We wake up to rain but still expect to have one more day to see the sights before getting on our overnight ferry to England.
6.79 miles, rain most of the day, 60 degrees, humidity 86%.
Richard’s ReLive video of the day is here: https://www.relive.com/view/vrqojKYepK6
We missed St. Patrick’s Church in Belfast last time we were here so that is our first stop.
The church dates from 1875-1877 although there were churches at this location since 1815.
This beautiful triptych painting was the altarpiece presented by Sir John Lavery to the church of his baptism, St. Patrick’s, Belfast. It was painted in thanksgiving after his second wife and her daughter converted to the Catholic faith and were admitted to the church.
St. Brigid is on the right, and St. Patrick is on the left.
The painter’s wife, Hazel Lavery is the model for the Madonna. The figure of Mary in the triptych could also represent a personified version of Ireland rising out of the lakes and mountains of Killarney.
Another beautiful window featuring St. Patrick.
A lovely prayer in the northex of the church, reaching out to their local community.
A local mural. Art seems to be everywhere in Belfast.
We stopped at a pub for a coffee and discovered that it shared a courtyard with three other pubs. They filled it with art for local people and political figures.
This cartoon portrays a problem in Northern Ireland where burglars were breaking into ATMs and escaping to the Republic of Ireland to the south where they could not be apprehended. They called it their Mexico.
This shopping center in downtown Belfast had an amazing central tower with views.
Another visit to Belfast’s Ginger Bistro that we enjoyed on our first night in the city. We had exactly the same menu—pea risotto and flank steak—but we flipped who ate what.
We were early to the port and ended up waiting a long time to board. There were more cars and trucks than pedestrian traffic. The biggest issue was that the ferry movement would initiate car alarms so folks were asked to disable their alarms before we disembarked. That didn’t always happen, so we listened to alarms every few minutes until we went to sleep.
6 Responses
Hello Jan and Rich! I’m finally caught up with you after my Hawaii friend’s visit and fighting a cold! So glad you survived all that rain! Nice to see you take some advice to avoid dangerous roads. Thank you for the lovely photos of scenery and excellent commentary, as always. Take care and see you in Liverpool! Karen
Thanks for following us! We’re sometimes tired of the rain, but then, we are wimpy Californians!
Hi Jan and Richard! I, too, am just catching up with your adventures. Jan, your travel photographs are thoughtful and beautiful. Richard, I’m enjoying your ReLive videos and fun selfies documenting sumptuous meals between treks. I’m in awe of your carefully chronicling and posting as you go. What a wonderful experience! Thanks so much for sharing!
Markene : )
Thanks for following us, Marlene. We’re sometimes tired and are a bit behind but our “diary” helps us remember these adventures that we enjoy so much.
Can’t express how helpful the Relive is in following your journey. Thanks for the work that goes into this. Wendy and I really enjoyed seeing all the wall murals in Belfast when we were there but don’t remember something as elaborate as the courtyard art picture you included. Was a little worried about what this ferry trip would be like after your last rock and roll ferry adventure but this ferry was so much larger think it was a much “calmer” trip! Dan and Wendy
The ferry was luxurious and we slept well, just not long enough. They herded us like cattle so we figure they turned the ferry around quickly and went back to Ireland. It’s always fun to try a new form of transportation, particularly if I can avoid flying.
Belfast art was wonderful and EVERYWHERE! Interesting political commentary and musical ties as well.