Well hello from Northern Ireland.
This week we are traveling around Belfast and we only have three days in the capital
so we're going to try and cover as much ground as we possibly can and show you some of the
highlights.
Belfast is the capital city and largest city in Northern Ireland.
This destination hasn't always been popular with visitors due to a conflict known as The
Troubles; however, in recent years Belfast has experienced a resurgence and it's slowly
starting to make a name for itself.
We gave ourselves a few days to explore the city, and the result is the following video
showcasing 20 things to do in Belfast:
The RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat at the time it entered service, and it was
built by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast.
The Titanic Belfast exhibition, tells the stories of the Titanic's ill-fated maiden
voyage in 1912 and it is one of the top attractions in the city.
Right now we're on board the SS Nomadic, the little sister of the Titanic, and we're going
to take a full tour of the ship.
The SS Nomadic was a steamship built as a tender to the RMS Titanic.
It was her job to ferry passengers, baggage, and supplies to and from the shore.
So why don't you go place an order over there with your virtual server?
Sure, thing.
Two champagnes please.
So you can play dress-up aboard the SS Nomadic and maybe perhaps this is what women would
have worn back in the day.
Ooh!
Would you care to join me for a cocktail tonight?
Oh my!
I'm going to say yes!
You look absolutely ravishing darling.
Why thank you!
Thank you!
Ah!
Next up we are heading inside St George's Market, which we've been told is more than
just a farmer's market.
Apparently, aside from buying food there you can catch some live shows, go shopping for
vintage items, jewelry.
So we're going to head inside and see what it is like.
And it is only open on the weekends.
Breakfast time in Belfast!
So since we've been in Ireland my favorite meal has been breakfast.
And it's been a full Irish breakfast.
We're now in Belfast and over here it is called an Ulster Fry.
It's slightly different from an Irish breakfast which we'll explain later.
But it is a very complete breakfast, it has a lot of different things including bacon,
sausage, eggs, potatoes, tomatoes and a whole bunch of other stuff which we'll show you
in a bit.
It is time for a grand tour of the meal.
Breakfast has arrived.
So we've got soda and potato bread over here.
We've got our fried egg.
We've got something that resembles a hash-brown.
We've got our sausage, our bacon and of course our beans.
So that is a very complete meal.
Yeah.
I hope you're hungry.
Yeah, we sure are.
So what I find really unique about the Ulster Fry is that you get potato bread and soda
bread which are breads that I've never really tried before.
But they are quite nice and compact.
Very heavy.
You know, you're getting your carbs in early in the morning.
It looks quite thin but it is really heavy.
Starchy.
And then this is the soda bread.
I'm not really sure if you're supposed to put butter and jam on it since it is more
of a savory bread but it is really good on its own.
And I think they call them rashers here.
Yeah, they are called rashers.
Sam eating rashers.
Mmmm.
How are they?
Something that I love about the Ulster Fry and Irish Breakfast is that you can pick it
up almost any time of day.
We typically have it for breakfast but if you get a craving for it at night you can
pop into a restaurant that specializes in the dish and you can have yourself some.
So are you feeling like a student again this morning?
Well, I'm glad I'm not a student anymore but I am enjoying visiting Queen's University
here in Belfast.
It has a lovely campus.
And what is cool for us is that we have a connection to Queen's because we went to a
University in Canada also called Queen's.
But I think there is no affiliation between the two.
Just the same name.
Yeah, that's it.
Queen's University Belfast is one of the oldest universities in the United Kingdom.
It also happens to have a really nice campus, so we decided to take a little stroll.
The Botanic Gardens first opened as a private garden in 1828, and for many years the public
only had access on Sundays.
Today anyone can visit and it's a beautiful place to walk around, especially if you luck
out with sunshine.
So it is a beautiful afternoon here in Belfast and today we're going to be visiting Belfast
Castle.
Now up until today I had never heard of Belfast Castle before but I got chatting with the
taxi driver and he really recommended this place.
So here we are and we're going to go check it out.
I made friends with a forest creature.
So cute!
Belfast Castle sits on the slopes of Cave Hill Country Park, and it offers nice panoramic
views of the city.
Visiting may or may not make you feel like royalty for the day.
So another cool thing you can do at Belfast Castle is eat a meal here.
So that is exactly what we're doing.
We're heading downstairs to the Cellar Restaurant.
I'm hungry!
This is my first meal inside a castle and I'm having a clam chowder.
Mmmmm.
So how was your first meal in a castle?
Well, it was really good.
That's some of the best risotto I've had in a long time.
