Belfast, Northern Island, UK

After our short visit with David's family in Derby, we flew to Belfast for a three day visit.  We rented a car as our plan was to drive around Northern Ireland and see some of the coastal scenery.

The Malmaison Belfast 

We stayed at this hotel based on the recommendation of one of David's bosses who is from Belfast.  Set in a former seed warehouse, this hotel is very different from other hotels that we have stayed at in the past.  For one, it has a very Gothic ambiance with a dark interior, and crushed velvet boudoirs and black leather sofas in the common areas.  That said, although the interior was dark, our room was very comfortable and the bathroom was great (slightly bigger and more functional than the one at The Savoy!).  Needless to say, we enjoyed our 2 night stay here.     

Belfast City Hall

This stone and copper domed building was completed in 1906, as a symbol of Belfast's new city status.  While we were there, a stage and canopy was being erected in front of the building for a concert, so unfortunately it obstructed some of the view of the building.

Queens University Belfast
Queen's University was founded in 1845 by Queen Victoria and was opened to students in 1849.  We took a drive to the university because David's father, a Professor of Science, taught at Queen's University Belfast many years ago and we wanted to see the campus. Unfortunately traffic around the campus was extremely busy that morning and we could not find a parking, otherwise it would have been nice to have parked the car and walked around.

Dunmurry
After driving to Queen's University, we headed further south to a suburb called Dunmurry.  Dunmurry is where David was born and where his family lived until they moved to Canada when David was 4 years old.  We managed to find both homes that David's family lived in and took some photos for his family.

Belfast Castle
Belfast Castle was completed in 1870 and is perched on the slopes of Cave Hill, 400 feet above sea level.  It is a magnificent sandstone building with a Scottish Baronial style, that incorporates an Italian style serpentine staircase on the outside.  Once the home to the Chichesters and then the Donegalls families, this castle is today managed by the Belfast City Council and is a popular venue for special occasions and functions.

The drive from Belfast to Dundrum
Dundrum is situated in the Mourne Mountains south of Belfast.  Author CS Lewis was born in Belfast and the Mourne Mountains were his inspiration for Narnia.  We headed to Dundrum to visit Dundrum Castle.  Along the way, we passed a few small towns and saw some beautiful scenery.

Dundrum Castle
Dundrum Castle is one of a string of coastal castles that the Anglo-Roman invaders used to establish their hold on north-east Ulster from 1177 onwards.  This castle is perched on a rocky hill and overlooks a scenic harbour.

Ferry from Strangford to Portaferry
After our visit to Dundrum Castle, we drove north-east to Strangford where we took a short ferry ride across to Portaferry.  By the time we got to Portaferry, it was almost dark.  We then headed north and then west back to Belfast.