Tag: https://www.europahotelbelfast.com/

Countries, Ireland, UK

Van up on Cyprus Avenue in Belfast at 80

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He’s been a grumpy old man all his life but today we celebrate Van up on Cyprus Avenue in Belfast at 80.

Few singers form the soundtrack of their city more than Ivan Morrison has for 60 years.

Perhaps The Beatles and Liverpool, The Proclaimers and Edinburgh or Simon and Garfunkel and New York.

As the BBC does on such occasions, it dug into its archives.

For a special concert from the Belfast boy for his 70th birthday in the street where he grew up.

Europa Birthday Van

It is a rare privilege to share a birthday with a superstar singer in concert.

But that was afforded we few, we lucky few, who were treated to cabaret dinner at the iconic Europa Hotel.

When Van exercised his jazz chops with Joey Defrancesco, as well as his Celtic Soul trademark.

As with everything with Van the Man there is always a mystery wrapped up in a riddle with his songs and his life.

Cyprus Avenue, of course, is more, much more, than just a street.

It’s a symbolic sliding doors moment in Van’s life as he sits in a car in his home town, planning his next move.

Which Belfastians, never short of a word, will be happy to explain to you on your Van Morrison tour of East Belfast.

In a Heartbeat

Spell it out: Van cabaret

All courtesy of Irish Heartbeat Tours’ Van Morrison Walking Tour.

And follow in the footsteps of the Great Man in his childhood home on Hyndford Street.

The Hollow, made famous in Brown Eyed Girl. and, of course, Cyprus Avenue.

For its size of half a million people the great old port on the Lagan boasts world beaters in the world of the arts and entertainment.

Tours de force

Shady laddie: Van the Man

And Irish Heartbeat Tour have you covered with a George Best House Tour and CS Lewis Garden Tour and Square Garden Tours.

Of course, you can go on your own 3.5km self-guided Van tour.

By visiting EastSide Visitor Centre.

Or by downloading the Van Morrison Trail Interactive Map to receive a map and access QR codes at various locations

Now we can’t guarantee that you’ll find Van up on Cyprus Avenue in Belfast at 80, although he does live back in now in Northern Ireland.

But we all of us whether we’ve been to Van’s town or not feel we know it from his Astral Weeks masterpiece.

Countries, Ireland, UK

Ship-shape but how to prolong your Belfast stay?

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And they’ve left, the 125 cruise passengers on an extended 40-day stay in Northern Ireland… ship-shape but how to prolong your Belfast stay?

The windows of the world have been on the passengers on the Villa Vie Odyssey these past two months

As they enjoyed an unscheduled stay on the Foyle.

Or a marketing tool for our friends at Visit Belfast as the perfect PR gift.

Room with a view: The Villa Vie bedrooms

To show the rest of us (and Belfastophiles like ourselves are already converts) how to spend 40 days here.

There was more than enough in our hosts’ presentation on their visit to the sumptuous The Dome in George Street, Edinburgh.

To keep us entertained for a couple of months.

Clear blue waters: The big ship

As it goes I’m just back from Belfast where I’d made my way to the docks.

Where a ship even more renowned than the Villa Vie Odyssey is celebrated.

You know the cruise ship which sails around the world over 1301 days and 425 destinations. 

Quarter Masters

Shimmering: The Titanic Quarter

The Titanic Quarter has transformed the Belfast tourist landscape.

With 3.6 million taking it in annually and 20,000 living, working, visiting and staying daily.

Standing at the boards on the slipway where Titanic was built it is truly an assault on the senses.

For all its scale we are reminded that the Villa Vie Odyssey and today’s cruise ships would dwarf the Titanic.

But in its appeal none will ever match the Titanic.

Which is why, of course, Belfast’s house guests became familiar visitors with the Titanic Quarter over their 40 days in town.

Now, while the Quarter is on the Villa Vie shipmates’ doorstep the rest of us access it along the Maritime Mile from the city.

Follow the Seahorse

Shipmaster: In the Titanic Hotel

The first thing that strikes visitors to Belfast city is its intimacy and that you double back on yourself.

We remember inside knowledge from past visits to use the Grand Central Hotel’s Seahorse on the side of the building as our compass.

It keeps even this accidental tourist straight and confident to explore further.

To the Cathedral Quarter, the Ulster Museum  with its Game of Thrones tapestry when we visited.

The weavers at the Ulster Folk Museum and the Sandy Row we associate with Van Morrison.

For those who want to delve further into the city’s history and more recent the Glider bus is an easy way of getting around the city.

Black Taxi tips

Taxi for Billy? The Black Taxi Tour

The Belfast black taxis, of course, differ from those that proliferate in London.

The native and knowledgeable Belfastian drivers with their famous gallows wit take tourists around both sides of the divide.

From the 28 years of The Troubles.

And visit the imposing statue of Edward Carson, the defender of Ulster, at the expansive seat of government at Stormont.

A day in the life of a Belfastian

Put your hat on it: Van Morrison at the Europa

Today, Belfastians go about their lives unhurried and untroubled.

Starting their day with a ‘wee’ (huge) Ulster Fry breakfast.

And while it’s not obligatory to stop for lunch at the Italianate architecture Crown Liquor Saloon with the best Guinness in Belfast.

It is recommended to tarry a while in one of its booth snugs and get late back from lunch.

And maybe grab a cocktail at the Europa Hotel opposite on your way home from work and if you’re lucky enough and Van is doing one of his jazz cabaret acts then take that in.