And I must say that the price was really affordable and it was just a great meal.
Well, after that glorious feast it is time to burn off some calories.
We're going to go all the way up to Cave Hill and we've got a bit of
a hike.
Okay, so we had every intention of reaching the top of Cavehill but honestly the path
isn't clearly marked and we only have about an hour before the sun sets and we've hit
a point where this trail splits into five different little paths.
And we don't really know which way to go so we figure better turn back around now before
it gets any darker.
However, if you do start the hike a little earlier in the day, and maybe if you have
a better map than what we have on hand you should try it because we've been told the
views are great once you reach the top.
There you go.
Alright, it is hockey night in Northern Ireland.
We are here in Belfast to watch the Giants play.
I'm a huge hockey fan, and coming from Canada this is a real treat.
This is my first hockey game in Europe.
Let's go check it out.
So today we're up in Belfast and we're trying a traditional Irish and Northern Irish dish.
This is called Boxty.
And it is basically made with grated potato that is mixed with mashed potatoes and fried
in a pan.
So Sam and I have ordered two different varieties and we're going to be digging into those because
they just arrived and we're so hungry.
So there is a little rhyme that goes along with Boxty and it goes a little something
like this.
Boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan.
If you can't make boxty you can't get a man.
I don't know how to make boxty but I somehow landed Sam.
So.
I must have low standards huh?
Uh!
So I got boxty with ham, cheese and an egg.
A fried egg on top.
So let's have a taste of this.
It's still steaming.
Mmmm.
Oh!
Hahaha.
You silly goose.
It tastes like fried mashed potatoes.
Alright, and what do you have over here?
So mine is the pulled pork with an apple sauce.
Apple chutney.
What do you think?
It's so good.
I love that.
I love any kind of potato dish that is fried and then you add some pulled pork to that.
Yum!
Magic!
So if I had to compare this dish to anything from back home in North America I would say
it is kind of similar to a hash brown except it is a lot thicker and potato is a bit softer.
But I mean it is still fried, mashed and grated potatoes.
So it's good.
Heavy on the carbs, pretty tasty.
I like that is comes with different toppings and I could honestly eat this for breakfast,
lunch or dinner.
So it works anytime of day.
While in town we made time to visit the Ulster Museum.
They have a really good exhibit focusing on The Troubles, where you can learn more about
Northern Ireland's turmoiled past.
While wandering around the city you'll also notice large murals with strong political
messages.
Some of these make reference to the city's turbulent past, while others allude to a peaceful
future.
These murals offer a unique window into the city, and you can even take black taxi tours
that cover the history and show you to the peace lines and some of the troubled spots.
Belfast City Hall is located in Donegall Square, in the heart of the city centre.
They offer free daily tours to the public.
The Octopus's Garden is a fun Vintage Store in Belfast's city centre.
They have old tapes and records, as well as unique pieces for anyone wanting to spice
up their wardrobe.
So if you take a look at my pint over here you might be thinking I'm having Guinness.
It does look a lot like Guinness but in fact it is Belfast Black.
And I have to say it tastes just as good if not better.
For 360 degree views of Belfast, we recommend going to Victoria Square Shopping Centre,
and riding the elevator up to the dome.
This will give you a nice bird's eye view of Belfast.
St. Anne's Cathedral, also known as Belfast Cathedral, has stood over 100 years.
It's another attraction worth visiting if you're in the area.
For a different dining experience, you can set foot aboard Holohan's at The Barge, which
is moored beside the Waterfront Theatre.
It's the top rated restaurant in Belfast, plus it's pretty cool dining aboard a ship.
Lastly, if you're in the mood to catch a performance while you're in Belfast, you can choose between
Ulster Hall or the Grand Opera House, both of which have pretty active events schedules.
So to wrap things up here in Belfast I'm going to mention three things I really liked about
the city.
First off it is highly affordable.
One of the best bargains you can get is a day pass for the bus.
It's really cheap and it allows you to travel anywhere in the city unlimited usage.
Secondly, this is a very friendly city.
Almost anytime we brought out a map we had a local coming up to offer help.
And we just found that whenever we took taxi rides or were in restaurants locals really
went the extra distance to make us feel welcome here.
And lastly this is a very walk-able city.
Most of the attractions are clustered in the downtown area and you can reach most of them
by foot.
And that's it for our quick trip to Belfast!
As you can probably see, our visit was fairly short so we didn't get to do it all.
If you have any suggestions of other sights and attractions worth checking out around
Belfast, feel free to share those in the comments below.