The Other Side of The Atlantic

AFOOT and light-hearted, I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose.
Henceforth I ask not good-fortune—I myself am good fortune;
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,
Strong and content, I travel the open road.

 ...

Song Of the Open Road by Walt Whitman

I am alive.

Though it took me some time, I am now ready to go at this photo blogging thing...from Northern Ireland.
My wife and I made it here safely, made the apartment that we got into a liveable area, made our way around the city...to help us better understand our new home, and made our way to some interesting and beautiful places.  Here is the proof that we have been living in Northern Ireland for a week and a half...

(Also, due to a less "connected" lifestyle, I will rarely be online.  I will be uploading a week's worth of photography once a week...from a friendly cafe with free wifi.  Worry not, I will take at least one photo every day.  That photo will make it onto this site.)

So, the first of September.
We said our last goodbyes and made our way onto a plane.  It was an evening flight.  With the time zone change it meant we got to see the sunrise just a tad before we landed. These pictures are not of that sunrise.

It was the 2nd before we got to our apartment.
This is it.

By the time the 3rd rolled around we decided we should probably eat.
I figured what could be better than cabbage, potato, parsnip, and onion stew.  Pretty much anything.  But few things are more Irish.  So that was what I made.

the 4th was our first chance to really get out and enjoy our new city.  Luckily the 4th was when Belfast was holding a bike festival.  You know me and bicycles...I am a big fan.  So is Belfast.

 I got some action shots

Some model shots (they were on bicycles..I just focused on the upper torso)

and some strange shots

The 5th was rainy.
Most days are.
I have been trying to take my photos in the two or three hours that are free of rain.  The 5th did not have any free hours...So I took a picture of all the food that we had accumulated.  This should hold us for a few weeks.

There is a beautiful botanic garden that is a two minute walk from our house.  We go there frequently and read (when it isn't raining).  These plants are located in said garden.  This was on the 6th.

the 7th.  the evening.  Looking down a street, all the chimneys lining up.

The 8th was a beautiful day.  Which was really nice because we had decided to go to some castle with an awesome hike called the cavehill trail whether it was nice or not.  The castle and hike are rather close, just a half hour bus ride away.  And rather worth the ride.

The 9th, also beautiful, was another day that we were going somewhere whether it was beautiful or not.  We rather lucked out.  We went to the Giant's Causeway, an area rich in Irish mythology as well as geological wonders.

We then went to an island.  You had to go on a rope bridge to get to it.  Kristin surprised me by actually doing it.

This guy was sitting on the bench next to us at the botanic garden yesterday.  He intrigued me.  He was having a strange conversation with someone on his expensive phone.

And today.  the 11th.  This is for my mother.
This is my Belfast trashcan.  It looks like something exploded inside of it.