Brendan Doms

Belfast is the safest city to travel to in Europe - we shoot ourselves, not tourists.

Pattie, our black cab tour guide.

Northern Ireland has been through a lot of changes recently - and there are still drastic ones to come. There’s a concrete, graffiti-covered wall that was put up before the Berlin one and is still functioning to divide the Protestants and the Catholics.

We were a little skeptical about going, especially since there were riots earlier this week (turns out they coincide with an Orange Protestant parade on July 12th commemorating the Protestant king’s victory over the Catholic), but our fears were unfounded.

I would describe Belfast as a combination of Berkeley, CA and Providence, RI. Especially around the college area and city center, it is easy to forget that there was such a recent conflict on the streets. There’s some nice shopping, and the mall has a dome on top that provides surprisingly good cityscapes.

We took a “black cab tour” that showed us all the spots from “The Troubles” (as they are referred to locally) of the IRA and the past forty years. It was fascinating, and scary that people alive today can still harbor such prejudices.

The hostel we stayed in, Vagabonds, was brand new, having opened just four weeks ago. It was great, with a really friendly staff. I also had my first “real Guinness” - as supposedly it is very different from in the states - at a pub that is a historical landmark (the Crown bar).

It really is a pleasant city, and I could see myself spending some more time there.

Of the two major cities in Scotland, Edinburgh is the more picturesque and tourist-driven, while Glasgow is three times its size and much more cosmopolitan. It’s also a whole lot flatter.

There are a lot of people, and some fun local pubs, though Scottish whisky has definately won out over Scottish beer (my favorites being the smokier ones like Ardbeg, Caol Ila, and Lagavulin).

Today we took a tour bus out of the city to visit Stirling castle. Just below the castle near the river running nearby is the site where the Braveheart-famous William Wallace triumphed over the British in his first battle for Scottish independence. I really just can’t get enough of Castles and mideval history.

We traveled on to Loch Lomond, a Scottish lake (just like the tourist trap of Loch Ness). It was serene. Incredibly peaceful.

Finally, we got to see a distillery for the local brand Glengoyle - a single malt highland scotch whisky. It was interesting to see how few ingredients can be combined in such a complicated process to create such a spirit.

Scotland has been fascinating. I would definitely return.

This place is like Harry Potter meets the North Pole meets Russia.

Sean, describing in Edinburgh.

See that building? What does it look like, a church? It’s a bar.

Joe, pointing out changes made to Edinburgh over the years.

Joe, Sean, and me in front of Edinburgh castle (and standing immediately to the right of our hostel).

It is really romantic - in the literary sense of romantic - to fly across the world and meet your friends in a pub called ‘The End of the World.’

Sean, upon arriving in Edinburgh.

Scotland is grey. And gorgeous. The sky consistently looks like a Monet painting, and the old town of Edinburgh just oozes history.

There’s a big castle overlooking it all, and I couldn’t be happier. We even got to play with a huge sword!

Having successfully linked up with Sean we have had a great time sipping nips of whisky (note the spelling, for in Ireland it is whiskey). And visiting wee little shops.

Today we head for Glasgow, tomorrow a tour of the highlands, and after that: Ireland!

Joe lounging on top of the dome on the Reichstag. There’s a transparent floor where the people can actually watch the legislature doing their job.

Finally! Berlin is what I have been expecting from Europe all along. It is a modern city that feels like it is actually moving forward and improving. The rest of Europe feels totally stuck in the past by comparison.

Berlin is a high-tech marvel in how well it is maintained. Everything is clean. There are huge parks and large open spaces that dominate the center of the city. There are always people around, but it doesn’t ever feel crowded! Incredible!

I’ve really enjoyed my time here, and the hostel we’re staying at is a hilarious place called “Generator” that reminded Joe of the last time he played laser tag. I even managed to drink both of my favorite brands of German beer already: Erdinger and Kostritzer.

The historical side of things is also incredibly interesting. To be on the steps of the Reichstag, see all the memorials, the wall…it’s indescribable how sobering and chilling some of it is.

I now totally understand why Joe studied here for so long.