gate.'

'You'll find one of the reasons I love London so greatly; a living pieve of real London, and a very special silence.'

Her words stayed with me and when I arrived in London in 2012 I purposely began to read the series again knowing that the sites in the city of London I would actually be able to visit and get to know. Places like the Tower of London, Waterloo Station and Idol Lane I actually knew where they were; and visited them and was able to start to appreciate not only the history of London better, but the intricate labyrinthe that Douglass had weaved using London's famous landmarks as references for a story of fantasy linked intricately with historical places and events. For those of you who may have read the series and the author's note, I will not spoil it for you on this post.

But I urge you, as Sara did, to visit this gorgeous place as I did on a warm sunny day on the 25th of March 2012. I will post pictures of what I found on another blog post labelled SPOILER The Troy Game. In the meantime below are some pictures of Idol Lane... Weyland Orr's house would have been om St Dunstan's yard just opposite number 10, Idol Lane.

Idol Lane in the City of Westminister, London 1792.

This post is obviously dedicated to the magnificant Sara Douglass who died in September, 2011.