The weather looks beautiful so we set out to see as much of the city as we could. We purchased timed entry tickets to the Titanic Belfast in the afternoon.
5.42 miles, 62 degrees, 68% humidity.
Richard’s ReLive video shows most of our travels, so I have just added a few of my highlights. Click here for Richard’s summary of the day in video: https://www.relive.com/view/vwq1e497kLq
Belfast City Hall is Greek Revival style and opened in 1906.
Mary Ann McCracken is called out as an abolitionist, educator, social reformer, and businesswoman. How nice it is to see women appreciated for their contributions to society.
After Queen Victoria granted Belfast city status in 1888, the push for a new, more elegant building began.
There is a lovely Titanic Memorial and garden on one corner of City Hall.
The dependence on the sea is everywhere. Here we see multiple fish on a post of the Queen’s Bridge.
The Albert Memorial Clock Tower is not quite as big as Big Ben in London, but it is a grand introduction to the cathedral district.
Artwork is highlighted in the cathedral district. Building murals are particularly stunning.
St. Anne’s Cathedral was a beautiful surprise. It is a Romanesque structure consecrated in 1776.
Another mosaic reference to the sea.
This baptistery cmosaic celingb features nature themes.
The “Spirit of Hope” extends through the roof and into the choir. It is a 40 meter stainless steel structure illuminated at night.
Another Titanic memorial to souls lost.
Commercial Street is a short concentration of bars and artwork.
Finally we head to the Titanic Experience.
This inside wall is colored to mimic the rusted steel.
Richard’s ReLive video does an excellent job of describing the museum. For two hours we saw its influence on Belfasts’s shipbuilding trade and its people. After the ship was lost, the focus was examining the many causes contributing to the loss, and ensuring safeguards are initiated. There was also focus on the search for the Titanic below the sea.
This is the violin belonging to Wallace Hartley that he played to comfort passengers during their final moments. He was lost in the disaster, but is remembered as a hero. Somehow the violin was recovered.
We had dinner at Nu Delhi very near our hotel. We started with an appetizer of mushroom poori, then Richard had Dum Puk Chicken and Jan had Chicken Patia. Yum!
2 Responses
So many familiar places in Belfast it motivated me to go through my pictures of Belfast. A great place to spend a day or two.j And wow, is your weather so much better! Looked at your weather forecast and today and Friday look like the only breaks in the rain for the next 10 days. Lucky you! Hope you are enjoying the integration of the scenic country walking with the urban itineraries. Looks like a great mixture of experiences. Dan
Belfast was a real surprise for me. There is still so much to see, but we do return for about one day after we finish this hike. What is your “must see” if we can manage it?
We only had a few showery periods yesterday and are hoping for mostly clear today. It makes my spirits sunnier too when we don’t have to wear the rain gear. We still carry it with us, though.