Following a rainy morning reading my book (Silverview by John le Carré), I met up with Darren McLoughlin of Panoramic Ireland for a photographic tour of Belfast. The rain let up and the sun eventually emerged making for dramatic skies and great light for photos.

The map to the left comes from the Map My Walk app on my phone. I had never used it and wanted to see how detailed the resulting map would be. Darren and I covered a lot of real estate in 3.5 hours, and I saw parts of bustling Belfast I would not otherwise have encountered. Here is a selection of the photos I took along the way. I have grouped them thematically rather than chronologically.

There is a real mix of architecture in Belfast, in part because the bombing during World War II and the bombing during the Troubles created the need for new buildings. I confess am drawn to the more traditional. Clicking on each photo will reveal the entire image.

Most people have heard of the murals relating to the Troubles. I will see those tomorrow. These murals – including the header to this post – can be found all over Belfast. Blank walls turned into art. What could be better?

This heavily graffitied passageway deserves special mention. It is the spot where, in season 1 of Line of Duty when Kate goes undercover, Steve and Kate would meet to update each other.

Queen’s University Belfast is beautiful and feels very peaceful. The architecture reminds me a bit of Princeton. There is an impressive theological college nearby as well as the Belfast Botanic Gardens with its colourful beds of begonias.

Finally, a few photos that don’t fit into the above categories – a memorial to Queen Elizabeth II, a colourful pedestrian passageway, and Darren, my photographer guide who made the walk fun. Note Liz Truss’s victory with Jacob Rees-Mogg in the mural behind Darren. The other half of the mural shows Boris Johnson knocking down Rishi Sunak with the door to 10 Downing Street in the middle.

My Road Scholar tour starts tomorrow morning and I am looking forward to meeting my tour mates and learning more about Northern Ireland. Go dtí amárach a chairde.