“Harland & Wolff's Headquarters were at 'The Heart of The Yard', and the hotel celebrates not only Titanic, but other great achievements of Harland & Wolff.”
This is where we were planning to stay for two nights before boarding our own Villa Vie Odyssey which was only a couple hundred yards away in the Belfast dry dock for our 3-1/2 year voyage. Unfortunately we had learned the night before from a fellow shipmate, Laura Lee, that launch had been delayed and we would be managing ourselves as best we could until we could board the ship in six days.
The entire building had been converted from shipbuilding headquarters to hotel. A few rooms downstairs were restored to period correct furnishings and set as if business would resume at any moment. Walls throughout were adorned with photos and artifacts from the heydays of Titanic construction. The stairwell up through the center of the building was something from a movie set and we were told the darkness of the hallways was to set a mood as if in the interior of the great ship itself. The room was equally dark which was mostly gloomy old world, but was welcome when trying to sleep with only about five hours of darkness at night.
We had gotten to know Laura Lee and learned she had nearly died from food poisoning on a cruise not too long before. She worked in cybersecurity and was trying to move towards retirement, but was still doing consulting. In her early years she had given briefings to Ronald Regan. Nuff said.
We had agreed to get out to the Belfast Botanic Gardens and headed out by Uber after breakfast at the hotel. The driver chatted the usual Q and A about us and Belfast with due amazement at our 3-1/2 year cruise that he had heard about in the news. He pointed out a few highlights on the way including a couple of options for lunch after our botanical stroll.
We found our way into the gardens with ease as we were dropped at the front gate. No charge for admittance and a chance to stretch our legs with the bonus of a spring garden. Rows of old brick two story buildings paralleled the fence and Laura mentioned that this was student house for the university. Several students were in evidence using the garden paths to transit into town and back.
The classic English greenhouse with a large domed center and wings of glass and metal framing to the left and right announced we were at the heart of the whole thing.
Inside were a number of blooms that caught the eye and I took my time with camera in hand while Dusty and Laura strolled along and chatted. Rose gardens, blooming trees and wisteria over trellises were all done up in a style that showed them off between the bits of sun and rain that came and went as we moved along.
A three story museum in the heart of the gardens gave us a break from the damp wind that had kicked up out of nowhere. The big comfy couch called us to rest awhile and share more stories of our histories and family backgrounds.
Twenty minutes later we split to take our respective tours of the dinosaurs, antique cars, and geology lessons packed around us. At this point Laura had picked up some art supplies from the museum shop and we were ready to check out one of the pub diners pointed out to us by our driver on the way in.
We seemed to be between seating times as there was no crowd at all and we tried to order a couple beers and lunch. After Laura tried to ask for a pils and got a funny look from the waitress she gave up and went for her preferred beverage, a glass of wine. I asked for a local IPA and got what she brought and was happy with it. We were in Belfast after all.
Not having fish and chip since arriving I thought it a safe bet while Dusty tried for a jerk chicken dish with naan bread. I was happy, but she was not. I’ve learned to eat where I am and usually have been satisfied with the experience.
Rather than Uber back to the hotel we walked the two miles or so and got a good look at downtown Belfast. We went past the Crown Pub, the leaning clock tower, and over the bridge back to the Titanic Hotel.
The previous night’s dinner at the hotel had been a pricey disappointment. We googled food nearby and saw a Litles convenience store about a half mile away. We had passed it earlier as well as the Subway sandwich shop next to it. Weather was breezy, but clear and we wandered over to pick up some berries and wine with the plan to get a sub to share. Our adventure eating would have to wait while we got dinner for two with a bottle of wine for the cost of one questionable entree.
With our five day delay we could either stay in Belfast or do something else somewhere else. In the short term I wanted to make sure we had a place to stay so I extended at the Titanic and booked the following days before boarding at the Ramada Inn. Dusty asked if that was what I really wanted to do. Being a bit disappointed I wasn’t really looking for great travel ideas. Knowing me as she does the thought of sitting in one city center for that long was really against my nature.
After five minutes of lodging searches and we were looking at the adorable fuzzy faces of alpacas at a farm with an old farmhouse for lodging only a half hour away.
“What else?” asked Dusty. Well there was a summer castle for the Royal Family near the farm. “What else?” Well, our friends from England said that we must visit The Giant’s Causeway if we were in Northern Ireland. So an hour and a half more it would be to get there.
So, a plan was born. Rent a right hand drive stick shift car from the airport where we had arrived. Book two nights at the alpaca farm and two nights at The Giant’s Causeway and plan a stop at the Hillsborough Castle on the way. One more night at the Titanic and we would be on our way.
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