Belfast - What I Really Didn't Expect

Chalk this up to my being a clueless American, or just plain clueless, or whatever, but I didn't see this coming. Belfast, you will remember, is part of the United Kingdom - and they really, really look like it.

I'm not kidding. Belfast looks like an extension of England. I mean, you can tell you're still on the Emerald Isle, no doubt about it, but they also don't leave you in any doubt which part of the Emerald Isle you're on. There are Union Jacks, images of English Kings and Queens, and even this:

It is a clock tower built in honor of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort.

 This part of Belfast was a complete surprise to me, and somehow, I can't imagine any of this making an appearance in Dublin.