A fantastic weekend in Belfast

You could say I'm wearing what I like in this pic - it's a Game of Thrones cape! We had a fantastic weekend in Belfast, starting first at the Titanic Experience which has quite rightly been voted the world's top tourist attraction. Nine galleries, all very evocative and interactive, take you from the history of Belfast's shipbuilding and other associated industries (linen, rope) to the discovery of the wreckage and retrieval of some of the artifacts.


The gallery which took you quietly into the moment where the ship was lost was very moving. Survivors' voices told their story and the last distress messages were shown. "We are coming as fast as we can" (Carpathia);  "We cannot last much longer" (Titanic).

After the tour a quick freshen up at the hotel and then it was off to the SSE Arena to see Elton John, the main reason for booking the weekend. Not a moment too soon, as he will apparently announce his retirement in March, his 70th birthday.

For the first hour I thought he and the band were a little stilted, but the Belfast welcome soon got to them and they were laughing and lapping up the atmosphere.

For Elton I was wearing a new black sequin bomber jacket but we didn't get any photos as planned, so I will post some pictures of this later.

The next day we went off on a Game of Thrones excursion, two baby boomers and a coach full of millennials! The tour leader was an extra who's been in every season so far (and never been killed), who had some amazing anecdotes. Originally they wanted the people of the north in Winterfell to have a Northern Irish accent, but when asked, Sean Bean simply said "Noooo," so the Winterfell folk had to adopt a Sheffield accent instead!

The locations were marvellous: the Belfast region is rich in ancient monasteries and abbeys. We also met a couple of dire wolves (as you do).

I won't win any prizes for style: it was very cold and at times like this you need a Sherpa woolly hat and a North Face jacket!

Finally we went for a quick walk around the Botanic Gardens. Very well kept, and the rose garden must be a fragrant haven in the summer. I enjoyed the palm house, and it was all free of charge.

Sharing with Catherine, Not Dressed As Lamb, for the #IWillWearWhatILike link up.