Aug 12 2009
Twenty-four Hours in Belfast
Belfast Map
That’s all the time we had. More to the point, it’s all the time I allowed for on a three week journey through Ireland and the UK with my cousins. A last minute substitution for Dublin, Belfast was unexplored territory for me and therefore, way more enticing. It’s also the hub for a handful of low-cost airlines, and proved a handy and economical base for catching flights to Edinburgh, Scotland, our next destination. Airlines aside, the city was the surprise hit of our trip. It is full of character and characters, history, and endearing people who stopped their conversations with pals to walk us where we needed to go, even when completely out of their way.
Arriving early in the afternoon allowed us precious daylight hours to explore our home base, the university district. In a scene which reminded me of Greenwich Village, our flat (apartment) lay in a row of attractive brick buildings on a tree-lined street. Dominating the street was a gorgeous stone church that we admired from the bay window of The Barking Dog restaurant, a culinary highlight. Our charming waiter served up delicious meals and endless conversation in the unique local accent that I could have listened to all day. My favorite phrase, “So I did.” Burning off the amazing salmon pasta I had for lunch, I walked a few blocks further to the botanic gardens, so I did. Its maze of lawns was alive with picnicking college students, its benches full of book readers.
A ten-minute drive from Queen’s University lie the neighborhoods where the “Troubles” played out; they are pock-marked with empty lots where bombs had destroyed apartment buildings, pubs, and more. At the time, we associated Belfast only with its violent history, and so we did the one thing I felt compelled to do, and that was to take a Black Taxi tour through the Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods. The result was an extraordinary history lesson given by a well-educated and seemingly unbiased guide. Political murals and memorials read like newspaper articles, telling the story of events in vivid fashion on the sides of buildings. It was surreal and deeply affecting to walk on streets that were scenes of such violence; we were reminded of its impact upon spotting the gates that are still closed each night to keep trouble at bay. Our last stop was the Wall of Peace which ran the length of one city block. Designated for messages of hope, our guide gave us each a marker to add our own.
After the tour, I returned to the serenity of the gardens, and left the rest of the city to be explored for some unknown next time. On our way to the airport the following morning, our taxi driver, a gregarious man with a broad smile who was full of stories and opinions, pointed out the myriad of landmarks that we failed to see on our trip.
- How on earth could you miss the docks where the Titanic was built?!
- Another time, I promised.
- Did you know [former] President Clinton visited Belfast? Over there is the city center where he spoke.
- Why no, I…
- He loves Belfast!!
- Oh r…
- You should have hired me to take you on a tour. I would’ve taken you everywhere!!!
Clearly, twenty-four hours is not enough time in Belfast but at least we made it! And know how deserving it is of exploration. Our all-too-brief visit was enough to leave me eager to return. For others, like an American college student I met at Belfast City Airport, the desire is even stronger. Katie had wrapped up a semester in Belfast and was also flying to Edinburgh. We took seats next to one another and as the plane climbed to altitude, tears fell down her cheeks.
Read more: Belfast, Northern Ireland, Tours, Travel, Western EuropeJulie
