Despite all of the sights we saw in Belfast the day before, there were a couple of locations to visit before departing the city.
We stopped by St. Anne’s Cathedral for a bit, taking in the beauty of the stained glass windows and the spire, then we headed toward the bay.
The Big Fish
This iconic figure of Belfast was across town from our hotel, but fortunately along the way to reaching the Titanic Museum, so it made the perfect opportunity for some unique photos before moving on. It was a beautiful monument made up of multiple images on the giant fish sculpture. Simple as it was, it was one of my favorite pieces of art in Belfast.
Titanic Belfast
From the Big Fish, it is about a 20-30 minute trek across the bridge and through the Titanic Quarter to the Titanic Museum. It was a little longer walk than my mother would have preferred and it was colder than our previous days in Ireland, but we did manage to see a seal swimming in the bay. No one managed to get a picture before it disappeared back underwater, but all five of us serve witness to its existence. The architecture of the museum is absolutely stunning and massive pieces of metal cut into the letters that spell TITANIC were on display right out front.
Now, when the James Cameron version of the movie Titanic came out in 1997, I became completely obsessed with the story of the Titanic. I read all sorts of books, researching facts about the event, and I’ve even been to three other Titanic museum exhibits in different places, so I was particularly excited about being in the area of where this legendary ship was built.
We proceeded to buy tickets, which included entry to the SS Nomadic, and made our way through the museum. While there was plenty to see and read, and even a ride through a make-shift and digital storehouse that talked about the building process, I felt like it was lacking something. Among all the technology, I missed the awe and wonder of having the physical artifacts there to see. The best part was the view out over the space where the very ship was built and set out for its first voyage. There was an outline on the concrete that displayed the sheer size that was amazing to behold. We departed with a souvenir picture and took a quick tour of the Nomadic before heading back to catch the train. Next stop: Dublin.
Cheers!
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