Belfast, Northern Ireland

Typical of our travel style, Brian and I did little research about Belfast before arriving. Instead, we enjoyed discovering the city and exploring at our own pace.

One of Belfast's claims to fame is the famous ship that sank on its maiden voyage. The Titanic was built in the shipyards here. Above are the paved-over slipways where the Olympic was constructed on the right, and the Titanic was built in the left slipway. This photo was taken from inside the The Titanic Experience, a must-visit sight in Belfast where the full story is told through a variety of excellent exhibits including an amusement-park-type ride through a simulated shipyard.  

The C. S. Lewis Square is centrally located at the Connswater Community Greenway and served at a starting point for us. We took advantage of the coffee and scones offered at the mini Visitor Center on the square, where the staff were very helpful with sightseeing advice and where to catch the Hop On - Hop Off bus. 

The sculptures by Irish artist Maurice Harron portray characters from C. S. Lewis's book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The tale is set in the land of Narnia where Aslan the Lion is the hero, and the White Witch is the villian. Because we had read the book and the other Narnia tales to our children years ago, I was especially delighted to find and view all eight sculptures displayed in the square.

On this gray day, the Belfast Cathedral did not seem that impressive from the outside. But we know that looks can be deceiving and made our way inside anyway.

Also called the Cathedral of St. Anne, the Nave pictured above was finished in 1904. The ten pillars of the Nave represent different industries of Belfast that were important in the early 20th century: science, linen, healing, agriculture, music, theology, ship building, freemasonry, arts, and womanhood.

Although it can be difficult to photograph them effectively, I love stained glass windows and always try to capture them. This one of Jesus as the Prince of Peace turned out nicely. It was just one of several beautiful windows. Belfast Cathedral also features many outstanding mosaics made of tiny tiles. The baptistry is roofed by a mosaic of Creation composed of 150,000 Italian glass pieces. Breathtaking!