Let's Go Belfast

Today I arrived in Belfast and quickly dumped my stuff at the hostel and headed out in search of sites to see.  The only thing I ended up doing was getting a tour of the city hall.  Very beautiful.  I got to try on the robes the councilors wear and sit in the Lord Mayor's seat in the council chambers!  The robes by the way have long pocket sleeves which served a purpose back in the 1700s - they would put moth balls or other scented things in the long sleeves so that as they walked the streets of Belfast, they could pull up the sleeve and cover their face - bad sewer system back then.  There is no longer such a need but they remain on the robes just the same.  Being at city hall brought back sometimes fond memories of pounding the halls of Minneapolis City Hall in fruitless attemps to gather votes for that damn ordinance I worked on so long.   First time I really thought of work since I left.

Anyway, it was another rainy day, so I basically did that tour and then hung at the library reading the local paper and then grabbed food for dinner and back to the hostel to chat with fellow travelers.  One of the fellas staying here is working for Let's Go and updating the Ireland edition.  It's the same guide I'm using (as are many I've seen), so I pointed out a mistake or needed update in Donegal, which he was planning to hit anyway.  He then was off to hit 11 or so pubs tonight.  Tough work.  He is spending about 8 weeks working on the updates.  Sounds fantastic, but then again, he looks exhausted.  With the rain I've managed to zoom through another book, so I shall select another and settle in tonight.  Tomorrow is a long day trip to Giants Causeway, and unfortunately more rain, but I'm sure the Bushmill's Distillery will be dry :)