|
|
Wednesday, Nov
27, 2002
We
set out from Portrush in the early morning, enjoying the
Antrim countryside on our way to Belfast. It was hard to
remember we were in Ireland; we were familiar with the road
signs since we had been to England the year before (in the
summer of 2001, see the Transfiguration
Tour part for more) and they kept confusing us as to where
we were, not to mention the people's accent is a bit different
in the north: a mixture of Irish and British that tells you
you're not quite in either place.
We
made it into Belfast by mid-morning, and after about an hour
in the car trying to navigate the many one-way roads of
central Belfast, we managed to find a place with a vacant
room, the Camera
House, a converted Victorian townhouse with tons
of charm and a great location, just south of the city and
steps away from Queen's University and the Ulster Museum. In
fact, after settling in, that's exactly where we decided to
go.
Because
of the heavy rain we stayed all afternoon inside the Ulster
Museum. While our books rate the museum as an okay site, we
decided to do the most of our situation, and fortune smiled on
us: the museum was hosting a special exhibition of ten
drawings by Leonardo DaVinci, part of the Queen's Jubilee
celebrations. Free entry, almost empty museum and 10 DaVinci
drawings all for our tireless perusal turned the afternoon
into an incredible time. To this add the exhibition on the
treasures recovered from the Girona, a Spanish Armada
ship that shipwrecked off the Antrim Coast in 1588, and we
were two very happy travelers.
Later
that night we went to town, to try to at least see something
of the city. We went to the Crown Liquor Saloon, an Victorian
bar with great atmosphere (though with one rude bartender) and
these little booths--snugs, as they are called--where in
Victorian times women could drink in peace and unafraid of
being seen in a place such as this. We took a snug, ordered
some pints, and just sat there, enjoying a (relatively) quiet
drink while reflecting on our up-to-now wonderful honeymoon in
magical Ireland. Afterwards we walked the streets, passing by
the City Hall and going into the pedestrian shopping zone in
search of Kellys Cellar, a 300-year old pub featuring live
music, but it was already closed.
We
headed back to our room, and decided to simply stay in that
night: after all, this was our honeymoon...
NOTE:
The weather in Belfast was horrible; the strong rain
hardly let down at all, which explains why there are no
pictures of Belfast here: we actually took none. Even
later at night, when we went out on the town, we forgot
the camera at the room. We owe Belfast an apology, and
promise when we go back we'll take enough pictures to make
it up to the city.
Next:
Newgrange
|
