Belfast November 2009

On Friday 6 November our neighbour Gren drove me to Caerleon Comprehensive School to pick up Joseph and Maddy and then onto Newport for our train to Bristol. We had a flight to Belfast at 9am the next morning and from here we would never have made it, so stayed the night in Bristol. We took the time to have a wonder around Bristol although dark and cold - and we didn't know where the hotel was .... turned out to be in the middle of the city and just around the corner from the bus station where we needed to get the bus to the airport. Excellent. After a dinner we tried for a reasonably early night as had to be up and out early in the morning, which we managed. We walked around the corner to the bus station for the shuttle and got to the airport all in great time, the flight was short and uneventful, I have to say even with the hassles of getting home with Ryan Air you can't beat them on price so I guess you have to keep reminding yourself that you get what you pay for, our flights return for all four of us were only 8 pound (add in fee for using credit card).

We arrived in Bristol and it was the George Best International Airport, smaller than I thought but I don't know why I thought it would be bigger. We got a very cheap shuttle into the city and went walking to find our Premier Inn (huge chain of hotels, cheap and cheerful and purple theme). We found it quite easily and as we were early for checkin asked if we could leave our bags for a wonder around, they had a room ready for us so we got to go in early. Dropped our bags (only hand luggage as Ryan air charge 20 pound per checked in bag and for a weekend away you can easily get away with a backpack). Headed into the city - being that Northern Ireland is part of the UK it is all very familiar with regards to the signs you see but there is a definite Irish flair with it. We decided to just use today as a look around day, which was good as we did lots of walking and looking.

After some lunch we headed up Falls Road to look at the murals, it was not too far from the city centre but quite a walk up the road - alot of the housing in this area is newish, lots of rebuilding occurred out of necessity, at the beginning of the street was the old British Army HQ - very square tall building (photo attached, its looks out of place so you will know it), they have long gone now though, but it was the major hive of activity for many factions. We discovered also a huge dome in the middle of shopping centre where after a lift ride up you got fantastic views over the city.

It was cold, very cold and getting dark so we decided to head back, about 5pm we headed back to the hotel as being dark and cold we decided best to be warm. The Premier Inn had a restaurant and bar on the ground floor so we had a meal there at the bar area - good enough. Firstly though we did end up watching the rugby, Wales vs New Zealand ...... Joseph was keen to watch as friends at school had assumed they would win and I believe Joseph was doing homework to go to school with on Tuesday.

On Sunday morning we went and had breakfast, I don't eat breakfast but How and the kids had a great breakfast with the kids eating free and all you can eat style. We stepped out into the cold and well ... Belfast does not function or open until 1pm every Sunday, it was also the Remembrance Day so despite being shut down the City Hall was packed. http://simplybelfast.co.uk/simply_belfast/Index.asp

With nothing literally to go to, we decided on one of those open top bus tours, Allen Tours, sat up the top and froze but it was only with in the last 1/2 hour that we actually started loosing feeling in our feet - the kids didn't seem to be bothered at all. But despite that it was nearly 2 hours driving around Belfast and its outer suburbs and it was well worth it. We went up Falls Road, saw many more murals, the Peace Walls, all with a very good guide with a wonderful sense of humour. We went through the main hotbed of trouble and it was mix of old and new, walls and some beautiful architecture that had survived tucked in with more 70's - 90's replacements. Plaques on houses in and around Falls Road in memory of those from all sides who had been killed. Of course we went to all the standard tourist spots, Parliament Buildings, City Hall etc but no where else has quite the same to see. Also the birth place of CS Lewis, and a mural and memorial.

We also went to the ship building yard where the Titanic was built and left for England (they say that "it was alright when it left us"), having always known it was built in Belfast ... but never actually for some reason putting the two together (I know), it was quite amazing to see this area, a huge dry dock still exists where it was outfitted and finished off. The whole area is now becoming the Titanic Quarter and they are building it up with hotels, apartments and shops etc, everything put in it has to have a Titanic theme, it sounds tacky but it doesn't look it from what has already gone up. http://www.titanic-quarter.com/

http://www.allenstours.co.uk/Belfast%20Tours.html if you want to check out what we saw go here, saves typing it all out :)

After the tour we went off and found lunch and had a bit of a shop around then headed back to the hotel for dinner. Our flight was not leaving until later on Monday so we had the day to explore again, we decided that taking the bus again would be a great idea as it was valid for as many times as you want over 3 days so we did that again, and it was a good idea as we had a different guide who talked about different aspects (a lot of the same but new information), this time though we sat upstairs but under the front half which is covered and wore beanies, much more comfortable. This was also great because the Titanic Museum we got to get off the bus this time as there were less people on the tour from Sunday and also the guide wanted a smoke ... so this was awesome to see the share enormity of the dry dock and be able to walk around the area.

Much of the city is a constant reminder of the hostility, religion still plays a part in daily life and things like signals in buses and taxis to the driver give away which religion you are, so you can be dropped off - or hide it, which ever appropriate for the area you are in, we could have given away anything for all we know. The tour took us past a monument to the Jewish people who settled there for religious freedom .... a bit of humour followed. Jokes like 'while the protestants were building the Titanic, the Catholics were out there building the iceberg' told by the people there, they have a wonderful sense of humour and a good joke with an Irish accent is just right!

But after a great day again we had to go pick up our bags and head to the airport, but this time it was getting dark (early) but easy to get there so no hassles ..... until the flight, but that is another story and as I said earlier, you get what you pay for. Suffice to say that landing in Birmingham when you are expecting to land in Bristol and getting home finally at 3am instead of 7pm a bit of shock and day off school for the kids on Tuesday.