Monday, March 11, 2013

Adventures in Belfast

In lieu of a Scotland Sundays post, I thought I would share with you where I have been for most of this past week....Belfast, Northern Ireland!  This was my first trip to Belfast and I LOVED it!  I went for work so only got to see a little bit of the city but managed to see a few interesting sites including Queen's University Belfast:



How beautiful is that building?  I'm a sucker for ancient universities and the QUB campus does not disappoint!  The University was first charted in 1845 and conducts world-leading research across a variety of subject areas.  I was lucky to be able to meet with some of the faculty from the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work.

I was also able to sneak away for a short period to the Titanic Centre:


The Titanic Centre only opened last year--on the centenary of the Titanic's maiden voyage.  Having the Centre in Belfast is perfect since the Titanic was built, among other amazing ships, in the heart of Belfast.  The building itself looks like the prow of a ship.  The construction is quite amazing.

I was very impressed with the museum.  It's a hands-on experience and you learn a lot about the industrial period in Belfast--not just about ship building but also about the linen and other industries (which was fascinating!).  There are lots of things on display from original documents and ship plans to neat White Star Line posters.  You get to touch lots of things and you can take pictures throughout the building!


I must say that I was a little hesitant to go to the museum.  I mean the ship sank and a lot of people tragically lost their lives.  I didn't know if I could handle that part of the museum--but it was very tastefully done.  I felt like the museum focused equally on all parts of the Titanic heritage--from the amazing ingenuity in building the ship, to the beautiful interiors and everything the ship encompassed for the time period to the sinking and survivor stories to finally how the event impacted the entire world.

And well, it wouldn't be the Titanic museum without a bit of Hollywood memorabilia:


I got some great photos of the costumes from the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet:



For the outing, I wore some of my me-made items including my 1943 white DuBarry blouse and my 1941 Simplicity trousers (with a neat sweater vest that I found in a vintage sale here in Edinburgh):


If you are ever in Belfast, it is well worth the visit!
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