Countries, UK

Ice in your drink on the Titanic

Well, what else would you do than put ice in your drink on the Titanic?

Which is not us delving the depths but our merch mates l selling Titanic-shaped ice for your glass.

Lest it be forgotten, of course, Titanic was, first and foremost a pleasure cruise, where passengers wined and dine in fine style.

Cruise drinks: Titanic touch

And Titanic Belfast, which tells and retells the story of the world’s most famous cruise liner every day, is showcasing the foods and beverages on board.

With Flavours of Titanic: A Journey Through Taste, Seasoned with Stories.

And a calendar of festivities in Belfast every weekend from October 4-November 2. 

Flavours of Titanic

The cruise crew: Titanic Belfast

It features the best fare from Belfast, the city where the great ship was built from the early 20th century.

From free talks and tastings to family trails and themed food specials, Flavours of Titanic will link food culture to the ship’s story.

Local suppliers stepping up include Irish Black Butter, Maine Soft Drinks and Burren Balsamics.

Every week will have a different theme including First Class Flavours, Clangers and Craft and Port to Plate.

Wine and dine

Ship-shape: Model of the Great Ship

Bespoke dishes will also be available to enjoy in The Pantry and Galley cafe, as well as retail exclusives in the Titanic Store. 

While Titanicphiles will welcome the return of Titanic by the Glass on Saturday, October 11 and Friday, October 17.

With cocktails crafted by The Spirit Circle.

Titanic by the Glass will take guests on a guided immersive journey through part of the Titanic Experience.

Where they will hear about stories of Belfast, its people, its past and its drinks.

All served with four accompanying alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktails.

Crews on the cruise

Best seat in house: Game of Thrones too

Crew Talks will take place across the weekends.

Exploring Titanic’s food stories from provisioning and cargo to dining across the ship’s classes.

And there will also be a dedicated pop-up exhibition highlighting the ship’s menus, cargo and culinary contrasts.

Offering visitors to Northern Ireland a fresh perspective on Titanic’s history through the lens of food. 

Families can take part in a specially designed trail over the half-term break from October 25-31.

Leading younger visitors through food-themed touchpoints across the experience in a fun, engaging way.

 

Countries, Ireland, UK

A tale of two new cities Belfast and Derry

It’s a tale of two new cities Belfast and Derry 50 years on.

The two powerhouses of Northern Ireland are marking 50-year milestones just now, for different reasons.

Belfast’s name is up in lights, on billboards as award-winning luvvie Kenneth Branagh celebrates the city of his birth on film.

Belfast boy: Kenneth Branagh’s film

While Derry too is looking back too, but to the saddest episode in its modern history.

To Bloody Sunday when British soldiers shot dead 23 unarmed civilians.

Love letter to Belfast

Lie back… and think of Belfast

 

This weekend has been about Belfast and the 50th anniversary of a much-loved institution and survivor, Europa Hotel.

Where the cream of Irish Travel, my old muckers, Big Jim Gallagher and Muriel Bolger among them, were taking in Branagh’s love letter to Belfast.

From the Europa Hotel which was extending its 50th anniversary celebrations of last year by putting on a special showing of the film.

The Europa holds a special significance for Belfastians as the-then most-bombed city in the world.

But which the bombers never did level.

A tale of two hotels

On the town: At the Europa

Today it is a shining gem in the city, alongside the Grand Central Hotel, with its distinctive seahorse symbol.

And visitors can enjoy the charms of both as we did on our Belfast Chilled tour.

When we stayed at the Grand Central and took in Van Morrison at the Europa.

This week past met present as Guinness flowed and they drank in the nostalgia of the crossroads year of 1972 in Northern Ireland.

Van’s the man: Van Morrison at the Europa

Seventy-one miles north-west in Derry the locals set out on a Civil Rights march on a sunny Sunday.

At the end of it 13 lay dead and 15 wounded, the story of which you can follow at the Museums of Free Derry.

The history of those times may be a foreign country to those of us not from the Walled City.

Derry Girls

How abite ye? The Derry Girls mural

But it is being played out in a more uplifting fashion in the glorious Derry Girls, the tale of an English boy thrust into a girls’ school.

With a muriel (sorry mural) of the Fab Five main characters a beacon of what Derry is now post-Troubles.

Near the border too of my Dear Old Mum’s beloved Donegal in the Republic, Derry is a delightful destination for tourists.

And yes Hastings as everywhere in Northern Ireland is where to stay.

Derry good: The Everglades

Yes, it’s tale of two new cities Belfast and Derry

Where, you say to stay in Derry? The Everglades Hotel.

Ducks on parade: And Hastings to the fore

How do I know? Well, a little Hastings duckie told me.