Illuminated Belfast City Hall. Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. (cucgiorand (123RF))
As our bus cruised down the M1 nearing Belfast, I saw something truly magical. Chick-fil-A?!! I thought to myself, what is this special place? I knew from that moment I would enjoy my week in Northern Ireland.
While we did not eat at Chick-fil-A, it felt comforting just to see it. While I love being stationed in Germany and visiting other non-English speaking countries throughout Europe, there is something easy about visiting the UK. The Northern Ireland accent may cause you a bit of trouble, but overall visiting provided that English-speaking break I didn’t know I needed.
To get there, we flew on Ryanair from Luxembourg to Dublin. From Dublin’s airport, we took an Aircoach bus to Belfast. While you can fly directly to Belfast, we found it cheaper to fly to Dublin and bus into Belfast. The bus ride was two hours, but very comfortable.
Illuminated rainbow umbrella art with the words “Have you ever seen the rain coming down on a sunny day” illuminated in red in front (Tamala Malerk)
The first thing we did, after checking into the Hampton by Hilton Belfast City Centre, was take a ride-share over to the Titanic Museum. The Titanic Museum opened in 2012 and is one of the most well-done museums I have ever visited.
As weird as it may sound, it fueled my creative spirit. The interactive displays throughout were informative and interesting. There is even a ride inside which reminded me of my recent trip to Disneyland Paris. The gift shop has a ton of fantastic items and the cafes at the museum will keep you fueled for your visit. Get tickets beforehand to ensure admission. I recommend a slice of Victoria Sponge for an iconic UK teatime treat.
This is the term to describe Northern Ireland’s violent and turbulent past where pro-British Protestants (aka Unionists or Loyalists) faced off against pro-Ireland Catholics (aka Nationalists or Republicans). The majority of the conflict happened from the late 1960s until the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Violence between the two sides carried out through street fighting, bombings, roadblocks and internment without trial. More than 30,000 people were wounded and over 3,000 killed during the course of The Troubles.
To orient ourselves to Belfast and find out why “The Troubles” happened, we booked a walking tour with DC Tours. It was fantastic! Our guide presented a well-balanced view of Belfast’s troubled history and provided continued hope that peace will last long into the future.
I travel to eat good food and Belfast did not disappoint. Here are some of my recommendations while you’re in town.
Food Tour: If you’ve read my Can’t miss food tours of Europe article, you know I love a good food tour as a way to explore a city. Belfast’s tour from Secret Food Tours took us all around the city center to try tasty bites along with learning a bit of the city’s history. We tried Wheaten bread, delicious cheese, Irish stew and of course, Guinness. My favorite stop was at Jeffers Home Bakery for a simple sausage sandwich and Irish breakfast tea. The sandwich bread was very similar to Southern US biscuits which made me a little homesick, in the best way.
Daisies: This was the first stop on our food tour. It’s in the basement of an old Georgian home so it’s quaint and cozy. The hot chocolate was divine but when you visit also taste some of their handmade chocolates. One side of the shop is dedicated to chocolates filled with straight-up alcohol.
No Bake Fifteens: For as much British Bake-Off that I’ve watched, I had not been introduced to No bake Fifteens until the end of our food tour. They are a tasty tray bake (bar cookie) from Northern Ireland that will make your sweet tooth do a happy dance. They are called Fifteens because the ingredients call for 15 marshmallows, 15 Digestive biscuits and 15 candied cherries.
Afternoon Tea: With their connection to England, Afternoon Tea can be booked at a number of restaurants around town. It was hard deciding which place to choose, but we ended up at the Fitzwilliam Hotel. We enjoyed lots of flavorful bites such as scones with clotted cream, Cajun chicken sandwiches, apple meringue tarts and, the best part, coffee and chocolate gateau.
Maggie Mays: something about the 90’s grunge and alt rock, the laid-back atmosphere and the comfort food at Maggie May’s on Botanic Avenue fueled my belly and soul. I know that sounds really dramatic, but it truly hit the spot for me. I had Dirty Fries, and my husband had Maggie’s Peppered Stack. In case you’re like us and need a little translation: champ = mashed potatoes, goujons = chicken tenders. They serve breakfast all day, which was also a selling point even though we didn’t indulge. They don’t serve alcohol, but you can BYOB for a corkage fee.
I adore street art! Something about the free access to talented and creative works of art speaks to my soul. Belfast has street art everywhere! From our hotel room in the Linen Quarter, we could see the piece entitled “Connected.” I didn’t learn this until after-the-fact, but it’s the largest mural on the island of Ireland. There is plenty more to see throughout the city! Find a map for a self-guided tour here.
We booked a tour that focused on street art related to “The Troubles” by Belfastology. This provided a unique opportunity to see parts of the city that we would not have visited on our own. Doing this tour on our final day in Belfast also helped bring together everything we had learned for a well-rounded picture of the city and its history.
There is so much more that I could share about Belfast, but I hope you will explore on your own! It’s well worth it.
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Street art featuring techicolor racing cars (Charles Thoennes)
Editor’s Note: This article was written by a member of the local military community, not an employee of Stars and Stripes. Neither the organization nor the content is being represented by Stars and Stripes or the Department of Defense.
