Belfast a Visitors Viewpoint.

The Blasket sound on the west coast of Ireland

Belfast a Visitors Viewpoint.

This is "Belfast a Visitors Viewpoint" my viewpoint to be spific. When you mention Belfast people invariably think of the troubles and the scenes on our television screens of car bombs and violence. But there is another side to Northern Ireland and it’s all the easier to explore it now that peace has broken out. We have been here a month now and we have met lots of people from both communities. And that’s the biggest difference you notice when you come here, everyone will instinctively want to classify you, you must fit into one of the two pigeon holes that there is here. And the trouble is there isn’t a third pigeon hole so when people ask you what religion you are (and they are very cunning in the way that they do that!) you must be either a Protestant or a Catholic. Now I thought that I would be able to sit on the fence, me being a very devout atheist but that doesn’t cut any ice with these Northern Ireland folk. They just answer “Yes but are you a Protestant atheist or a Catholic atheist?” I’m sure that the same logic would apply if your religion was Jewish, Muslim, Hindu etc (“So are you a Catholic Hindu or a Protestant Hindu!”)

But we have been made very welcome by both communities and in what is a very beautiful country. Yesterday we took the train into Belfast City to go sight seeing. We passed Samson & Goliath the two big Harland & Wolf cranes that dominate the skyline of Belfast. This is where the Titanic was built and as they say round these parts “There was nothing wrong with her when she left here.” We had no real plan so we got off at Great Victoria Station and just followed our noses. Just outside the station is The Europa Hotel a tall and modern structure where we enjoyed a coffee.
However I had an ulterior motive when we choose the Europa. This hotel is famous not for it’s modern design or it’s good food or friendly staff. No you see the Europa is Europe’s most bombed hotel, a worrying distinction that it earned following an estimated 120 bombings. But today that is all in the past as Belfast moves forward and is rapidly earning a name as a surprisingly lively and cosmopolitan city.
We walked as far as Belfast City Hall where the now famous International Christmas Market takes place under the stony eye of Queen Vic. This market is as good as any market I have seen anywhere. There are stalls from Switzerland, Holland, France, Germany and many more all combining to give a very international air. The market was packed full of people and it all added to the atmosphere.
We walked all around Belfast City centre and we were treated to the skills of street entertainers almost constantly. There were a lot of people selling some Jesus if you were in the market for some and a few teenagers doing break dancing, although they took a break just as we arrived.
On our way back to the train station we stopped into The Crown Bar on Great Victoria Street just across from the train station. This is a famous watering hole and no visit to Belfast is complete without a pint within its Victorian walls. The magnificent woodcarvings, the ceramic tiled bar front and the fabulously ornate mirrors all combine to create one the best bars in the world. There is a restaurant upstairs but we favoured a liquid refreshment. The Guinness wouldn’t get full marks but the ambiance more than compensates for that. This is probably one of the best pubs I have ever been in. The telly is small and indiscrete not like the fashion in the far inferior ‘suburban pubs’ that make sure that no matter which way you face there is a screen staring back at you. Some of them even put a telly over the urinal, what’s that about?
Here in the Crown the era of the highly sought after “Snug” is still remembered and valued. For those of you who may not know (or be too young to remember!) a snug us a small room in a pub large enough for no more than about six people and it was suited for more intimate conversation. The better snugs even had their own access through a hatch to the bar. In the Crown I counted several snugs they were all highly sought after. A sign that this pub was never going to give up its old Victorian values. The Crown Bar has its own website and it’s well worth a look. It even has a webcam!

Harry & Marion
"Driftwood"

	Belfast a Visitors Viewpoint. This is "Belfast a Visitors Viewpoint" my viewpoint to be spific. When you mention Belfast people invariably think of the troubles and the scenes on our television screens of car bombs and violence. But there is another side to Northern Ireland and it’s all the easier to explore it now that peace has broken out. We have been here a month now and we have met lots of people from both communities. And that’s the biggest difference you notice when you come here, everyone will instinctively want to classify you, you must fit into one of the two pigeon holes that there is here. And the trouble is there isn’t a third pigeon hole so when people ask you what religion you are (and they are very cunning in the way that they do that!) you must be either a Protestant or a Catholic. Now I thought that I would be able to sit on the fence, me being a very devout atheist but that doesn’t cut any ice with these Northern Ireland folk. They just answer “Yes but are you a Protestant atheist or a Catholic atheist?” I’m sure that the same logic would apply if your religion was Jewish, Muslim, Hindu etc (“So are you a Catholic Hindu or a Protestant Hindu!”)
But we have been made very welcome by both communities and in what is a very beautiful country. Yesterday we took the train into Belfast City to go sight seeing. We passed Samson & Goliath the two big Harland & Wolf cranes that dominate the skyline of Belfast. This is where the Titanic was built and as they say round these parts “There was nothing wrong with her when she left here.” We had no real plan so we got off at Great Victoria Station and just followed our noses. Just outside the station is The Europa Hotel a tall and modern structure where we enjoyed a coffee. However I had an ulterior motive when we choose the Europa. This hotel is famous not for it’s modern design or it’s good food or friendly staff. No you see the Europa is Europe’s most bombed hotel, a worrying distinction that it earned following an estimated 120 bombings. But today that is all in the past as Belfast moves forward and is rapidly earning a name as a surprisingly lively and cosmopolitan city. We walked as far as Belfast City Hall where the now famous International Christmas Market takes place under the stony eye of Queen Vic. This market is as good as any market I have seen anywhere. There are stalls from Switzerland, Holland, France, Germany and many more all combining to give a very international air. The market was packed full of people and it all added to the atmosphere. We walked all around Belfast City centre and we were treated to the skills of street entertainers almost constantly. There were a lot of people selling some Jesus if you were in the market for some and a few teenagers doing break dancing, although they took a break just as we arrived. On our way back to the train station we stopped into The Crown Bar on Great Victoria Street just across from the train station. This is a famous watering hole and no visit to Belfast is complete without a pint within its Victorian walls. The magnificent woodcarvings, the ceramic tiled bar front and the fabulously ornate mirrors all combine to create one the best bars in the world. There is a restaurant upstairs but we favoured a liquid refreshment. The Guinness wouldn’t get full marks but the ambiance more than compensates for that. This is probably one of the best pubs I have ever been in. The telly is small and indiscrete not like the fashion in the far inferior ‘suburban pubs’ that make sure that no matter which way you face there is a screen staring back at you. Some of them even put a telly over the urinal, what’s that about? Here in the Crown the era of the highly sought after “Snug” is still remembered and valued. For those of you who may not know (or be too young to remember!) a snug us a small room in a pub large enough for no more than about six people and it was suited for more intimate conversation. The better snugs even had their own access through a hatch to the bar. In the Crown I counted several snugs they were all highly sought after. A sign that this pub was never going to give up its old Victorian values. The Crown Bar has its own website and it’s well worth a look. It even has a webcam!

Harry & Marion "Driftwood"