Discover The Titanic in Belfast

Harland & Wolff, Titanic Quarter

Have you been to the Titanic Belfast museum yet? And if not, why not??

The six story exhibition museum is a must visit when in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Just steps away from the actual birthplace of the world’s most famous ship (the area is now actually called the Titanic Quarter) it showcases the fact, figures, journey and personal histories of the “unsinkable” ship of dreams.

Titanic Belfast

Well if you have or have not made the memorable trip there is more great news for this construction marvel. The award winning museum which only opened in 2012 (read about the grand opening) is undergoing a refreshment with a new gallery addition to be launched in March, while a number of other popular galleries in the Titanic Belfast Experience will be developed.
The development highlights includes a new Discovery Tour – a walking-tour insight into the building’s concept and design that also sees the historic Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices re-open to Discovery Tour guests.


The attraction will also welcome the return of Ocean Explorer Dr Robert Ballard, the man who discovered the wreck of RMS Titanic in 1985, on March 20. He will host a public lecture, and ‘An Evening with Dr. Ballard,’ an exclusive conversational event boasting with it a White Star Line theatrical 5-star dining experience in the building’s breath-taking Titanic Suite.

In addition, while preparing to host the much-anticipated Giro d’Italia 2014 start in May, Titanic Belfast will be extending its temporary exhibition portfolio this year on the back of the popular Games of Thrones exhibit in 2013, which was viewed by more than 12,000 fans of the HBO series.

I visited the huge awe inspired museum in December 2012, and although the information is vast, the design and interaction of the exhibits means that even those who bore easily are kept entertained. The history of Belfast before and during the building of the Titanic was interesting, Belfast was much more than a city of The Troubles, it was an industrial hub. 

From the social history you physically move through the shipyard on a ride and watch as the Titanic is built before your eyes with sparks flying and deafening noise. You get the facts and figures of the launch of the ship as you look out on the actual Harland and Wolff Shipyard. Obviously you learn about the sinking, you hear the story from several different angles including the aftermath and the myths and legends surrounding that faithful night. And then you get to see the ship wreck you watch as it is discovered and look through what was left behind.

Movies and moving objects, interactive screens, an amusement ride through the building of the ship, the artefacts, the underground water discovery of the ship and remodels of the actual rooms are all presented in a way that keeps all the family tuned in.

If you do one thing this year - visit Belfast and see The Titanic!

Beer and efficiency

Boozing in Berlin
(c) fifiheavey

Ireland does not not have a drinking culture.

That is a bold statement, but one I most definitely stand over after my return visit to Berlin last week.

In general, us Irish reserve our drinking to the weekend or occasions of celebration or commiseration. We don't drink every day, because despite generations of stigma it is not our culture.

"God invented whiskey so the Irish wouldn't rule the world!"

We are fond of and take to The Drink on a regular basis, but it has never become part of daily life.

Germans are known as pretty crazy party people. Their dance and rock music influences helps hammer in that perception. But from what I witnessed last week, they do not reserve their drinking habits for parties only.

Let there be Rock - Bretter Bube Bar
(c)fifiheavey

Take the U-bahn and you meet locals swigging beer, watch out for the cyclist balancing steering their bike with taking a sip of local brew and don't be surprised to see alcohol ... everywhere.

Currywurst
(c) fifiheavey

Small glass bottles of vodka, gin, jagermeister are sold just above the sweet stands at the counters of supermarkets. "Where is the nearest bar?” is a silly question, every eatery including cafes and some take-aways give you access to an alcoholic beverage.

“Just apple juice?” a waitress questioned confused as we ordered brunch, around us everyone had a a 'real' drink in front of them.

And does all this mass drinking result in chaos? Puke on the streets? Loud singing? Rudeness?

A lack of productivity? 

Nope.

Apelmann - East German pedestrian traffic light
are symbols of German efficiency
(c) fifiheavey

How can a land of beer on every corner result in one of the most efficient systems?

Trains run on time, people queue in an orderly manner, food is fast and yummy, the streets are clean and the people are respectful.

Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin
(c) fifiheavey

And the biggest benefit to drinking German beer?

No Hangover!