SquaresRenew 31: full circle
You’ve seen the image on the left before. On 15th April we set off for almost three weeks in Northern Ireland and Ireland. On 3rd May we returned to Belfast for the ferry back to Scotland feeling renewed and refreshed. We had moved forward so far we’d come full circle!
On the journey back up to Glasgow we stopped off for dinner at Souter’s Inn in Kirkoswald, a lovely place with delicious food, which made a nice end to our trip.
My aim in these posts has been to use Becky’s SquaresRenew Challenge to illustrate how Northern Ireland fits her themes of:
- Move forward
- Reconstruct
- Renew
- Burgeoning
I think I have, and I hope you agree. With a few wobbles along the way, when we spoke to people who were clearly wanting to fight old battles, it seemed to me that Northern Ireland is well set for a more peaceful future. I hope that’s true and I would love to return to this wonderful place. And if I’ve inspired anyone else to visit, even better!
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
I really enjoyed seeing Northern Ireland with you and John. It’s a place we’ve talked about travelling to one day.
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If you ever get the chance, I definitely recommend going.
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Thanks for sharing your trip with us! I also hope that Northern Ireland is ready to move forward in peace!
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Thanks for following along, Ann!
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Thanks for your epic tour of Northern Ireland. 🙂 x
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It did turn a bit epic, didn’t it! And still some loose ends to tie up, so it’s not over yet.
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I think you must have developed square eyes by now Anabel 😂
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They are recovering now after a couple of days off!
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You’ve had such a thought-provoking take on the challenge, in a generally light-hearted way. Take a bow!
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Thank you! I was pleased that the challenge allowed me to approach NI without getting in too deep and possibly offending with my ignorance.
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Hi Anabel – that’s what’s so wonderful about blogging – we get inspired to learn, visit and converse with many in our extraordinary world. I too hope peace and quiet from discord will prevail – we are in challenging times. However you’ve given us the chance to rethink … great month of squares … Hilary
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Thanks Hilary – I’m glad you enjoyed my squares and got dome food for thought out of them. I certainly did.
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You have definitely covered the theme very well this month!
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Thank you! I wasn’t sure I could find 31 things to say, but seems I could.
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What a fabulous trip! And, yes, I want to visit.
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Thanks Janis, I hope you get the opportunity.
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There are always people wanting to fight old battles but there do seem to be signs that they are not the force that they were so your posts have been very interesting and encouraging.
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I definitely felt encouraged. There seemed to be more people wanting to move forward than dinosaurs stuck in the past.
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Good to hear.
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Great job, Anabel, and a happy, smiling husband 🤗💙
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He smiled going, and he smiled coming back! Gotta mean something.
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Good finish to the trip. Bob.
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It was, thanks Bob.
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I love the idea that you moved forwards so far that you came full circle! But this also reminds me that although you may come home after a trip you are never quite back where you were, as the trip will have changed you in some way. I sense that is true of you after your immersion in Northern Ireland’s emergence from the Troubles?
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That’s very true. I also think the challenge was a good thing because I knew about it before we went, and so was more focused on seeking out learning opportunities.
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Has it been a month already? Wonderful photos and interesting travelogue as always. Thanks so much, Anabel.
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It really has! The time has flown by. Glad you enjoyed reading about Northern Ireland.
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Such a lovely series. I was good to see Northern Ireland well on the path to peace with great initiatives toward that end. Thanks for the virtual visit to places we had been and some we hadn’t. (Suzanne)
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Thanks Suzanne. I was impressed with the number of initiatives, particularly cross-community ones, working towards a peaceful future, and the number of artworks expressing that desire.
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Well I have been most impressed with your visit. Beautifully recorded. You’ve done NI proud.
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Thank you Jude! That is very gratifying to know.
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A good ending to a month of great posts and photos. Belfast has been on my ‘to do’ list for quite a while but current circumstances mean I can’t travel too far, however your posts have certainly inspired me to keep it on the list.
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Thanks Eunice. I would happily go back to Belfast, and would like to explore more of Northern Ireland.
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now that’s a very clever ending – I love it, and good food too what a treat
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Thanks! I like to round things off neatly.
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