Hello Hello Hivians and Pinmapplers

The seventeenth of March is St Patrick's Day and is the traditional death date of Saint Patrick who is widely regarded as the foremost patron saint of Ireland. The day is used to commemorate Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and so I thought it appropriate to travel across the water to The Emerald Isle.

If you want to know more some of the celebrations for this year, then check out St Patrick's Day: Thousands expected at Northern Ireland festivals

There is method to my madness though, which you will find out as we go through this post!

Water water everyone, much of the island of Ireland is coastal as you can see from the screenshot of my pineapple

This post is about some places in the North or Northern Ireland.

This picture is nearby the Giants Causeway in County Antrim.

Do you know the story of Finn McCool and his Scottish giant counterpart Benandonner?

Perhaps I shall tell you one day, but in the meantime I shall leave you with a couple more pictures.

Just like Scotland, Nothern Ireland has so much natural beauty, and we shall stop off for a bit of a ropey scare now!

There you go!

The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is a must see and must walk over if there is not too much of a high wind.

Do you like heights?

Check out my post for the story behind it and some gorgeous pictures.

Let's head back to the capital of Northern Ireland. We are going to Belfast now.

Most capital cities have a river running through them, and only today I was talking to Super Eli @coquicoin about the one in Caracas being filthy and polluted. This was how they were in the UK.

The river Lagan runs through the heart of Belfast and to celebrate it being cleaned up AND Salmon returning to the river, the Big Fish statue was commissioned and built.

The Salmon of Knowledge is a 33 foot long printed ceramic mosaic fish sculpture by John Kindness. It was built in 1999 and was installed on raised steps beside the Donegall Quay on the River Lagan.

Locals call it the Big Fish and that was me trying to haul it in!

Those are some of the ceramic mosaic tiles. Pretty funky eh?

If you know me, then you know I love water and boats, and any excuse to take one. They have river trips up the Lagan now!

So we took one in this boat.

It turned out to be quite the fun ride and I recommend doing it when you are there!

Did you see the passenger who overstayed their welcome?!?

Belfast is also on the cruise ship list now that The Troubles are a thing of history...

Remember I said that the Big Fish sculpture was commissioned as a result of Salmon returning to the river Lagan?

So what eats salmon apart from us humans?

☑️ If you said seals, then give yourself a pat on your back!

That is right there is even a thriving seal colony in Belfast.

How fluffing cool is that!

They even have wee sculptures by the Big Fish

When you think of water and Belfast, do you know about Harland & Wolff?

They are pretty infamous for building ...

The Titanic!

There are two going yellow cranes in the Belfast Harland & Wolff yard with H & W on them or as the locals call them Hello & Welcome

The odd shaped building is the huge Titanic Visitor Centre.

On a Sunday, if you want to pay then you can take Afternoon Tea on The Titanic

Did you remember about the ill-fated White Star cruise company that owned Titanic?

You can even visit their last vessel.

Culture and The Arts in Belfast?

Belfast is home to so many authors and artists, there are too many to mention here, but one of the most famous... Can you guess from the pictures below?

Yes C S Lewis, of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe fame. He was born and grew up in East Belfast and saw The Titanic being built.

I mentioned art, so why not look at Some art in A jaunt down Belfast way

Many musicians are from Belfast and one of the greatest footballers ever!

The one and only George Best who the main airport is mentioned after.

Why did I take you on a tour of Northern Ireland!

The wonderful @dreemsteem posted Who is your favorite traveling FRUIT? PINMAPPLE! and asked us to write about our FAVORITE PLACE that we've ever visited!

For me there is only one country I could pick.

Most of you know me as the mad Scotsman.

However, before I arrived in Scotland at age 5, I lived in Northern Ireland. Indeed that is the first accent I had and what I revert to when I am a drunkard!

During The Troubles my father received one too many death threat, and mother put down her foot and we were all whisked off onto a ferry and to Scotland.

She forbade me ever to go back. Even when I wanted to goto Queens University, she would not relent.

So when she passed away I decided to go back home.

Most of these pictures are from my initial return home trip in 2018.

I have been fortunate to travel to 69 countries. I have been to some very historical and religious sites.

These include numerous peace walls!

I am going to leave you with one of my most poignant photographs.

It is of my signature on the Peace Wall that divides the Falls and Shankill Roads in the western part of Belfast.

The Peace Wall