Belfast: History in Motion

We spent the entirety of Easter Sunday exploring this fascinating city on foot fueled by a solid breakfast in our hotel near the waterfront. The weather was a classic Irish mix of bright sunshine and sudden bursts of rain but we kept our spirits high as we navigated the streets. Belfast is exactly to our taste because it feels authentic and slightly worn around the edges rather than polished and superficial. It is a city filled with historical artifacts and a revolutionary flair where the past feels like it is still breathing and moving through the present day.

​The atmosphere is undeniably gritty and rusty in the best possible way offering a stark contrast to the shiny tourist traps found in other capitals. We spent the day admiring the many facets of the city from the towering Victorian monuments and the massive Titanic construction pier to the legendary street murals. There is a deep sense of character here that comes from its contradictions and its refusal to hide the scars of its long journey. This is not a city built for the comfort of casual tourists or the rowdy groups of weekend visitors wandering the streets with beer cans in hand. The history here is simply too heavy and too real to be convenient.

​The echoes of the armed struggle for freedom during the era of the Troubles are still very much alive and palpable in many corners of the city. Walking through the neighborhoods where history was written in blood and paint provides a powerful and sobering experience that goes far beyond a typical sightseeing tour. You can feel the weight of competing ideologies and the resilience of a people who have lived through decades of intense conflict. Even in the loud and lively pubs where the excessive beer culture is on full display there is something much deeper than just the Guinness taps—a raw and honest soul that defines the North.

​As the evening approached we skipped the fancy dining and found comfort in a familiar taste at Nando’s. The lime and herb chicken was a simple reliable reminder of our meals in other corners of the globe during our life as world travelers. It was the perfect casual end to a day spent immersed in the heavy captivating and unpolished energy of Belfast.Read more