Belfast, in truth, throbs to the sounds of traditional music, it is slated to hold the Fleadh next year.

Samhain folk

Crowning glory: Game of Thrones and Belfast

It was, of course, at the vanguard of many other genres over the years from its punk days to today’s multi-cultural sounds.

The city is readying itself now for the Irish festival Samhain, which the rest of the world sabotaged and calls Halloween.

It is safe to say that should you be lucky enough to be delayed for 40 days in Belfast then you will never run out of things to do.

And the locals will make you more than welcome.

So there will be no need to ask: Ship-shape but how to prolong your Belfast stay?

 

 

 

Countries, Ireland, Music

This Christy World

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Why could we not protect him in this Christy World, farewell North Dublin’s finest, Christy Dignam?

Christy and Aslan, whom Bono, no less, credited as a big inspiration, lived in his own crazy world.

Sing our praises: With the Scary One at the Temple Bar

And that legacy is marked every weekend in the Temple Bar in his native Dublin… and yes, we have joined in full gusto at the Bar.

When a tribute act will be asked, or instinctively just know, to belt out the Crazy World anthem.

North side splitters

Raw: Christy Dignam in his prime

I heard many of Christy’s antics and his lightfooted love life from Northside People editor Paul ‘Feathers’ Featherson.

All of which passed the time on our Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul.

Aslan, for many the hardest-working band in Ireland, have a tour taking in the whole of the island.

Next stop was Derry’s Millennium Forum, now cancelled out of respect.

Flying high: With North Dub Feathers and the gang in Istanbul

While other upcoming July dates included Wexford and the National Opera House and Kerry’s Gleneagle INEC arena.

Aslan have carried on, and who knows if they can continue without their charismatic frontman, the rich legacy of Irish touring musicians.

Who take the music to the people in small towns and townlands across the island.

And remember Christy said it himself that he had ‘travelled through so many towns.”

 

Touring musicians

Hat’s the boy: Van Morrison in Belfast

And they and their fellow strummers and singers, fiddlers and folksters add a huge ingredient to your Irish holiday.

Because for as long as I can remember there has been a musical backdrop to my Irish vacations.

From the Irish country keeping me awake in Harkin’s Bar next door on annual Easter trips with my Dear Old Mum in Brockagh, Co. Donegal.

Through the draw of Joe Dolan on a Ring of Kerry tour.

And a Van Morrison jazz cabaret at the Europa Hotel in Belfast.

It’s all right

Say it with flowers: Christy’s pal Bono

And there will be more, all of which helps us cope.

It is a tough enough world and one North Dublin singer just helped us forget it about for a little while.

So let’s just continue to take solace from his calming message…

In this Christy world… it’s all right.

 

Countries, Ireland, UK

Random Quacked Of Kindness Day

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Where these things come from Heaven knows but where we’re going with this is a shout out to my old pal Julie Hastings who has reimagined it as a Random Quacked of Kindness Day.

And yes, you can have that one Julie.

Hastings Hotels supremo Julie and me share a very important interest…

We’re both quackers about rubber ducks.

And she was good enough both to host me at the group’s flagship Belfast hotels the Grand Central and the Europa.

But also to send me on some from her collection (I’ll come to the many names for a group of ducks in a minute, and it’s not that) after I’d suggested names for her latest novelty ducks.

The Duckess of Cornwall

Lor’, love a duck: Duck and Duchess of Cornwall

 

When Camilla was visiting… and I came up with the Duckess of Cornwall!

Now Julie rarely misses an opportunity to get her rubber ducks in a row.

And so has been gifting them at the company’s head Offices today at their offices at the side of Stormont Hotel.

It’s a great quacked of kindness in what has been deigned by someone somewhere Random Act of Kindness Day.

There have, of course, been too many to count across my Travels from our holiday providers, our dream makers.

Five friends

Hit the road Zach: My pal Zach from Mississippi

There has been the wonderful gesture from Zach at Visit Mississippi.

He only had a courier bring the mobile phone I had left in a hotel 100kms back, to Jackson, on the MLK50 odyssey in the Deep South.

The hotelier who sent up two bottles of wine and a fruit basket to my room on my Greek odyssey.

After I had bust in on an aged couple post-coitus in the Intercontinental Athenaeum in Athens after I had been given the wrong door pass at reception.

The whole town of Monaghan in Ireland who rearranged their weekends to accommodate us.

When we turned up a week early (I give The Scary One one job to do, one job to do!).

Monaghan mates: And Sherry got us a table

Bertha at reception in Switzerland (it’s a recurring theme) who waived my carelessness in leaving the shower running.

In my rush to join my group and catch the train in Interlaken.

All of which meant water dripped from the ceiling into the breakfast room.

And Julie, of course, who I have never admitted to but it is true.

That I was caught short and was sick on the carpet of her beloved Grand Central Hotel.

After one of her famous hospitable nights watching Van Morrison at the Europa and then following it up with a nightcap (or three) in the Crown Bar.

What’s a group of ducks then?

My ducks in a row: Murty Castles

Now I doubt whether I’ll ever reach the numbers in Julie’s rubber duck fleet, flock, company, diving, paddle, skein or wabbling.

And note to self, enough wabbling.

And on behalf of all of us, well done again Julie for your generosity on Random Quacked of Kindness Day.

Alas, every day cannot be so if you want to get your hands on one of the famous Hastings Ducks then you will have to book a room.

The duck will be free but the rest will be on the bill.