Belfast

We started our "City break" journey to Belfast at some silly time of 2.30am ( After I got home from work at midnight.) Arriving in Belfast at 8am, we were met at the airport by Aunty Maureen, Uncle David and Andrew and headed off for some breaky. We caught a bus tour around the city seeing some of the sights.

This building was one seen on our tour and is being built to represent parts of the titantic. The titantic was built in Belfast.

Parliament building

Wall separating Falls Road and Shankill Road

Murals

Three buoys they call Tom, Dick and Harry

Paul outside Victoria Square shopping centre

After our bus tour we headed towards Newcastle. We stopped off on the way for some lunch in a little cafe. In Newcastle we walked along the waterfront towards a nice ice cream shop, where we got ourselves a poke (Irish name for an ice cream). After eating our yummy ice cream, we thought we deserved a drink. We went to a lovely hotel bar and sat by the fire.

After an exhausting day (and Paul falling asleep in the car) we had a rest at Aunt Maureen's before our dinner with the aunt's and uncle's. Paul first met the family at dinner at a nice Chinese restaurant, however I dont think he caught everyone's names. After dinner we proceeded on to Uncle Jim's house where Paul and I tried to keep up with everyone! It was fantastic, we had such a great night I dont think we stopped laughing. I think the night ended around 1am and we were keen for sleep.

Newcastle - you can see me in the background eating my ice cream. Also the hotel where we had drinks is in the background

At Uncle Jim's house, this is at the end of the drink after a few drinks and spills

On our last day it was very low key as we were still quite tired and Paul wasnt feeling the best. After convincing Paul to come along to lunch with Aunt Maureen and I, he only made it to the outside of the restaurant before realising he was too sick to get out of the car. I had a lovely Irish stew while looking out at a lovely view and had great company.

The Dirty Duck where Aunt Maureen and I had lunch, while poor Paul slept in the car

View from the restaurant

Cirque du soleil - Totem

Tonight we went off to the Royal Albert Hall to see Cirque Du Soleil. The show was incredible and some of the stunts had us all cringing!! It was really worth the money and definitely recommend it.

Royal Albert Hall

Inside the hall looking at the set up

And again - you can see where they came down from

Me!

Paul

Apsley house and Wellington Arch

Trying to use up the English Heritage membership as much as we can, we found that the Apsley house and Wellington Arch were part of it. We wandered through Hyde Park to get to Apsley house which is famously called 'Number One London'. It was home to the Duke of Wellington after his victory over Napoleon at Waterloo, the interior of the house has changed very little since the days of the Iron Duke. We were all imagining what it would be like to live in a grand house like this, we would definitely lose eachother!!

Apsley house

We then headed off across the road to go inside the Wellington Arch. The arch was built around 1830 and is hollow inside, and until 1992 housed the second smallest police station in London (the smallest being in Trafalgar Square). It contains three floors of exhibits detailing the history of the arch and some of its uses. You can also step onto terraces on both sides of the top of the arch, which give very good views of Hyde Park Corner, Hyde Park and even glimpses of the private gardens of Buckingham Palace.

Wellington Arch

Paul standing on one of the terraces - behind is Hype Park and the Apsley house

The statute that sits on top of the arch

View looking towards Buckingham Palace - to the right are the private gardens of the palace

Video of roller skaters going through the arch, apparently they go past every Sunday

New Zealand memorial for ANZAC

This little guy was in Hype Park and decided to pose for us

Chiswick house and gardens

Today was a really nice day so we thought we would go for a walk to Chiswick. The house and gardens are part of the English Heritage membership which we all signed up to, as we get into many tourist sights for free. We walked to Chiswick from Shepherds Bush which was a fair distance.

Paul on our walk around the gardens

The Chiswick gardens

This little guy was having a great time, there were a lot of dogs around :)

The gardens again

Cafe where we had a spot of tea

Ghost Tour

Lauren, Paul and I headed into London town to meet up with David and have a bite to eat. After finishing off our meals, we headed off to where the ghost tour departs from. Paul went off in one direction with his phone to find the stop, Lauren and David headed off in another direction and I was left, wondering how I was going to find Lauren, David and Paul let alone the bus stop where we had to meet. After I asked someone on the street where it was, I quickly walked to the stop only to find Lauren had gone to look for me. By this time we were running around 10 mins late and we became 'those people that always arrive late on tours'....

Anyway after being allowed to go on the tour, we made our way around London while the tour conductor told us stories about ghosts (obviously) around the streets of London. It was very well done, very dramatic and scary, which is what it is about.

Bus tour

We all sat up the top