Belfast: The Ship Of Dreams

I arrived in Belfast with surprisingly better weather than I left in Cardiff. I checked into my new hostel, Belfast International Youth Hostel  which was definitely not as good as my last one. This one would probably be awesome for large groups of friends but as a solo traveller, it was really hard to make friends (the only one I did was a girl in my room on my last night. She was from Hull, Quebec but she had a cold and understandably didn't want to go out). It was very clinical/streamlined and lacked much character --- but the beds were comfy at least.

Welcome to.... 

I decided to check out the Titantic Quarter and visit the museum. I took the rail there but when I got off, no one else did and I began to wonder if I was in the right spot. I wandered along mostly deserted streets beside a lorry rental place until I finally saw some signs confirming I was heading in the right direction. Huzzah! Win one for my internal compass (.... and Google maps).

The titanic museum was HUGE. They allot you entrance at a specific time so until then, I explored the SS Nomadic. The SS Nomadic is the last remaining White Star ship in existence. During the Titanic era, it was a Tender --- which meant it ferried passengers between the harbour and the Titanic because the Titanic was too big to be docked at shore. It was also recommissioned  in both World Wars (as a minesweeper in WWI and to help evacuate Cherbourg in WWII) and eventually went back to being a Tender. They've redone the interior to reflect what it would have looked like for 1st and 2nd class passengers and the subsequent crew.

SS Nomadic in its dock (🎶24601)

Side note: it was also docked in the Hamilton Graving Dock and all I kept thinking of was the "Look Down" scene in Les Mis when they are building the ship. TWO-FOUR-SIX-OH-ONEEEE!

I was then allowed to go onto the Titanic museum but actually it's so much more than just the ship! The first few floors  (yes floors) are dedicated to early industry in Belfast (such as Flax mills and the linen industry) and the shipbuilding process  (including an interactive ride that takes you through a day as a shipbuilder... complete with heat lamps in the coal sections!). The titanic part has recreations of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class cabins; descriptions of guests; boarding procedures; samples of the fabric and carpet used; as well as survivor testimonies and a chilling depiction of the SOS conversations with the other boats around them at the time of the sinking.

Last messages from the Titanic

 There was also a small portion about the Titanic in the media (yes, Celine was singing) and a part about the underwater cameras/seeing the Titanic now. Overall, a very impressive museum that I spent 2 and a half hours in!