Holiday time!
mural on the Falls Road, Belfast
I’ve been a bit quiet on the blogging front recently. This is because I have been away discovering the joys of Belfast. One of the most interesting things about the trip has been people’s responses to it now that I’ve returned.
Typical conversation:
‘You’ve been away? Where did you go?’
‘I went to Belfast.’
‘Really?‘
‘Yes. We had a great time.’
‘Really?!’
‘Yes, we have some friends over there and there was loads to do. We saw where the Titanic was built, we visited the Northern Ireland parliament buildings at Stormont, went to some really good pubs (lousy beer though), saw the infamous Europa Hotel (bombed 33 times by the IRA), saw some of the wall murals on the Falls Road, enjoyed a wander down Crumlin Road past the gaol…’
‘Oh, right… Well, we’re going to Paris again in a few months. You should go there.’
I suppose I can understand. Belfast has a hell of a lot of image problems to get over.
Tags: holiday snaps
October 7th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Oooh lucky you. I’ve never been! Mr RE and I nearly went a few weeks ago but decided we couldn’t face another airport trip and plumped for Brighton instead. The flights were the cheapest I’d ever seen though. £10 return for both of us including taxes. That’s just incredible isn’t it? I’d love to go. It’s definitely on the list, along with that lovely Bushmills hotel up by the Causeway.
October 7th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
My good friend Clairwil swears by it.
Belfast I mean……….
October 7th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
I love the fact that you are both just so much more discerning than my delightful work colleagues!
I do recommend that you go. The coast around Belfast (like the Giants Causeway) is lovely and Belfast itself is fascinating. I can see why Clairwil likes the city, it’s got a grittiness, an attitude and a pride that is very similar to Glasgow (and Liverpool for that matter). But having said that Glasgow and Liverpool are way better I think. Belfast seems to lack the beautiful buildings of those cities, not to mention the ‘cultural’ and music scenes. Sorry Belfast.
October 8th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I seem to have never been to any bit of Ireland I must sort this out we have a Belfast office so may end up their on business sometime. I am worried the beer was poor was this stout you were drinking or some other brew, not sure about any holiday were there’s no decent beer?
October 8th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
We have a Belfast office, and technically speaking I’m supposed to have been sent there to work for a few days by my department… but nobody’s ever got around to sorting this out. This is the only reason I’m hanging on, because it seems daft to pay for the air fares and accommodation myself if there’s a chance somebody else will be giving it to me for nothing soon.
Still, I’ve been waiting a year and a half now…
October 8th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
BLTP, Ireland is fine if you like filling yourself with Guinness and rubbish like Tennants, Fosters, Bud and Stella. Knowing that Mr Cocktails and myself are booze snobs from hell, our friends asked around for any place special we should go. The response, and I am not joking, was that there was a bar that sold Coors Light and Murphys. We did find one place which sold Belhaven Best which is pretty good if you like keg beer and want to pretend that you’re in Glasgow/Edinbrough. By the end of the night I had resorted to drinking vodka and tonic… They didn’t even have any decent spirits!!!
23Daves, I think you have to push a bit harder to get over to Belfast. Either that or just take the plunge – as Ms Empress pointed out its very cheap for some flights.
My, what interesting jobs you’ve both got. I never get any further than Bethnal Green these days.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:07 am
Having been to Dublin and parts of the south, I always did wonder about the north. Belfast sounds like a decent city break to me, and as you say, the coastline is meant to be wonderful. It also has another fascination for me. They hold motorcycle races on public roads, often on bits of tarmac that make yr average garden path look like the M1. I’d like to get to one of them before the health and safety nazis shut them down for good, though I believe the Irish are too mad/sane to let such a fine tradition disappear.
October 10th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Well, Ill Man, you know what to do – get over to Belfast pronto. It doesn’t really suprise me somehow that they have bike races on public roads over there…