Our day began catching the 1:30 train from Derry to Belfast where we would enjoy visiting with Eleanor at Queen’s U. The relaxing rail ride took us away from our Derry friends into green fields and along coastal Northern Ireland, so pretty. Before we knew it, we arrived in Belfast and headed towards good old American Holiday Inn Express by a cool LondonZ style lorrie. Our stay was a de-luxe accommodation with full breakfast for the morning before we zip out to our Dublin coach. We checked in and made contact with Eleanor.

For the brief time we had, Eleanor escorted us through some high points of her school tour which she does for incoming Queen’s law students. She was awesome!

We cruised the streets and alleys of the campus towards signficant buildings of the city including downtown neighborhood shops and student haunts. The most impressive area for me was the alley called The Duke of York where talented artists created murals of famous Irish men and women, living and dead. A magnificent and colorful tribute.  After our jaunt, we three enjoyed breakfast for dinner, truly our last chance to have a full Irish breakfast of sausage, bacon, egg, potato hash, potato bread, beans, and fresh tomato and mushrooms.

When she deposited us back to our hotel, we said our goodbyes and gave our last hugs to sweet Eleanor. Makes me realize again how blessed we are to have such good friends from our Holy Names days. Cat and I had a wonderful time in Northern Ireland with Cora, Eleanor, and Kelly – they gave us so many priceless memories to take back home, duty free!! Slainte! We’ll be back again.

Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Sweet girls, talking, savoring Belfast

See anyone famous??

In the alley to The Duke of York