Belfast and beyond

The cross-sea ferry to Belfast was a delight. We paid a little extra for priority boarding and access to the premium lounge. We snagged a table, sofa and swivel seats overlooking the bow. And then hit the buffet for a well-deserved snack plus wine (or five – the snacks not wines!). A very comfortable and smooth trip across the Irish Sea brought us to the mouth of the Lagan, the ferry terminal and our disembarkation point. Priority has its privileges and we were off the boat swiftly.

Belfast is not a big city; we walked pretty much everywhere or jumped on a bus, with mixed results as the destination indicators meant nothing to us. We relied on the route number, but the paths sometimes diverged from where we thought they would be going. No matter, it meant we saw different aspects of the city. More on that later. Our accommodation was a former Titanic worker’s cottage that was huge. Second and third storeys of the terrace, three bedrooms, a decent living/dining area, functional kitchen and a back deck with views over the neighbourhood and three church spires (with bells), all within 30-minutes’ walk of the city centre. I think I am beginning to sound like a real estate agent!

We dumped our belongings at the accommodation and headed to the Titanic Museum. Belfast prides itself on its ship-building history and out cottage is very much part of that. We can see the two huge cranes (Samson and Goliath) from our windows and they are visible from so many parts of the city too. The museum is housed in a stunning modern building and the exhibits are interactive and interesting. There is even a cable-car-esque ride through the building phase of the ship. We walked the Maritime Mile along the east edge of the Lagan, spotting Game of Glass sculptures (meant nothing to us) and visited the last surviving White Star Line ship, a first- and second-class tender Nomadic, which gave us a tangible glimpse of early-20^th-Century opulence.

Exploring Belfast on our 28^th wedding anniversary was the next delight. After a wander through the St George Markets, we jumped on a bus to Belfast Castle and Cave Hill and enjoyed the views over the Lagan (with some droning thrown in). A return bus ride took us off-course, but the resulting diversion meant we walked past the small Clifton Steet Cemetery. We popped our heads in, and we greeted by a troupe of actors recreating some of the worthy (and not) inhabitants of site. There was a theme – Ulster Presbyterians Unionists (Scottish immigrants to Ulster in the 1700s and early 1800s). The actors stayed in character and told us their stories and engaged in clever conversations. We were entertained by these characters –1790s newspaper proprietors, 1790s revolutionary, shipbuilder, Quaker educationalist, WW1 son of a distillery baron, hopeful emigree, manufacturer and even a consul-general for US president Jackson. It was a surreal, quirky, mildly unsettling and enjoyable detour from our plans.

Crumlin Road Gaol was next and that was also an eye-opening education. The now-closed gaol has very interactive displays about the variety of inmates housed in the Bentham-inspired Panopticon style. Think extremely long cell blocks and line of sight corridors for warder. Three levels of cells, some with very interactive video infotainment and a one-way route helped guide us through a lot of 20^th-Century politics and ‘law and order’. One ‘wing’ has also been converted into a fantastic whisky distillery. A successful bus ride into the city centre gave us the opportunity to explore the Cathedral Quarter (though the cathedral was closed, maybe because of the street protest we encountered as we walked the lanes). We even managed to find a sunny beer garden with live music, enjoying the vibe and rays over lunch. A walk back to our accommodation for a quick rest, then back to the CQ for dumplings, Guinness and a dive into Saturday-night Belfast drunkenness. All in all a wonderful way to spend our anniversary.

Our sunny Sunday was a day in the countryside and along the coast. We headed down to Downpatrick, taking in Inch Abbey and Down Cathedral (home to Saint Patrick, former home to St Brigid and St Columba – too long to go into details). Then it was the circuitous coastal drive back to Belfast, taking in ruined castles, crossing loughs, visiting quaint little harbours (lovely lunch overlooking the one at Donaghadee) and strolling beaches. A few drone flights were mandatory too! The evening ended with a second anniversary dinner, this time on a rooftop bar overlooking a police carpark and glimpses of the Lagan River.