Day 109: Belfast - Newtownabbey

Today we repeat Belfast, but this time we park right in the city center. The parking meter asked for a pound and a half per hour, so daddy Edu paid for five hours. With that time, we could go around more than a top!

First we went towards Belfast Cathedral. Well, rather we looked at it with respect from the outside, which has cool stained glass windows and a serious air of "gospel singing from a movie here." We continued through the Cathedral Quarter, the city's art district, where the walls have more color than a children's notebook. There are pubs, street art, and alleys where a musician playing the violin could appear at any moment.

Suddenly we came across a giant fish: the Salmon of Knowledge. A blue sculpture full of tiles that tell the story of the city. They say that if you kiss it you become wise... I was just thinking about sashimi.

Then we crossed the River Lagan by the Lagan Weir pedestrian bridge. The most curious thing was the glass panels called "Glass of Thrones". Uncle Javi didn't leave one without a selfie. He looked like a different crystal king in each photo. I think that when he puts them all together, he can make his own Netflix series.

The stop for lunch was at a Subway, on the terrace. The humans devoured sandwiches as if they hadn't eaten in weeks. I got... nothing. Again. Just like a few weeks ago when uncle Joan came. It already seems like a family tradition.

Back downtown, daddy Edu went into compulsive photographer mode. Every mural that appeared on a corner: bam! photo. And so on until we reached St. Patrick's Church. I stayed smelling the surroundings while the humans went in for a moment to take a look.

Then we went back to the car and in ten minutes we were on Falls Road. There the murals are not just art, they are pure history. Political paintings that tell decades of conflicts, protests, and dreams of peace. An open-air museum where each wall has its own voice.

Before leaving, a quick stop at Lidl. Not because we were missing anything urgent, but because daddy Edu can't resist the hypnotic call of the German supermarket. Surely the blue salmon whispered something to him about "come and buy rolls at a good price."

The day ended at Hazelbank Park, near Newtownabbey. We already knew it: a car park that closes its doors at eleven o'clock at night, but they let us campers stay inside. A green, beautiful and very quiet place. Perfect for sleeping without dreams of sunken ships or giant salmon.