Blog

  • Things To Do (When It’s Dry — Or Not)

    1. Titanic Belfast – A spectacular museum that explains how the world’s most famous ship was built here, launched here, and… sailed elsewhere. The gift shop floats.
    2. St George’s Market – Come for artisan everything; stay for the live music and the breakfast you didn’t know you needed.
    3. Black Cab Tour – History, murals, stories. You’ll learn more in an hour than you did in a semester, and with better jokes.
    4. Cathedral Quarter – Cobbled streets, street art, and pubs with live music. Instagram will forgive your last 10 food pics if you post a mural.
    5. Cave Hill Hike – A short climb for a big view. On a clear day you can see Scotland. On a normal day you can see your breath.
    6. Botanic Gardens & Ulster Museum – Free culture! Dinosaurs, art, Egyptian curiosities, and somewhere warm to defrost.
    7. CS Lewis Square – Find Aslan and company. Great for kids and for adults who still check wardrobes, just in case.
    8. Maritime Mile – Waterfront wander among public art, history panels, and seagulls plotting buttered scone heists.
    9. The MAC – Contemporary arts venue. You don’t have to “get” it to enjoy it. Bonus: excellent coffee nearby.
    10. Day Trips – Giant’s Causeway, Gobbins Cliff Path, Game of Thrones locations. Yes, the views are real. No, the dragons are not (budget cuts).
  • Key Facts

    Capital of: Northern Ireland

    River: The Lagan (it’s shyer than the Thames, but just as photogenic if you catch it on a good day)

    Mountains: Cave Hill staring judgmentally at your step count

    Iconic sights: Harland & Wolff cranes (Samson & Goliath), City Hall, Titanic Belfast, the Albert Clock (Belfast’s leaning cousin of Pisa)

    Currency: Pound sterling (for your wallet); kindness (for the rest)

    Weather: “Layers” is not advice, it’s law

    Sports: Rugby, ice-hockey, football, and the sprint for shelter when it starts to spit

    Tea: Strong enough to stand a spoon in. Sugar? “Aye go ‘head.”

  • Belfast

    Short version: Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland, birthplace of the RMS Titanic, and home to people who can discuss the price of a sausage roll with the seriousness of a UN summit.

    Where it is: North-east corner of the island of Ireland, hugging the Belfast Lough like a cat that pretends it’s not needy.

    Population: ~350k in the city; ~700k in the metro area (give or take visitors who came for a weekend and accidentally moved in).

    Famous for: Shipbuilding, linen, murals, cracking music, and saying “wee” before absolutely everything. (Fancy a wee coffee?)

    Vibe check: Friendly, witty, a bit windy. The accent has settings from “BBC clear” to “needs subtitles,” both equally charming.

    Claim to fame: You can literally have mountains (Cave Hill), sea (Belfast Lough), and flat whites (every street) within 20 minutes of each other — traffic and rain gods permitting.

    Fun myth: Locals will tell you you’re “grand” even if your umbrella is inside-out and you’ve just stepped in a puddle that had its own climate system.


  • Home

    Hello! I’m Arek Jaworski — PhD Researcher, full-time beer enthusiast — and this is my corner of the internet about Belfast: a city where the weather has four moods and shows you all of them before lunch. Pull up a chair, mind the seagulls, and let’s explore.