A Tale of Two Cities: Belfast and Derry

 Hello!

Still in NI, but am now further out amongst the wilds of the North Coast, Of course, knowing me, I've not pushed the boat out enough to go camping, but it takes 30 minutes to walk to the nearest bus stop- which is remote enough in my books. This region is famed for being one of the most scenic areas of this part of the world, and I have to say, that I can attest.

View from my window

So when you're in such an idyll, you go to a notoriously rural settlement- a city.

In fact, it's the second day in a row that we've been to a city on this trip, as on Wednesday, we took the train to Belfast. And if you're wanting to satisfy your cheapskate credentials, then I can highly recommend an "I-Link" card- which gives you access to all forms of public transport in Northern Ireland (train, bus etc...) for a day for £20, so when your return train fare costs nearly £30, you know you've already saved :)

Asides from that, after pootling around the Golden Thread Gallery, which was situated in an old factory, we headed to The Crown pub- one of Belfast's most historic eateries. It's notable for its saloons, which date back to the 1880s, and have remained unchanged since- bar the odd idiot carving their name  In typical tourist fashion, we sat in one- and, admittedly, it was a bit claustrophobic, but, perhaps barring the offering of a cheese and chutney sarnie with chips, and the attire of its visitors, nothing was too out of place from the Victorian era.

The Crown and its booth.

The typically inclement Irish weather was going about its business after lunch, as we pootled past City Hall (and its preachers), and headed along through the Cathedral Quarter with its poetic displays and hanging umbrellas to the Titanic Quarter- to, unsurprisingly, visit the Titanic Museum. 

Undoubtedly one of the biggest attractions in Belfast, the start of the museum tells you about the history of industry in Belfast, and then onto the development of the ship and its journey. It also tells you about the passengers on the journey, and you don't find out about their fates until the end of the museum. I don't really want to give too much away, but it's undoubtedly worth a visit- both informative, but also sobering. 

1st Class cabin replica

Menu from the voyage

Lifejacket found on one of the victims

The £25 entry fee may seem a bit steep, but it also grants you access to the SS Nomadic, the only ship remaining built by the makers of the Titanic. As such, we ventured the long journey (I jest) to the Nomadic, and true to form, I didn't get around to seeing all of the ship because I am that sort of person who spends too long looking at all the displays. Needless to say, it was a good addition to the nautical-themed tour which we were doing. 

SS Nomadic with the Titanic Museum rearing its head in the background.

At this stage, feeling that there was still more to see (well not much more that was open), that it was time to go back to base, as I'd hit that mid-trip slump, and needed to rest. Anxieties were heightening because it wasn't necessarily easy to rest, as the accommodation was 50 mins away by train- added onto the 15 minute journey to the stage. But, we were heading off, and eventually arrived back at the accommodation.

But, yesterday, as indicated in the title, we upped sticks and went to Derry- a place, like Belfast, steeped in its history from The Troubles era. But, Derry has been defined by many things- most recently for being the location of the hit comedy Derry Girls- which, for the uninitiated, was set in the era of The Troubles. And, unsurprisingly, it is commemorated by a display in The Tower Museum. It is a must for any fan of the show, and features the kitchen and living room from the Quinn's household, Clare's school uniform, Erin's diary and much more. As someone who watched every episode, you can test out your knowledge with a quiz at the end. I got 7/10- so maybe I'm a #fakefan. 

The aforementioned diary

But definitely worth going to if you're a fan of the show. The rest of the museum was being renovated in preparation for an opening next year, but very close by was The Guildhall. It had an exhibition about plantations in Ireland- and how Derry also became known as Londonderry in the 16th-17th century. Put simply, some blokes from London were dicks and wanted to claim land in Ireland for themselves. They treated the locals appallingly, which, sadly, was not uncommon back then. Upstairs was a further demonstration of poor treatment towards the locals by the Brits, as twelve peaceful protesters were shot dead by members of the British Army. At the Guildhall, the Saville Inquiry was held, which ultimately resulted in an unprecedented apology from our PM at the time for what had happened.

We visited Bogside, which is where Bloody Sunday took place, where there are now murals commemorating the dead. It was sombre to see, and after what we had seen, we couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt for the events that had happened.

One of the Bogside murals

We also walked alongside the city's historic walls, saw the Derry Girls mural, and went across the Peace Bridge- but by goodness, to quote the enigmatic Uncle Colm- "the wind was fierce"!

The Peace Bridge

'Til next time,

Tom