I recently enjoyed a great weekend away in Belfast. I had never been to Ireland before and had absolutely no idea what to expect from Belfast. Three of us set off on our trip to stay with a friend and her family, located in Belfast as her husband plays Rugby for Ulster. We arrived to typical Belfast weather, overcast stormy skies and rain. It didn't dampen our spirit and we enjoyed watching Ulster play (and win!) on Friday night at the Kingspan Stadium. We enjoyed a few drinks at The Jolly Jig - great atmosphere, live music and quirky decor.
The Jolly Jig
On Saturday, we headed to the fabulous indoor market for breakfast, full of great Irish produce. We then took a black cab tour around Belfast (thanks to our fab guide Gerry for having the most incredible knowledge and lively delivery that kept us interested all afternoon). It was such an eye opening experience to be in the centre of the political and social issues Belfast faced and continue to face today. The murals are breathtaking. We visited the Peace Wall, and joined the likes of Bono and Brad Pitt by signing it. All modelled on the designs on The Berlin Wall, you can see artists painting on it as you sign the wall.
The Peace Wall
Our mark on The Peace Wall
No trip to Belfast would be complete without a trip to The Titanic Museum. The moody skies seemed to add to the atmosphere for me and I really enjoyed the architecture of the building and area as much as a visit to the museum. The angles against the industrial background made me feel like I was in a Danish crime drama!
Sunday Morning, we headed to General Merchants 361 for THE most incredible brunch to round our trip off. Our friends have recently opened this place and it was absolutely packed full of people tucking into great food. The decor is fabulous too, great textured abstract painted walls meets industrial exposed ducting and a beautiful reinstated parquet floor from a local school assembly hall that closed down. Well worth a visit if you are in Belfast. Here's a link to their Facebook and Instagram.
Safe to say I've come back from Belfast absolutely bursting full of creative inspiration. In fact, as I write this, my studio desk has sketch books, paints and drawing boards surrounding me with the beginnings of some new fabric designs taking shape. Watch this space!