Second weekend brief

The following will just be a brief description of what I got up to over the weekend to keep up with what I've done and how it was. I stayed within the city of Belfast again this weekend, although it is not that big geographically there is still a lot for me to try out. Although the public transport is not great you can walk around the majority of the city, and because of the public transport it gives me the excuse to walk which gives me a better view of the city and means I am learning to navigate it properly. Also good for my fitness!

21/09/24

On the Saturday I had booked into the Titanic museum on Queen's Island, so after breakfast by the beach at my local cafe in Jordanstown I set off into the city. The museum building was quite impressive with metallic and modern architecture. The experience was excellent although it was very busy and a bit crowded in places (and it cost £25). However, the money was worth it as the museum had 4 floors that you navigate in one flowing direction, starting with history of Belfast from around the 17th century and its change through the industrial revolution to be have the largest shipbuilding manufacturers in the world at one point, the biggest being Harland and Wolf, the builders of the Titanic. It had many interactive features, including a cable cart ride, it also had a large section on the recovery of the Titanic in 1985 which I didn't know anything about. The museum concluded with a replica of the ship's bow, where couples could recreate the famous scene from the 1997 film. Unfortunately I was alone 😂😭I am ashamed to say I have never seen the film, so will be doing that tomorrow. The ticket also included a tour of the SS Nomadic, a former tender ship for the White Star Liner company, this meant it carried passengers from the harbour to the larger ship like the Titanic. The SS Nomadic was in use for over 100 years! The entire experience took me about 4 hours!

 After the museum I got some food then met my new friend Suhasish, a PhD student that I met at the wine and cheese night earlier in the week. We got a few drinks watching the football then went to an outdoor bar later on, it was very lively out and everywhere was packed, the vibes were great and exactly what I enjoy. We met some other students from Queen's University, one English, one American, and one Irish. We ended up going to the club with them and having a very fun night. 

Sunday I woke up slightly rough but ready for the big game later on, today was Man City vs Arsenal. But before the game I went to explore the Botanic gardens at Queen's University. I took the train in and did the 30 minute walk along the river to reach the campus. First, I went in The Palm House, a large curved greenhouse, one of the first made of its kind, starting in 1839, containing many exotic plants, flowers and trees. I then explored the Tropical Ravine, this was a brilliantly set up building with a temperate climate to mimic that of a rain forest. The way you viewed this was to walk along the raised balcony to look down on the hundreds of amazing plants, in a way it made you feel as if you were walking through the canopy of a rain forest. This place was built in 1885, with a lot of more recent reconstruction. 

I managed to get into a sports bar just before it started raining and just before the game. Honestly needed a lie down after watching that game. Ended 2-2 and can't tell him I'm happy, relieved or annoyed at the result as an Arsenal fan. 

Again, I have thoroughly enjoyed my weekend and definitely recommend all the things I have done, the Titanic museum, Botanic gardens, and the night out!