View from the Belfast-Stranraer ferry....

It has been awhile since I posted one of Randi's images, and the reason was mainly technical in part (I had problem uploading and little time to deal with the issue). But it looks like I am back on track, and I chose to post this wonderful shot she took on the ferry from Belfast to Stranraer last year. The occasion was a trip to Scotland that was timed to get out of Belfast during the height of the Orange Order marching season in that city -- usually the second week in July. This year, however, the tensions and problems surrounding the OO's marching fetish extended to last weekend, and Belfast went through a terrible time unlike any I witnessed during my two years there. I am scheduled to visit next month, and I know that things will be back to normal by then. But it is really quite sad to see these pointless eruptions of violence and the damage they are causing -- not merely physical, but to the outlook for the future as Northern Ireland's "Troubled" reputation reemerges in the world media... Picture from RandiArt BelfastNorthern IrelandRandiArt